Ocean layers

Water, color, current, and temperature sources

First Mate ocean layers may use public or licensed data from NOAA, NOAA CoastWatch, NOAA AOML, NOAA ERDDAP-hosted products, NASA Earthdata, NASA OceanColor, NASA GIBS, MUR SST, Copernicus Marine Service, and HYCOM Consortium / COAPS products.

  • NOAA / NOAA CoastWatch / NOAA AOML: satellite-derived and ocean products including SST, chlorophyll, altimetry, current, and sargassum-related products where used.
  • NASA Earthdata / OceanColor / GIBS / MUR: satellite ocean, imagery, and SST products where used.
  • Copernicus Marine Service: marine observation and model products where used.
  • HYCOM Consortium / COAPS: modeled ocean current, temperature, and salinity products where used. HYCOM output is modeled and provided as-is; availability and timely delivery are not assured by HYCOM or COAPS.

Provider note: Modeled and satellite-derived values are transformed for display and planning context. First Mate is not endorsed by NOAA, NASA, Copernicus Marine Service, HYCOM, COAPS, or related agencies. Source valid time, retrieval time, and freshness matter.

Structure and bathymetry

Bottom, platforms, FADs, and named features

Structure and bottom context may use GEBCO bathymetry and undersea feature products, BOEM/BSEE platform and offshore infrastructure data, and First Mate verified waypoint data where applicable.

  • GEBCO: bathymetry, relief, and undersea feature context where used. GEBCO permits use of its grid and derived products with source acknowledgement, but the data must not be used for navigation or safety at sea.
  • BOEM/BSEE: offshore platforms, structures, and lease/block metadata where used.
  • First Mate verified waypoints: owner-provided or verified offshore reference points where shown.

Provider note: Structure, bathymetry, and waypoint data are planning context only. They are not navigation charts and should not be used for safe passage, anchoring, hazard avoidance, or any safety-at-sea decision.

Weather and operations

Buoys, marine zones, tides, moon, and weather context

Operational context uses NOAA NDBC buoy and C-MAN observations, NOAA/NWS marine forecast zones, NOAA CO-OPS tide/current station metadata, and U.S. Naval Observatory astronomical data where configured.

  • NOAA NDBC: public buoy and C-MAN station observations.
  • NOAA/NWS: marine forecast zone boundaries and forecast-zone context.
  • NOAA CO-OPS: tide, water-level, and current prediction station metadata.
  • U.S. Naval Observatory: moon and sun timing data where used. Solunar windows are computed timing context only.

Provider note: Weather and solunar timing are context, not a safety clearance or outcome claim. NOAA/NDBC buoy values are nearby station observations, not exact conditions at a tapped offshore point. Modeled weather or wave providers are not used for captain-facing production unless commercial rights and attribution are cleared first.

Map context

Base maps, boundaries, and sargassum references

Map context may include OpenStreetMap contributors, Marine Regions / VLIZ boundaries where used, and University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab / NOAA-USF sargassum products where used or cited.

  • OpenStreetMap contributors: base map context under the Open Data Commons Open Database License.
  • Marine Regions / VLIZ: marine boundary products where used, under CC-BY terms and not for legal, navigational, economic, resource-exploration, or boundary decisions.
  • NOAA/AOML AFAI and USF Optical Oceanography Lab / SaWS products: sargassum monitoring context where used or cited. Operational ingest and customer promotion require current source-specific permission, attribution wiring, and no-endorsement review.

Provider note: OpenStreetMap attribution must remain visible anywhere OSM-backed map data appears. Marine Regions boundaries are educational/scientific context and have no legal value.

Limits

How to read provider data responsibly

First Mate combines source data into fishing-relevant layers, but the source providers do not control First Mate's interpretations, map styling, feature tracking, or written reads.

  • Provider names do not imply endorsement.
  • Freshness, coverage, and source-valid time matter.
  • Estimated, modeled, reconstructed, or gap-filled layers should not be treated the same as direct observation.
  • Nearby weather and sea-state observations should be read as nearby context, not exact point conditions.
  • First Mate is informational only and does not replace official weather, navigation, safety, or regulatory sources.

QuestionsFor source attribution questions, contact captains@firstmateintel.ai.