Hydrographic Surveys in MONALISA Project

Quality assurance of hydrographic data for the major navigational areas in Swedish and Finnish waters in the Baltic Sea contributes to improving safety and the optimisation of shipping routes.

The Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) awarded MMT part of the contract, “Baltic Sea and Bothnian Surveys 2012-13” (BSB12-13). SMA is the government agency primarily responsible for providing infrastructural services in the form of safe and accessible fairways to meet the needs of shipping in territorial as well as in EEZ waters. A comprehensive MBES survey of the areas is critical for the efficient routing and safe navigation of all types of shipping especially with regards to deep draught shipping. The results of these hydrographic surveys will be used in updating nautical charts and associated navigational publications.

MMT will perform a hydrographic survey on Swedish shipping routes in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia. The survey is planned to be carried out with Kongsbergs EM2040D multibeam echosounder and the work will commence in July 2012.

MMT has also been awarded a part of the contract “Baltic Sea and Bay of Bothnia Hydrographic Surveys 2012” (BSBB2012) by the Finnish Transport Agency (FTA). In this contract, MMT will undertake the hydrographic survey of the Finnish parts of the Northern Baltic Sea and in the Bay of Bothnia. The hydrographic survey work is to be performed according to the hydrographic survey specifications based on the IHO S-44 ed.5 standard.