NOAA makes it easier to submit a comment or report a nautical chart error

On November 16, 2018, NOAA released ASSIST, a new system for submitting questions and reporting nautical chart errors to NOAA's Office of Coast Survey. ASSIST has a mobile-friendly design and improved user interface that allows customers to access the system conveniently from any device. This new tool replaces Coast Survey's Inquiry and Discrepancy Management System (IDMS), a database that collected nearly 20,000 comments, inquiries, and discrepancy reports since 2008.

ASSIST offers new features including the ability to:

• Tag your submission on a NOAA chart, map, or satellite imagery

• Enter reports from a cell phone or other mobile device

• Comment or report an error using a single form

These improvements streamline the internal Coast Survey workflow, allowing faster, more efficient responses to customers. ASSIST is available from: https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/customer-service/assist/

NOAA Office of Coast Survey is the nation's nautical chartmaker. Originally formed by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807, Coast Survey updates charts, surveys the coastal seafloor, responds to maritime emergencies, and searches for underwater obstructions that pose a danger to navigation.