Technology has evolved rapidly over the last 25 years. Was it only in 1978 that I sat on the J.E. Jonsson with my single Artemis system to undertake the precise navigation that would be required for the Northern North Sea’s first 3D seismic survey? Sitting next to the telex unit that was attached to an Inmarsat system (unique in that the next largest civilian vessel to be fitted with the system was the QE II) and waiting for the weather to be calm enough to start shooting. The next week I was doing a sextant based hydrographic survey offshore Somalia. GPS and vastly improved underwater positioning systems have made the Artemis systems obsolete, at least for high-resolution 3D seismic surveys, and satellite imagery can now help us map shallow coastal areas whilst sitting at a com-puter screen in our nice air-conditioned offices.
Whilst all of these advanced and sophisticated technologies have meant that we can undertake surveys of unimaginable complexity, they have also lead to tremendous challenges for the educationalist. I know from the point of view of a recruiter, that it is almost impossible for colleges and universities to train people in all the technologies that are in everyday use in the offshore environment because they are changing so rapidly that many educational establishments just cannot afford to keep up to date. This is coupled with the fact that technological advances also mean that fewer and fewer people are needed to handle more and more data in ever more sophisticated environments. Academia is only a starting point for gaining real experience.
I must admit that I am very pleased that many of the aspects of oceanography that I had to learn as part of my basic training as a hydrographer are now coming back into the more integrated environment that technoscience has imposed on us. Global warming, environmental impact studies, baseline plans, post development studies… the list goes on and on. These are now being fully integrated with our work as hydro-graphers as we are able to more fully and logically analyse many of the things that we just ‘knew’ were right. I still remember many years ago, one colleague who was (and still is) one of the industries controversial theorisers. He had spent some days working on an error propagation theory which needed to have a reality check. "Iain, based on your years of field experience…. How accurately do you feel that you can determine the position of a towed fish?" I paused for thought and replied that my gut instinct was X metres. "Great!" he responded, "I’ve just proved your gut!"
So, ‘plus ça change’ …... what goes around comes around ….. the wheel goes round. The more things are advanced by technologies, the more we are able to prove that we only think that we know everything that is going on. The one certainty about working underwater is that you never know what is really happening under the surface. Like geology, hydrography is a science - or is it an art form? As I retire from the Editorial Advisory Board, I will leave that one for you to ponder.
If any of you want to come and sit on my terrace and join me in a nice glass of wine as the sun sets in the West, look me up at www.lecoqdunord.com.