The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded Fugro a new five-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract for hydrographic survey services, reinforcing the company’s long-standing role in supporting U.S. maritime navigation. 

Under this agreement, Fugro will assist in maintaining and updating nautical charts critical for safe and efficient maritime operations across U.S. waters.

This contract, effective from January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2029, falls under NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey (OCS). The OCS is responsible for managing the nation’s nautical charts, covering an extensive 95,000 miles of shoreline and 3.6 million square nautical miles of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. 

NOAA has relied on private-sector partnerships since 1996 to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of hydrographic data collection, with Fugro consistently playing a key role in this initiative.

Fugro has been instrumental in introducing advanced survey technologies to NOAA’s hydrographic operations, including airborne lidar bathymetry, remote sensing, and autonomous survey methods. These innovations have significantly improved data acquisition speed, survey safety, and overall sustainability. 

With the growing emphasis on digital transformation in maritime navigation, the integration of cutting-edge techniques has become essential for ensuring the accuracy of nautical charts.

Céline Gerson, Fugro’s Group Director for the Americas and President of Fugro USA, emphasized the importance of this contract in maintaining a sustainable maritime economy: “A sustainable blue economy depends on accurate and up-to-date nautical charts. We’re proud to continue our long history of work with NOAA, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to deliver the hydrographic data mariners need to safely operate in U.S. waters.”

While Fugro has secured this contract, it is one of six firms holding similar IDIQ agreements with NOAA, allowing project assignments based on the agency’s shifting priorities. This structure ensures flexibility in allocating resources to meet the nation’s evolving hydrographic survey needs.

The contract will be managed from Fugro’s Hydrography Center of Excellence in Houston, where the company continues to advance its capabilities in marine geospatial solutions.