Maritime navigation has a new look online

By USCG Petty Officer 3rd Class Christine Bills

The safety of all mariners is a top priority for the Coast Guard. As technology continues to advance, the service strives to utilize these advancements to improve their aids to navigation data management and dissemination capabilities.

One of the many ways the Coast Guard aspires to accomplish this is through the modernization of Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and Light Lists.

The LNM is the primary method of communicating information about aids to navigation, hazards or safety concerns, and any additional information relevant to the maritime community.

Light Lists contain detailed information about all lights, buoys, beacons, and additional aids that are located along U.S. coastal regions, the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi River System.

The Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN) has a goal to enhance maritime safety, improve accessibility, and increase efficiency through frequent updates, geospatial visualization and enhanced digital access

The legacy system is a standalone, PDF-style format that is updated on a weekly basis and can be downloaded, printed and used alongside paper nautical charts

As part of an effort to modernize and improve the overall user experience for all mariners, NAVCEN is scheduled to transition to a new digital, interactive user interface for LNM and Light Lists beginning Oct. 21, 2024.

“Information in the modernized LNM will be updated on a daily basis, Monday through Friday, at a minimum,” said Capt. Matthew Meskun, chief of prevention with the Coast Guard Fifth District. “This system is designed to enhance efficiency and improve safety during route planning and transits, giving mariners more up-to-date information than ever before.”

This new format will allow mariners to access current information on an interactive map and chart with the option to use a fillable form to select a specific waterway and generate a LNM or Light List for that area.

The legacy versions of LNMs and Light Lists will no longer be updated after Oct. 31, 2024, but will remain accessible for download indefinitely. All new updates will be available solely through the new digital interface.

To learn more, please visit the NAVCEN website at https://navcen.uscg.gov.