Command
Safe ships, capable crews, and deliberate mission execution.
NOAA Corps officer · Hydrographer · Developer
Ships, software, and the shape of the seafloor.
Damian Manda leads ships, maps ocean data, and builds practical software for work on the water.
Commanding Officer, NOAA Ship Fairweather · Alaska
Map
Hydrographic systems, data, and uncrewed vessels for ocean mapping. A central career focus spanning technical development, procurement, staffing plans, and field use.
Build
Software and automation shaped by operational use.
Current focus · 001
Plotroom
Voyage planning built for the realities of the bridge.
Open the project briefRoute planning · ENC charts · Review workflows
Selected work
Tools and communities
Personal systems
Life Manager
An AI-assisted operating system for plans, notes, and follow-through.
Project details
Community work
Open Source Hydrography
A shared home for open tools, formats, and collaboration in ocean mapping.
Project details
2009 / 2026
The same ship. A different watch.
Damian’s NOAA career began as a Hollings Scholar intern aboard Fairweather in the summer of 2009. He returned as Operations Officer from 2016 to 2018 and became the ship’s Commanding Officer in 2026.
The original photographs and field notes record the survey launches, watch schedules, tide stations, rough weather, and Alaska ports that introduced him to hydrography and life at sea.
Open the 2009 logbookField notes
Articles
Longer notes on hydrography, navigation, autonomy, and software will appear here.
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