Chad Cary to Lead NOAA Corps and Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
The U.S. Senate confirmed on Thursday President Biden’s nomination of NOAA Rear Adm. Chad Cary to lead the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps) and NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO).“Supporting the nation’s environmental and economic security is one of the Biden-Harris Administration’s top priorities and the NOAA Corps, NOAA’s fleet, and the dedicated professionals who operate these critical components of our infrastructure are vital in fulfilling that mission,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Rear Adm. Cary’s
Renovations Commence at NOAA's Research Vessel Pier in Charleston
security, public safety and homeland security for many years to come.”“This pier and facility are integral to safe and efficient research ship operations in the area,” said NOAA Corps Vice Adm. (select) Nancy Hann, director of NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations and the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps. “Our ships cannot efficiently complete their critical work without safe and reliable shoreside infrastructure.&rdquo
NOAA Promotes Nancy Hann to Deputy Under Secretary
NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps Rear Adm. Nancy A. Hann has been selected for promotion to the rank of vice admiral and will serve as NOAA’s deputy under secretary for operations, beginning August 2024. Since 2021, Hann has served as director of the NOAA Corps and NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO).In her new role as deputy under secretary for operations, Hann will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the agency's national and international operations for oceanic and atmospheric services, research and coastal and marine stewardship.“Vice Adm. (select) Hann
NOAA Cuts Ribbon on Renovated Ketchikan Port Facility
systems for servicing visiting ships.“This state of the art facility positions us to better support emerging technologies, such as uncrewed systems, and be more efficient in our operational readiness for Alaska-focused science,” said Rear Adm. Chad Cary, deputy director of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps and NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations. “It also positions us closer to the Arctic, which will continue to grow in importance for our fisheries and seafloor mapping missions.”The 15 research and survey ships operated, managed and maintained by NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations
Thoma-Sea Awarded Contract to Build Two NOAA Research Ships
work boats, scientific equipment and uncrewed systems, which enhance the work the ship does.“This is another milestone in NOAA’s effort to recapitalize our aging fleet of ships,” said NOAA Corps Rear Adm. Nancy Hann, director of NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations and the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps. “These ships are vital for mapping the United States Exclusive Economic Zone, enabling maritime commerce and responding to natural disasters, and will allow us to meet critical at-sea data collection requirements for the economic security, public safety and national security for
CTO in Focus: “Stop, Listen & Think” - One-on-One with Shepard Smith, XOcean
his new post as Chief Technology Officer of XOcean. We checked in with Smith for his insights on technical drivers in the ocean exploration space, as well as what to expect from XOcean in the coming years.Shep, to start us off, please give an overview of your 28-year career at NOAA.I was with the Commissioned Officer Corp part of NOAA. I started off in the hydrographic program assigned to the NOAA Ship Rainier up in Alaska, and we surveyed using survey launches and single beam echo sounders, as well as a ‘brand new’ technology – GPS – around the unexplored areas off the coast of
Keel Laid for NOAA’s New Oceanographic Research Ship
, Oceanographer.“Today’s keel-laying ceremony marks a major step forward both in the construction of Oceanographer and the revitalization of NOAA’s ship fleet,” said Rear Adm. Nancy Hann, director of NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) and the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps.Oceanographer is one of two ships being built for NOAA by TMC to support a variety of missions, ranging from general oceanographic research and exploration to marine life, climate and ocean ecosystem studies. These missions include shallow coastal, continental shelf and worldwide ocean
NOAA Issues RFP for Design and Construction of Ocean Survey Ships
designing and building the new ships.To meet NOAA’s requirements, the new ships must have the capability to carry, deploy and recover multiple crewed and uncrewed vessels to support nautical charting and seafloor survey missions. They must also be able to accommodate 48 people, consisting of commissioned officers, professional civilian crew members, scientists and other personnel. NOAA has set a goal of achieving net-zero emissions for its ship fleet by 2050. To support NOAA's goal of reducing the agency's carbon footprint, the new ships must incorporate the latest technologies, including
Shep Smith Appointed XOCEAN CTO
XOCEAN appointed Shepard "Shep" Smith as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in the latest expansion of its leadership team. Smith served 28 years as a commissioned officer with the U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). At NOAA, Smith rose to the rank of Rear Admiral and was closely involved in advancing state-of-the-art hydrography and nautical cartography.His 10 years of working at sea included tours in Alaska, the Pacific, and the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and four years as the Commanding Officer and Chief Scientist of the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson.
February 2025
