GULFPORT, Miss. – Depending on where you are in the Gulf of Mexico, it could be tough to navigate since some of the information on sea floor charts are over 50 years old.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is working to change that. They have contracted a survey Vessel from David Evans and Associates, Inc.’s Marine Services division. Monday the company commissioned its new 82-foot hydrographic survey and scientific vessel Blake at a ceremony held at the vessel’s home port in Gulfport.
“In some areas where it is charged 20-feet, it may actually only be 10-feet of water depth. In those area, if the captain of the vessel is not familiar with the area, the vessel could potentially run aground on a feature that isn’t charted. Also, because there have been a number of hurricanes over the years, there have been a lot of fishing vessels that have been sunken and other obstructions that have been washed out to sea,” said Mick Hawkins Gulf Operations Director for David Evans and Associates
The custom-built Blake will be responsible for charting the ocean floor near Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas providing new maps for people to navigate the waters. She will start her career with a crew of 10, performing charting surveys of Gulfport Channel and Chandeleur Sound, with 24-hour survey operations and port calls every 10 days.
