Clear Message during Opening of US Hydro
During the opening keynote speeches of US Hydro in National Harbor, USA, US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse called upon the audience of American hydrographers to combine their voices with those of our oceans. Every day they are signalling the hugely damaging impact of pollution and climate change on the Earth’s seas, its flora and fauna and hence the planet as a whole. At the same time the senator also emphasised the need for federal funding for research and science to recover and undo the influences of climate change.
Adding to Senator Whitehouse’s message Robert Ward, president of the International Hydrographic Organization, emphasised the need for new ways to gather data, since so little information is currently available and few new survey vessels will be deployed in the years ahead. Crowdsourcing is one of the ways that Ward sees as offering the possibility to learn more about the sea and the seabed quickly and efficiently.
During the opening ceremony, RADM Chris Andreasen was inducted as member of the Hydrographic Society of America’s Hall of Fame, as were Karl Kieninger and Bill Bergen.
US Hydro is being held from 17-19 March 2015 at the Gaylord National Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, USA. The US Hydro conference and tradeshow is organised by the Hydrographic Society of America every two years to alternate with the Canadian Hydrographic Conference. With more than 500 delegates, 70 exhibitors and 8 demo vessels at the pier, this year’s conference has attracted a record number of participants.
