United States

USA Contact Information:

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  • IceBridge Sea Ice Freeboard, Snow Depth, and Thickness Quick Look
  • IceSat-2 (The Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2, or ICESat-2, measures the height of a changing Earth – one laser pulse at a time, 10,00 laser pulses a second. It allows scientists to measure the elevation of ice sheets and sea ice in unprecedented detail. ICESAT-2 applications are available here)
  • MODIS (The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS, is deployed on two satellites that orbit the Earth every 1 to 2 days acquiring data in 36 spectral bands, or groups of wavelengths These data improve our understanding of global dynamics and processes occurring on the land, in the oceans, and in the lower atmosphere.
  • GMAO (The Global Modeling and Assimilation Office uses computer models and data assimilation to enhance NASA’s program of Earth Observations. The website This web site includes five major themes: "Weather Analysis and Prediction," "Seasonal-Decadal Analysis and Prediction," "Reanalysis," "Global Mesoscale Modeling," and "Observing System Science”)
  • NISAR (the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, or NISAR, satellite provides an unprecedented, detailed view of Earth. It is designed to observe and take measurements of some of the planet’s most complex processes, including ice-sheet collapse and natural hazards such as tsunamis and landslides. NISAR applications are available here)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
  • U.S. Arctic Voyage Planning Guide (the Guide is a compilation of official U.S. Government information and references to sources of information that may be consulted by mariners when planning a voyage into or through U.S. Arctic waters. It is not a navigation tool itself, but is a compilation of materials to give mariners a consolidated picture of conditions, regulations, navigation guidance and unique circumstances that should be considered during voyage planning)
  • NOAA Chart Locator (download nautical charts and ENCs)
  • NOAA Nautical Chart Online Viewer
  • U.S. Coast Pilot (a series of nautical books that cover a variety of information important to navigators of coastal and intracoastal waters and the Great Lakes. Issued in nine volumes, they contain supplemental information that is difficult to portray on a nautical chart)
  • NOAA Wrecks and Obstructions Database
  • National Center for Environmental Intelligence Arctic Datasets
  • NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Lab Arctic Zone compilation of hyperlinks to products and services such as:
    • Arctic Report Card (latest annual update of changing conditions
    • Monthly Sea Ice Outlook (from SEARCH/Arcus)
    • NASA IceBridge Sea Ice Freeboard, Snow Depth, and Thickness Quick Look
    • Arctic Daily Sea Ice Images
    • MAISIE - Daily Sea Ice Extent product
    • North Pole Real Time Weather Data
  • Arctic Geophysics and Bathymetry
  • Alaska Tides and Currents
  • Alaska Tide Predictions
  • Endangered Species and Critical Habitat Mapper (mapping application that provides approximate distributions for species protected by the US under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act)

  • Crowdsourced Bathymetry (CSB) data, which can be used to supplement rigorous and scientific bathymetric coverage, can be accessed through the IHO Data Center for Digital Bathymetry's Data Viewer, hosted by NOAA NCEI.

• U.S. National Ice Center/Naval Ice Center (NATICE)
  • U.S. NATICE Home Page (provides global to tactical scale ice and snow products, ice forecasting, and other environmental intelligence services for the United States government)
  • Current Daily Ice Analysis
  • Snow and Ice Data
  • Oceans and Sea Ice

• North American Ice Service
  • North American Ice Service Products (The North American Ice Service provides year-round maritime safety information on iceberg and sea ice conditions in the vicinity of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and the east coast of Labrador, Canada. The purpose of the NAIS Iceberg Bulletin and Chart is to advise mariners of the estimated iceberg extent within the region)

• U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
  
  • Arctic Geospatial-Intelligence (GEOINT) is NGA’s foundational Arctic data (e.g., elevation, physical and human geography) developed for decision support
  • Global Maritime Traffic Density Service (GMTDS) provides a uniform monthly ship activity density metric represented at a 1-km resolution for the entire globe
  • Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure (MSDI) 2018 Concept Development Study assessed the current state of the MSDI
  • Maritime Safety Information (MSI) covers Arctic waters. Examples of NGA’s MSI are: World Port Index (location, physical, and service characteristics for major ports and terminals), Sailing Directions Planning Guides (including Arctic Ocean, 13 Ed. 2020), Sailing Directions Enroute (detailed coastal and port approach information), and Navigational Warnings, including HYDROARC Reports (maritime hazards to surface ships and submarines in the international waters of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent northern seas)

• U.S. Committee on the Maritime Transportation System
  • U.S. Arctic Marine Transportation Integrated Action Team

• State of Alaska
  • Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Spill Prevention and Response
    • Potential Places of Refuge for Alaska
    • Aleutian Islands - Potential Places of Refuge
    • Western Alaska - Potential Places of Refuge
    • Northwest Arctic - Potential Places of Refuge
    • North Slope - Potential Places of Refuge

• Marine Exchange of Alaska (MXAK)
  • MXAK is a nonprofit maritime organization that provides to its members information that aids safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally sound maritime operations in waters around Alaska. MXAK operates a vessel tracking network composed of over 140 AIS and marine safety stations in Alaska