Regulatory Framework & Compliance Flashcards

The MARPOL Convention affects hydrographic survey vessel operations primarily by regulating:

Answer: Discharge of pollutants such as oil, sewage, and garbage at sea

MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) sets discharge standards for oil, sewage, garbage, and other pollutants from vessels including survey ships.

A contractor's side-scan sonar towfish strikes an uncharted object during a survey. What regulatory reporting obligation may be triggered beyond internal incident reporting?

Answer: Notification of potential archaeological or historic resource disturbance under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)

Striking an uncharted submerged object may disturb an archaeological or historic shipwreck, triggering Section 106 consultation requirements under NHPA.

The Hydrographic Services Improvement Act (HSIA) of 1998 specifically mandates that NOAA provide hydrographic services to support:

Answer: Safe navigation, marine commerce, and national defense

HSIA defines NOAA's mandate to provide hydrographic services supporting safe navigation, national defense, marine transportation, and environmental stewardship.

Under IHO S-44 Order 2, what is the maximum allowable Total Vertical Uncertainty (TVU) at the 95% confidence level for depths up to 30 meters?

Answer: 1.0 m fixed component + 0.023 × depth variable

IHO Order 2 TVU formula is a = 1.0 m and b = 0.023, yielding higher tolerances appropriate for areas where under-keel clearance is less critical.

Which regulation requires hydrographic survey data collected by NOAA contractors to be archived and made publicly available?

Answer: NOAA Data Management Policy and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

NOAA's data management policy combined with FOIA requires federally funded hydrographic data to be archived at NCEI and made accessible to the public.

In a multibeam echosounder survey, which regulatory standard governs the sound speed profile measurements required for accurate beam steering and refraction correction?

Answer: NOAA Field Procedures Manual specifying cast frequency based on water column variability

NOAA's FPM specifies how frequently sound speed profiles must be collected based on observed water column variability to maintain beam accuracy.

When a hydrographic survey identifies a potential wreck with cultural significance in U.S. waters, which law provides the framework for protecting it from unauthorized disturbance?

Answer: The Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987

The Abandoned Shipwreck Act asserts U.S. government title over abandoned historic shipwrecks in state waters and delegates management authority to individual states.