
IHO Nautical Information Provision Work Group endorses Guide for Nautical Data 2.1
During a meeting on 4 December 2024, the International Hydrographic Organization Nautical Information Provision Work Group (IHO NIPWG) held a vote on the new Guide for Nautical Data 2.1. The guide was unanimously endorsed.The guide has been written, with contributory input from International Harbour Masters Association (IHMA) members around the world, to support hydrographic offices and port authorities in the discharge of their collective responsibilities as per the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Chapter V, Regulation

IHO Member States Adopt S-100 Operational Standards
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) member states have adopted the first set of operational standards within the S-100 framework.The S-100 framework enables the integration of diverse datasets within a single Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). Mariners will now be able to combine various data layers such as Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs), detailed depth information and dynamic information on water level and currents to enhance situational awareness and decision-making.The adoption of the operational standards paves the way for coastal states to offer official

Singapore Trials IHO S-100 Aboard Italian Navy Training Ship
The International Hydrographic Organization - Singapore Innovation and Technology Laboratory (IHO-Singapore Lab) is conducting trials of next generation IHO S-100 standards and dual format Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) on a prototype S-100 ECDIS [2] aboard the Italian Navy's training ship, Amerigo Vespucci.This is known as the “dual fuel” mode within the international hydrographic community, where S-100 ECDIS supports both current S-57 and new S-101 ENC formats.This trial marks the first time that the dual format mode is used for navigation in the Malacca and Singapore Straits.

New Crowdsourced Bathymetry Data Explorer Platform Debuts
contributors via streamlined functionality to share their stats on social media. Additionally, in an effort to provide additional motivation through gamification, contributors can compare their contributions to the overall FarSounder fleet’s contributions and view the entire International Hydrographic Organization’s (IHO) CSB database on top of a global map.CSB Data Explorer was created in partnership with the International SeaKeepers Society, the IHO, and The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project

Marc van der Donck Receives 2022 Alexander Dalrymple Award
of the MACHC, which he chaired for two years.In 2016, 2018 and 2021, Capt Marc represented the Netherlands Navy at the North Sea Hydrographic Commission. He has attended Inter-Regional Coordination Committee meetings on behalf of the RHC, helping shape policy decisions for one of the International Hydrographic Organization’s key vehicles for progress, and contributed to strategic developments at the North Sea Hydrographic Commission.Elsewhere, Capt Marc has led the Worldwide ENC Database Working Group through its transition from S57 Electronic Navigational Charts to WEND100 – the framework

Port of London Launches Fully-electric Survey Vessel
;s Richmond Lock and Weir, by UCL’s latest cohort of international MSC students supported by the PLA Hydrographic Service Team.Since 1999, the PLA’s Hydrography team have worked in partnership with UCL Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering (CEGE) to deliver the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) accredited Category A MSc in Geospatial Science, Hydrographic Surveying. The only CAT A accredited course in the UK, supporting the education of future hydrographic surveyors from around the world.UCL CEGE’s lecturer in marine geospatial science, Dr. Cassandra Nanlal

Saildrone, Seabed 2030 in Ocean Mapping Partnership
a collaborative project between The Nippon Foundation and GEBCO (The General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans) to inspire the complete mapping of the world's oceans by 2030 and to compile all bathymetric data into the freely available GEBCO Ocean Map. GEBCO is a joint program of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and is the only organization with a mandate to map the entire ocean floor.“We can only realize our goal of a complete map of the ocean floor if we mobilize the international community and work together. We are therefore

Seabed 2030 Enters Partnership with Terradepth
ocean floor.Seabed 2030 is a collaborative project between The Nippon Foundation in Japan and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) with the mission of inspiring 100% mapping of the ocean floor and making it freely available to all by 2030. GEBCO is a joint program of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO). Seabed 2030 comprises five Data Centers – four Regional Centers and one Global Center – which are responsible for coordinating and assembling mapping data.In addition to producing and delivering

Shep Smith Appointed XOCEAN CTO
Commanding Officer and Chief Scientist of the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. In his final role with NOAA, he served as Director of the Office of Coast Survey, where he oversaw the US national programs in hydrography and nautical cartography. Smith also represented the United States at the International Hydrographic Organization and regional hydrographic commissions. Smith will be responsible for propelling XOCEAN to its next phase of growth: developing XOCEAN’s technology roadmap, advancing the boundaries of uncrewed surface vessel (USV) tech, and driving the technical vision for the business