USCGS Katherine Walker (WLM-552) is a Keeper-class coastal buoy tender of the United States Coast Guard.

Her primary mission is to maintain 335 aids to navigation in New York Harbor, Long Island Sound, and surrounding waters.

[9] Rather than building the ship from the keel up as a single unit, Marinette Marine used a modular fabrication approach.

This gives Katherine Walker the ability to hold position in the water even in heavy currents, winds, and swells.

[13] Katherine Walker, as all Keeper-class ships, has a strengthened "ice belt" along the waterline so that she can work on aids to navigation in ice-infested waters.

Higher grades of steel were used for hull plating in the ice belt to prevent cracking in cold temperatures.

[16][17] Katherine Walker replaced USCGC Red Beech and took over her buoy-tending duties in the New York Harbor area.

[18] She was placed in commission at a ceremony there on 1 November 1997 which was attended by Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation, Mortimer L. Downey, and his wife, Joyce, the sponsor of the ship.

[19] The bulk of Katherine Walker's year is spent at sea tending its buoys, or in port maintaining the ship.

In July 2000, Katherine Walker provided security for the parade of tall ships in New York Harbor during OpSail 2000.

[20] On September 11, 2001, the crew of the USCGS Katherine Walker participated in the maritime evacuation of Lower Manhattan.

[21] By 24 September 2001, Katherine Walker was stationed offshore from the World Trade Center attack site and was moving cargo from other boats to a pier in lower Manhattan.

[24] Katherine Walker is one of the main Coast Guard platforms to provide security on the East River when the United Nations General Assembly is in session.

[25] On April 4, 2017, the USCGS Katherine Walker responded to a potential environmental disaster on the Hudson River, near Catskill, New York, where a barge ran aground carrying 60,000 barrels of gasoline.

These include: In Green Bay, Wisconsin in July 1997[28] At Coast Guard Station New London in August 1997 as the ship was transiting to her new home port[29] New York Fleet Week in 1998,[30] 2004,[31] 2005,[32] 2007,[33] 2008,[34] 2009,[35] 2010,[36] 2011,[37] 2014,[38] 2017,[39] 2018,[40] At the U.S. Lighthouse Depot on Staten Island in October 1998[41] At Coast Guard Appreciation Day on Manhattan in July 1999[42]