NOAA appoints new members to Hydrographic Services federal advisory committee

The new members of the panel are:

• Sean M. Duffy Sr., executive director, Big River Coalition, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Retired USCG Capt. Ed Page, executive director, Marine Exchange of Alaska, Juneau, Alaska

• Julie Thomas, senior advisor, Southern California, Coastal Ocean Observing System, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California

Two members of the panel were reappointed:

• Ed Kelly, executive director, Maritime Association of the Port of New York/New Jersey, New York, New York

• Capt. Sal Rassello, director, nautical operations, Carnival Cruise Lines, Miami, Florida

They joined the panel’s 10 current members in February.

The panel is seeking five new members for a four year term that starts January 1, 2019, and runs through 2022. The Federal Register Notice provides information and instructions about how to apply.

“Improving and maturing the next generation of navigation products and services for increased safety and efficiency of marine transportation is crucial to keep commerce flowing through our nation's ports and waterways,” said Rear Admiral Shepard M. Smith, director, NOAA's Office of Coast Survey. “Panel members give NOAA critical perspectives on the needs of the maritime sector which are extremely valuable  in our mission to improve the safety and efficiency of maritime navigation.”

The next public meeting will be held April 4 and 5 in Miami, Florida.

The Hydrographic Services Review Panel is composed of experts in hydrographic surveying, vessel pilotage, port administration, tides and currents, coastal zone management, geodesy, recreational boating, marine transportation and academia. NOAA Rear Admiral Smith is the panel’s designated federal official. The directors of the NOAA/University of New Hampshire Joint Hydrographic Center, NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey and NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services serve as non-voting members.