Abstract: One of the primary missions of the National Ocean Service (NOS) and its predecessor agencies has been to accuarately survey the coast of the United States. Beginning in the late 1930's, precision vertical aerial photography has become the primary source material for coastal survey maps. Photographic surveys replaced plane table field surveys because they could be completed faster and less expensively. The vertical aerial photographs which are shot and maintained by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS), are used for a varity of geo-positioning application including shorelineline delineation, mapping water depths, topographic mapping, mapping seabed characteristics, and locating features or obstructions to ensure the safety of marine and air navigation. NGS's area of photogrammetric responsibilities includes all coastal regions, including the Great Lakes and their connecting navigable waterways. This represents approximately 95,000 miles of shoreline. NGS maintains a library of all vertical aerial photographic surveys of the coast dating back to 1945. There are currently over 500,000 photographs in the library with 15,000 additional photographs being aquired each year. All photographs are available to the public for purchase.
Purpose: Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Geodetic Survey (NGS) Vertical aerial photographs of the United States coast line were obtained as the primary source material for coastal survey maps. Vertical aerial photographs have the advantage over coastal survey maps of capturing everything in that instant and have been utilized for a wide varity of other purposes including mapping water depths, topographic mapping, missing seabed characteristics, and locating navigational hazards.
Supplemental Information: Hardcopy prints of any of the imagery can be ordered from the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). Any of the images can be scanned to special order at resolutions from 100 dpi to 1200 dpi.

Progress: In work
Update Frequency: Continually

Theme Keywords: None, vertical aerial photography, coastal survey, shoreline, coastal, color positive film, color negative film, digital, oceans
Place Keywords: U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, United States, coastal regions, connecting naviagable waterways

Access Constraints: None
Usage Constraints: These photographs were obtained for use by NGS during the course of its development of potential final products to fulfill its statuatory mission. Although NGS is making these photographs available to others who may find the photographs of value, NGS does not warrant, endorse, or reccommend the use of these photographs for any given purpose. NGS is providing these photographs "as is," and NGS disclaims any and all warranties, whether expressed or implied, including (without limitation) any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will NGS be liable to you or any third party for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or exemplary damages or lost profits resulting from any use or misuse of these data.