Commanding Officer, NOAA Ship Fairweather
NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps
Commands a 231-foot hydrographic survey vessel and leads its officers and crew in safe mission execution, readiness, and delivery of nautical data for Alaska.
Curriculum vitae
Damian Manda
Commander, NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps · Hydrographer · Software developer
Current assignment
Experience
NOAA Liaison to the Oceanographer of the Navy
OPNAV N2N6E5
Served as the primary science interface between NOAA and the U.S. Navy, coordinating mutual interests and collaboration opportunities.
Executive Officer, NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette
NOAA
Managed day-to-day operations and supported a crew of up to 26 through personnel, logistics, budget, safety, and professional development work.
Chief, Hydrographic Systems and Technologies Branch
NOAA Office of Coast Survey
Led technology development and field support for ocean mapping, including acquisition of NOAA’s first large uncrewed surface vessel for hydrographic work.
Operations Officer, NOAA Ship Fairweather
NOAA
Planned and directed daily hydrographic operations for the ship and as many as six survey boats, while training navigators and hydrographers.
Junior Officer, NOAA Ship Rainier
NOAA
Began commissioned sea service in Pacific and Alaska hydrographic operations.
Career beginning
NOAA Hollings Scholar intern, NOAA Ship Fairweather
NOAA
Joined Fairweather for a summer of hydrographic survey operations in Southeast Alaska and the Shumagin Islands.
Education
M.S., Ocean Engineering
University of New Hampshire
Thesis: Development of Autonomous Surface Vessels for Hydrographic Survey Applications. IHO Category A hydrographer.
B.S., Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Colorado Boulder
Minor in Geography with a GIS focus.
Selected qualifications and recognition
- IHO Category A Certified Hydrographer
- USCG 1600 Ton Mate / STCW OICNW
- NOAA Senior Watch Officer and Hydrographer in Charge
- Department of Commerce Bronze Medal
- NOAA Administrator’s Award
- Association of Commissioned Officers Engineering Award
Selected publications
- NOAA Office of Coast Survey Operationalization of Unmanned Vessels for Hydrographic Survey, 2021
- Pydro & HydrOffice: Open Tools for Ocean Mappers, 2019
- Development of Autonomous Surface Vessels for Hydrographic Survey Applications, 2016
- Depth Adaptive Hydrographic Survey Behavior for Autonomous Surface Vessels, 2015