TCarta launches SDB solution to enhance nautical charts in shallow waters

Shallow coastal zones, where ship groundings are most common, often contain the least accurate and most outdated data on official nautical charts. To bridge this gap, TCarta, a leader in hydrospatial mapping, has launched a new line of satellite reconnaissance charts designed to complement official marine navigation maps in these challenging waters.

The new chart products were unveiled to the hydrographic community on 25 February at the 2025 Esri Federal GIS Conference in Washington, DC.

Derived from recently acquired satellite imagery, TCarta satellite reconnaissance charts are digital maps adhering to International Hydrographic Organization S-57 and S-100 data model standards with the same appearance and symbology as official navigation aids. However, the TCarta charts do not replace official nautical map products, which are primarily designed for marine navigation in commercial shipping lanes.

Up-to-date seafloor details

The new TCarta satellite reconnaissance charts contain up-to-date details of seafloor depths, sandbars, reefs, shoals and other submerged hazards – along with floating dangers – in the nearshore environments that are often poorly mapped or out of date on official maritime charts. Offered at off-the-shelf 1:20,000 scale and custom 1:4,000 scale, the TCarta products are delivered in file formats ready to load into popular marine navigation software as well as common GIS software platforms.

“We launched the satellite reconnaissance charts to enhance the awareness and safety of vessels operating in shallow waters, such as recreational boats, private yachts, fishing vessels and military ships,” said TCarta president Kyle Goodrich.

Another major user of these products, however, will be government hydrographic offices, explained Goodrich. The TCarta charts will serve as accurate and timely guides for those organizations to plan hydrographic surveys to update official nautical charts, especially in dynamic coastal zones, enabling their operations to be more efficient and avoid hazardous situations.

“Collection of high-quality water depth measurements in shallow coastal areas is expensive and dangerous to acquire by ship or aircraft, notably in remote or contested regions,” Goodrich said. “Our satellite reconnaissance charts will help reduce risk, time and costs in coastal hydrographic surveying.”

Physics-based algorithms

TCarta’s refined satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB) technology powers the new reconnaissance charts, providing an accurate and cost-effective method for measuring water depth without risks to personnel, equipment or coastal ecosystems. By applying physics-based algorithms to optical satellite imagery, SDB analyses light reflections from the seafloor to determine depth, achieving accuracy down to 20–30 metres, depending on water clarity. Having mapped nearly one third of the world’s coastlines with SDB, TCarta offers both custom and off-the-shelf solutions. High-resolution imagery enables the detection of seafloor features such as shoals and reefs at one-metre resolution. Satellite reconnaissance charts can be produced for almost any shallow-water region worldwide.