The theme of this issue is Hydrography for Exploration. I would like to draw your attention to the interview with Roger Lott, Head of Survey for BP Exploration. In this interview, related to the theme, Roger Lott gives his interesting views on the future of hydrographic surveying, both economic and technological.
Having experienced the benefits of IHO data standards in the hydrographic field of surveying and charting for nautical charts, I would encourage any initiative towards establishment of a standard for exploration and site survey data, as referred to in the last paragraph of the interview. Hydro international will gladly allocate editorial space to articles and reactions on this subject.

Talking of standards: the draft international standard for the ISO 19370 ECS-database has recently been voted in favour by P-members. It is expected that the final International Standard will be published in August 2003. If an adequate independent database testing procedure becomes incorporated in the new standard - the Working Group is working on it - then this ECS-standard will have something that ENCs have not: independent testing of the database.
I spoke recently to a fleet manager of a big European shipping company operating large ships. Although most of the fleet is equipped with electronic charts, he is considering the possibility of not installing electronic charts on planned new builds. His reason? ECDIS (and ECS) does not yield him cost savings; on the contrary, it cost a lot of money and the financial department of his company argue that the well-trained and more expensive Northwest European officers should be able to navigate safely without electronic charts. This all thanks to price-setting, lack of coverage and uncertainty regarding regulations: could none of this really have been foreseen and forestalled?

And now to introduce you to some changes in the Hydro international team. We welcome to the Hydro international team two new Regional Correspondents:

• Our new regional correspondent in North America is Capt. NOAA (ret.) Andrew A. Armstrong, Co-Director of the NOAA/UNH Joint Hydrographic Centre / Durham. Capt. Armstrong has almost thirty years hydrographic experience with NOAA, including commands of ships and as chief of the NOAA hydrographic survey division
  
• Our new regional correspondent in South America is Cdr. (ret.) Jorge Pereira Libor. He too has extensive experience in the hydrographic field which he is now putting to use in his new life in the private sector, having recently retirement from the Chilean Navy
  
• Cdr Jorge Libor is succeeding Capt. Hugo Gorziglia who is now member of the Directing Committee of the International Hydrographic Bureau in Monaco. We sincerely and gratefully thank Hugo Gorziglia for all the work he has done for Hydro international