123STA T . 1 4 2 5PUBLIC LA W 111 – 11 —M A R .3 0, 200 9(b)PLANREQUIR E M EN TS.—Theplans hall— ( 1 ) id en t i fy and des cr ibe all o cean and coastal m appin g programs w ithin the agency , incl u ding those that conduct map - ping or related acti v ities in the course of e x isting missions, such as hydrographic surveys, ocean exploration pro j ects, living marine resource conservation and management programs, coastal z one management projects, and ocean and coastal observations and science projects
( 2 ) establish priority mapping programs and establish and periodically update priorities for geographic areas in surveying and mapping across all missions of the N ational O ceanic and A tmospheric Administration, as well as minimum data ac q uisi- tion and metadata standards for those programs; ( 3 ) encourage the development of innovative ocean and coastal mapping technologies and applications, through research and development through cooperative or other agree- ments with joint or cooperative research institutes or centers and with other non-governmental entities; ( 4 ) document available and developing technologies, best practices in data processing and distribution, and leveraging opportunities with other F ederal agencies, coastal states, and non-governmental entities; ( 5 ) identify training, technology, and other resource require- ments for enabling the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ’ s programs, vessels, and aircraft to support a coordinated ocean and coastal mapping program; ( 6 ) identify a centralized mechanism or office for coordi- nating data collection, processing, archiving, and dissemination activities of all such mapping programs within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that meets Federal mandates for data accuracy and accessibility and designate a repository that is responsible for archiving and managing the distribution of all ocean and coastal mapping data to sim- plify the provision of services to benefit Federal and coastal state programs; and ( 7 ) set forth a timetable for implementation and completion of the plan, including a schedule for submission to the C ongress of periodic progress reports and recommendations for inte- grating approaches developed under the initiative into the inter- agency program. (c) NOAA JO INT O C EAN AN D COASTAL M A P PIN G CENTERS.— The Administrator may maintain and operate up to 3 joint ocean and coastal mapping centers, including a joint hydrographic center, which shall each be co-located with an institution of higher edu- cation. The centers shall serve as hydrographic centers of excellence and may conduct activities necessary to carry out the purposes of this subtitle, including— (1) research and development of innovative ocean and coastal mapping technologies, equipment, and data products; (2) mapping of the U nited S tates Outer Continental Shelf and other regions; (3) data processing for nontraditional data and uses; (4) advancing the use of remote sensing technologies, for related issues, including mapping and assessment of essential fish habitat and of coral resources, ocean observations, and ocean exploration; and
