Marine Debris

NOAA

Mississippi
Department of Marine Resources

NOAA Marine Debris Side Scan Survey Project

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Coast survey was funded to implement surveys of the coastal and offshore areas of Mississippi and Alabama and Louisiana that have been impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The objective is to find and chart and assist the U.S. Coast Guard (in providing information on the location, size, possible identify and clearance depth, etc) in removing hazards to navigation and to fishing vessels off of Mississippi's coast.

The reports and navigation incidents in the last several months indicate a large amount of hazards are found in the coastal bays, near shore and farther offshore areas. Using sidescan sonar, multi beam equipment, NOAA has surveyed extensively immediately after the hurricanes. However, the priority was surveying and assisting in clearing the navigation channels and port and harbors. Fishing areas have not been surveyed and hazards, in certain areas, can likely be dense and present real risks to fishing vessels working in these areas.

The four areas which are currently being surveyed are identified on the map. These areas made were identified by DMR and NOAA personnel as a principal guide to determining the amount of marine debris in these locations and reducing the risk to navigation and shrimping and fishing vessels.

The survey effort has shown that a small boat sidescan effort is successful in covering the nearshore areas. The eastern survey project area has a considerable number of debris or objects. A number of objects have at this time been identified as Dangers to Navigation and submitted to a Local Notice to Mariners and charting as a hazard.

NOAA is providing the graphics and is sorting the contact (debris) list by size and clearance depths and provide them to DMR, FEMA and USCG. We are happy to provide in formats to DMR to post to their websites and for distribution to the fishing and shrimping community through other means. NOAA and USCG will also review the contacts and may decide to list and chart some of them as hazards.

Caution should taken in navigation and fishing in these areas. Additional hazards reports will be posted on this website as NOAA surveying effort are updated.

Area Priorities
Area 2
- Final Spreadsheet for Project Area 2
Area 3
- Final Spreadsheet for Project Area 3
- Additional imagery was developed for the uncharted sunken vessel that was found by NOAA surveys in the Fairway off of Pascagoula. The vessel is located at the following coordinates (the same as provided in earlier information).
  Caution in fishing and shrimping in this area is advised. The movement of deep draft vessels through this area should also be aware of this DTON. A diver investigation of this hazard would be useful in determining the age of the vessel.
  
  Position- 30.1104384 N, 88.6320168 W
  Chartlet
  
  Image1, Image2
Area 4
- Final spreadsheet for Project Area 4
- Wet Debris Location with Clearance Depth < 1.5 Meters

In response to the threat of submerged marine debris in the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama coastal zones, NOAA's Gulf of Mexico Marine Debris Project team is developing interactive maps from hydrographic surveys of debris left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A collaborative effort among NOAA's Marine Debris Program, Office of Response and Restoration and Office of Coast Survey, the team is working with the United States Coast Guard and other federal and state agencies, including Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, to ensure coordination of ongoing recovery efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. To access scaleable maps indicating debris location and abundance, please go to http://gulfofmexico.marinedebris.noaa.gov.

MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT
OF MARINE RESOURCES
DISCLAIMER

NOAA Mississippi Department of Marine Resources

NOAA Marine Debris Side Scan Survey Project

NOAA

Mississippi
Department of Marine Resources