HydroSurvey Australia, the hydrographic survey division of Flinders Ports, is joining other hydrographic surveyors around the world to celebrate World Hydrography Day, which has been celebrated on 21 June each year since 2005. The aim of World Hydrography Day is to raise public awareness of the important benefits that hydrography bring for everyone.
The promotion of World Hydrography Day is led by the International Hydrographic Organization. This year the theme is “Our Seas and waterways – yet to be fully charted and explored.”
“Hydrographic surveyors play a vital safety role for people operating in the marine environment. We measure the depth and shape of the seabed, ship channels, inland waterways and coastal zones. By doing that we are able to identify any unseen hazards and also analyse the tides and currents to assess their impacts,” said Peter Hanson, Survey Manager at HydroSurvey Australia.
The public tend to know that hydrographic data is used to make navigation charts for seagoing vessels, but what is not widely know is that hydrographic data is also used by many other industries and stakeholders, from aquaculture through to companies involved in ocean energy and offshore oil exploration. The analysis of tide data and ocean dynamics is also informing decisions on coastal management because it provides useful prediction of sea level rises, ocean currents and tsunami inundation.
“The benefits of hydrography are far reaching. Surveys that identify potential new shipping routes can mean shorter voyage times. By identifying hazards on the seabed, hydrographic surveyors help to keep our fishing vessels and their crews safe and prevent over fishing too,” said Mr Hanson.
