By David Sims, Science Writer, EOS

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Ocean Mapping and Ocean Exploration Cartographic Exhibition will be the featured exhibit at the 8th annual Geographical Information System (GIS) Day 2006 Conference and College Fair at UNH.

GIS Day takes place on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space (EOS) in Morse Hall.

This year’s exhibition will feature over 150 global, regional, and local views of various aspects of our planet’s oceans. Maps will include highly detailed 3-D sonar images, NOAA navigational charts, bathymetric maps, shipwreck and underwater archeology maps, marine species maps, deep-sea research photos, and satellite imagery.

Complementing the exhibit will be a special collection of undersea exploration and ocean mapping vehicle scale models on loan from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), including the famous ALVIN deep submergence vehicle. These beautifully detailed models portray some of the tools used today by researchers, including those at UNH, and cartographers to map and study the world's oceans.

A variety of other attractions at GIS Day 2006 include a professional map and poster exhibit featuring cartographic works from up to 100 local and regional geo-spatial science professionals from planning, education, emergency management, resource management, science, government, and industry.

There will also be a geo-spatial science vendor hall and regional college fair with representatives from many of the leading firms and educational institutions within the industry. In addition, all guests will have the opportunity to browse through the GIS Day store, which will feature geo-merchandise such as atlases, globes, compasses, navigational software and GPS units from some of the industry's top retailers.

Public GIS Day events will be held at EOS between 12:00 noon and 5:00 pm with a keynote presentation at 12:30. Hundreds of people are anticipated for this year's event, including geo-spatial and ocean science professionals, university guests, and members of the general public.

Major funding for this year's GIS Day 2006 Conference and College Fair is provided by NASA's New Hampshire Space Grant Consortium, EOS and its Complex Systems Research Center, the UNH Vice President's Office for Research, and Tele Atlas.

Major cartographic contributions for this year's NOAA Ocean Mapping Cartographic Exhibition are from the UNH Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping Joint Hydrographic Center (CCOM/JHC), the Ocean Processes Analysis Laboratory (OPAL) within EOS, other UNH departments, WHOI, and NOAA. For more details visit: http://gisday.sr.unh.edu.