b"MEMBER NEWSThoma-Sea Lays Keel for First of TwoNOAA VesselsA tthebeginningofDecem-ber,NationalOceanicand Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) leadership and partners cele-brated the keel-laying for Navigator, a new charting and mapping vessel be-ing constructed for NOAA. The vessel is being built by Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, LLC., in Houma, La.Thekeel-layingisacenturies-old maritimetraditionthatformally recognizesthestartofaship'scon-struction.Duringtheceremony,the initials of the ships sponsor, NOAA Corps Rear Adm. Evelyn Fields (ret.), were welded onto a steel plate that willmarine habitats. They will also haveThevesselsname,Navigator,high-be incorporated into the ship duringtheabilitytodeploycrewedsurveylights a central NOAA mission: facil-construction. work boats, scientific equipment anditating the safe navigation of mariners In2023,NOAAannouncedtheuncrewed systems, which enhance thethroughout U.S. waters. The Navigator additionoftwonewchartingandwork the ship does. will be homeported in Newport, Ore.mapping vessels to the NOAA fleet. Surveyor is expected to be completed in 2027 and Navigator in 2028. The ships will be used primarily for ocean mappingandnauticalchartingas partofNOAAsmissiontodeliver tools and information to help mari-PHOTO: NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATIONners safely navigate the $2.3 trillion worthofcargothatcomesinand out of the nations ports and harbors. The new vessels will have additional capabilities to help assess and manage livingmarineresourcesandcollect dataforoceanographicmonitoring, research and modeling activities.The ships will be designed to coordi-nate, acquire, and process large data setslikethosegatheredfrommap-pingtheseafloorandcharacterizing 67 DECEMBER 2025"