NOAA–NMOC Delegation Visits Sri Lanka National Hydrographic Office to Strengthen Capacity Building Efforts

A high-level delegation representing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC) visited the Sri Lanka National Hydrographic Office (SLNHO) on 20 and 21 Nov 25. The purpose of this visit is to discuss matters related to extending Capacity Building (CB) and training assistance to SLNHO and for an assessment of the current functioning of SLNHO. Delegation included Capt. Samuel Greenaway, Chief of NOAA Hydrographic Surveys Division; Ms. Jennifer Jencks, Director, IHO Data Centre for Digital Bathymetry; Mr. Morgan Zaleski, OCS International Affairs Specialist NOAA; Mr. Steven Posey, Bathymetric Expert, NMOC; Mr. Dustin Bickel, Regional Indo-Pacific Strategy Coordinator and Other senior officials from the US Embassy in Sri Lanka.

Representing Sri Lanka, the National Hydrographer Rear Admiral Kosala Warnakulasooriya, RSP*, USP, ndc, psc, hydrographers of the Sri Lanka Navy Hydrographic Service and Ms. Mayuri Perera, Additional Secretary (Defence), took part in the discussions held on 20 Nov 25 at the Light House Galley, where they engaged in productive and friendly discussions on matters related to hydrography. The delegation visited the SLNHO office on 21 Nov25 to observe its operations.

This visit marks a significant step toward strengthening international cooperation in hydrography and supporting Sri Lanka’s efforts in advancing security and management of marine geospatial data, safety of navigation and ocean-related decision-making.

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