This issue’s theme is ‘Platforms in Hydrography’ leaving it unspecified as to whether it comprises ships, boats, AUVs, aircraft or even space vehicles. The gamut is so wide that only ‘traditional’ platforms like boats and ships are taken in focus. The fact that we could and had to make a choice, is also an indication of the development in technology. Boats and ships are more and more dedicated for the task which they have to perform and naval architects design hull forms which have better seagoing performance as well as they are improving mono-hull design. But will these kinds of platforms remain the prime source of data collecting or will a considerable amount of data collection take place by remote sensing techniques from aircraft and space? It is not a question of ‘if’, but more of ‘when’. Ships built now might very well be superfluous by the end of their expected lifetime, due to an over capacity of ships. Technological developments present us with an interesting and challenging future: I am looking forward to it, although as a holder and practitioner of a masters certificate for commercial sailing ships (‘tall ships’) I could have enjoyed myself very much in the days when sounding was done by sailing ships. I am deeply impressed by the skills hydrographers and mariners had to possess in those days.
There are not only changes in the platforms for hydrography but also in the team of Hydro international:

• In the Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) we say good bye to Prof. Dr Sjamsir Mira, professor at the Bandung Institute of Technology in Indonesia. We would like to heartily thank Prof. Mira for his contributions and advice which he has offered us during the time he was part of the EAB. A new member to our EAB is Prof. Dr Mohd Razali Mahmud, Director of the Centre for Hydrographic Studies, Faculty of Geoinformation Science and Engineering of the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. To ensure that we get as wide as possible points of view, of all relevant aspects for our readers, EAB-members stay on the Board for, in principle, two years
  To our team of Regional Correspondents we are joined by Mr Safaruddin Kamaruddin from Selangor in Malaysia. Mr Kamaruddin worked for ten years as a surveyor/hydrographer for TL Geographic/Kuala Lumpur