Shallow coastal zones are where most ship groundings occur, and they are also where the most inaccurate and outdated information on official nautical charts resides. TCarta, a provider of hydrospatial mapping services, has introduced a new line of Satellite Reconnaissance Charts to supplement official marine navigation maps in shallow waters.
TCarta will introduce the new Satellite Reconnaissance Chart products to the hydrographic community on Tuesday, February 25, at the 2025 Esri Federal GIS Conference in Washington, D.C.
Derived from recently acquired satellite imagery, TCarta Satellite Reconnaissance Charts are digital maps adhering to International Hydrographic Organization S-57 and S-100 data model standards with the same appearance and symbology as official navigation aids. However, the TCarta Charts do not replace official nautical map products, which are primarily designed for marine navigation in commercial shipping lanes.
The new TCarta Satellite Reconnaissance Charts contain up-to-date details of seafloor depths, sandbars, reefs, shoals, and other submerged hazards – along with floating dangers – in the near-shore environments that are often poorly mapped or out of date on official maritime charts. Offered at off-the-shelf 1:20,000 scale and custom 1:4,000 scale, the TCarta products are delivered in file formats ready to load into popular marine navigation software as well as common GIS software platforms.
“We launched the Satellite Reconnaissance Charts to enhance the awareness and safety of vessels operating in shallow waters, such as recreational boats, private yachts, fishing vessels, and military ships,” said TCarta President Kyle Goodrich.
Another major user of these products, however, will be government hydrographic offices, explained Goodrich. The TCarta Charts will serve as accurate and timely guides for those organizations to plan hydrographic surveys to update official nautical charts, especially in dynamic coastal zones, enabling their operations to be more efficient and avoid hazardous situations.
“Collection of high-quality water depth measurements in shallow coastal areas is expensive and dangerous to acquire by ship or aircraft, notably in remote or contested regions,” Goodrich said. “Our Satellite Reconnaissance Charts will help reduce risk, time and costs in coastal hydrographic surveying.”
The Satellite Derived Bathymetry (SDB) technology refined by TCarta and used to create the new Reconnaissance Charts is uniquely suited to measure water depth accurately and inexpensively while posing no danger to personnel, equipment, or coastal ecosystems. SDB applies physics-based computer algorithms to optical imagery captured by commercial remote sensing satellites. This analysis detects and measures light reflecting off the seafloor to calculate water depth. Depending on water clarity, SDB is accurate to depths of 20 to 30 meters.
TCarta has mapped nearly one third of the world’s coastlines with SDB and offers products in custom and off-the-shelf versions. Custom SDB data sets are typically generated using high-resolution satellite imagery capable of resolving seafloor objects, such as shoals and reefs, with one-meter resolution. Satellite Reconnaissance Charts can be created for nearly any shallow-water area in the world and are available off the shelf now in the following regions:
Caribbean
Arabian/Persian Gulf
Red Sea
Many Pacific Islands
Florida and Mexican Coasts
Satellite Reconnaissance Charts are available for specific locations, regions, and entire countries. Commercial organizations may order bathymetry products directly from TCarta and the US government can purchase through the GSA Schedule.