Manned and unmanned underwater vehicles have been used for many years to explore the hidden features of the deep ocean. Dr Robert D. Ballard is an oceanographer most noted for his...

In this capacity, he is working to improve maritime co-operation within Europe by formulating a maritime policy. Hydrointernationalhas taken the opportunity to interview him, while...

The world is turning more to electronics, which in marine technology is visible when considering the change from paper charts to electronic charts. Dr Giuseppe Carnevali was early...

Large companies dominate the survey industry and all these companies have their own procedures and methods. Some surveyors try to do it differently – they are independent and work...

Jack Dangermond is the co-founder and president of ESRI, a privately held geographic information systems (GIS) software company that is headquartered in Redlands (CA, USA). In 1969...

Hardware (and to a lesser extent software) for the hydrographic survey industry is mostly developed by technical experts not educated as hydrographic surveyors. Nevertheless, manuf...

Professor Graham Shimmield is a graduate of the University of Durham, England with a BSc (Honours) degree in Geology. In 1981, he studied for a PhD in marine geochemistry at the Un...

The growing offshore exploration of the 1980s led to a booming need for survey-ships and many vessel-operating companies were founded, sometimes with only one old vessel. Saturatio...

He started his career as a meteorologist, became head of the computer section of the ‘Deutsches Hydrographisches Institut’ (DHI) in 1970 and was responsible for IT affairs, which b...

Low-budget Hydrography is the theme of this issue. Realising that different players in hydrography will have differing opinions on various aspects of low-budget hydrography and int...

On the list of important conferences in hydrographic surveying are the HYDRO conferences, this year’s contribution to the series to be held in Antwerp. Chair of the organising comm...

Some people in the hydrographic community show up in every part of the world and it looks like they never age and stop working. Nevertheless they sooner or later reach the moment o...

More and more public institutions are involving themselves in private enterprise (see interview ‘The Public-private Dilemma’, December 2005). Is the line between public and private...

After completing an MSc. and course work for a PhD in Physics, he worked for the Federal Government’s Environment department as a Marine Geophysicist until 1981. In 1980 he founded...

Charles Martin was born in Cape Town and schooled at Bishops, where he played moderate rugby, bad cricket and was a reluctant member of the choir for a few years. After a year comp...

There is a global shortage of hydrographic surveyors. The industry is faced with an interesting challenge and looks to specialised education facilities and personnel suppliers to a...

Founded in 1878 in Paris, the Federation International des Geometres (FIG) is an international umbrella organisation for national surveying associations which covers all discipline...

Mr Albert J. Williams III was given the IEEE OES Distinguished Technical Achievement Award in 2000; a prestigious prize, as one of the earlier winners was Robert J. Urick. Mr Willi...

Spearhead is again organising an Oceanology International (OI), one of the more successful conferences and exhibition events. The 2003 event is to be held in New Orleans, USA - one...

Working conditions in offshore surveying are sometimes pretty tough and demanding. Nevertheless, some hydrographic surveyors remain in the field until their retirement. Others leav...

In 1996, an ECDIS conference titled ‘Five years of Broken Promises’ dealt with the non-availability of ENC data. At the 2nd International ECDIS Conference in 2003, a prominent spea...

Since the start of contract offshore surveying private companies have to have an interest in a regular supply of junior hydrographic surveyors. As a consequence training and educat...