Katrina Wyllie
National Bathymetric Source Program Operations Team Lead
NOAA Office of Coast Survey
Glen Rice
National Bathymetric Source Program Engineering Team Lead
NOAA Office of Coast Survey
Friday, April 10, 2026, 3:10pm
Chase 105
Abstract
Continuity ensures that navigational products, such as S-102 bathymetry surfaces, are fit for purpose. Sparse information does not provide marine navigators with the necessary information to transit through an area with confidence, rendering the product of limited use. Bathymetry products are often compiled from surveys designed to sample an area for seafloor geomorphology, necessitating interpolation at the product scale to preserve continuity both within and between individual surveys. The rationale for interpolation varies depending on the survey type, which, in turn, alters the associated interpolation quality metrics. Therefore, both the interpolation process itself and the accurate propagation of the interpolation quality metrics are critical to maintaining useful products.
The NOAA Office of Coast Survey's National Bathymetric Source (NBS) program manages the compilation of bathymetry in support of United States navigational products. This involves integrating numerous bathymetry sources of varying age, coverage, and quality into seamless seafloor models. The NBS employs different interpolation techniques at various stages of this compilation workflow. For instance, in a systematic line spacing survey, areas requiring interpolation would be spatially encoded as having “coverage” but lacking “bathymetric coverage” according to the S-102 product specification. Because these surveys are designed to systematically sample the seafloor, interpolation across these gaps is reasonable with the assignment of appropriate quality metrics. The quality of the interpolation can be improved by supporting coverage with concurrent object detection, such as side-scan sonar. This presentation will examine the current methodologies employed by Coast Survey for applying bathymetric quality metrics to interpolated data during the creation of the national bathymetry.
Bios
Katrina Wyllie currently serves as the Operations Team Lead for the National Bathymetric Source program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of Coast Survey. In her prior role, she served as Chief of the Survey Section at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District. She has also held positions with NOAA’s Hydrographic Surveys Division Operations Branch and the Atlantic Hydrographic Branch. Katrina holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from the College of Charleston and a Master of Science in Earth Sciences from the University of New Hampshire.
Glen Rice is the engineering team lead for the National Bathymetric Source Program. Previously, he supported NOAA hydrography in the Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping program and also as a NOAA CORPS officer aboard NOAA Ships Fairweather and Rude. Mr. Rice has a B.S. in Physics and an M.S. in Ocean Engineering.
