The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will begin Surveyor ship construction next week, and a formal ceremony will be held in Louisiana. Scheduled for August 14, the keel-laying event will officially mark the start of building NOAA’s newest charting and mapping vessel.
The Surveyor will be homeported in Ketchikan, expanding NOAA’s capacity for ocean mapping and nautical charting in Alaska and beyond. NOAA officials expect the Surveyor to be completed by 2027, with its sister ship, the Navigator, set for 2028 delivery.
Both ships will join NOAA’s fleet of 15 vessels, which conduct charting, mapping, and fisheries operations using an unarmed officer corps. This scientific corps operates similarly to the US military but focuses on research, navigation, safety, and marine resource management.
Two other deep vessels, the Oceanographer and the Discoverer, are currently under construction and projected to launch in 2026. Together, these four new vessels will replace older ships, addressing the fleet’s aging average of 30 years as of 2023.
Six of NOAA’s current ships are expected to retire by 2030, making this construction program vital to operational readiness. Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors in Houma, Louisiana, will build the Surveyor and Navigator under a $624.6 million construction contract.
The contract allows NOAA to commission two additional ships if future funding becomes available through federal budget approvals. These new ships are equipped with advanced sonar navigation systems and laboratory facilities for real-time data collection at sea.
The Surveyor and Navigator will primarily focus on producing accurate nautical charts essential for shipping, fishing, and environmental monitoring. NOAA emphasizes that modernizing the fleet will enhance its ability to respond to ecological and maritime safety challenges.
By constructing these vessels domestically, NOAA supports American shipbuilding jobs and technological innovation in marine science. The keel laying ceremony will feature NOAA representatives, shipbuilders, and local officials celebrating the beginning of this long-anticipated project.
