COAST AND OCEAN MAPPING
       
   

To view the technical programme for Coast and Ocean Mapping, please download the programme.

The measurement, description and depiction of the nature and form of the seabed has been crucial to the exploration and management of marine resources , yet, we know more about the surface of the moon than the ocean floor. This conference stream focused on the development of new and innovative hydrographic and ocean mapping technologies and their applications.

Chairman - John Pepper, Head of Commercial Development, UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) chairs the Coast and Ocean Mapping stream at WMTC 2006 with its theme ‘Discovering the Depths of Planet Ocean’.

 

The Chairman’s views prior to the conference:

John Pepper sees data availability, accessibility and interoperability as the greatest challenge facing his segment of the industry. “For WMTC 2006 I aim to explore how ocean and coastal mapping programmes can become a main stream infrastructure programme for nations on the basis of “capture once… use many times,” he explains. “The development of Marine Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) will greatly enhance the offshore economies of the world and improve the constraints of data availability, accessibility and interoperability.”

He highlights new technologies to provide seabed mapping in ever more efficient ways as the great success story explaining that: “It is now beginning to lead to wider market use of data hitherto captured for a specific purpose.” He plans to get this message over at WMTC 2006 “forcefully through an innovative agenda!” Subjects John Pepper would like to include in this agenda are:

  • Innovative platforms
    ROVs • AUVs • aircraft
  • Communications
    EM telemetry • acoustic telemetry • satellite links
  • Remote sensing
    aircraft sensors • satellite sensors • differencing in phase or time • geodetic issues
  • Processing
    swathe sounding • high-end GPS
  • Ocean policy
    UNCLOS • NGOs • The International Hydrographic Organisation • Fédération International Géomètres World Survey Market • education and training

Looking forward to the multi-stream WMTC 2006 forum he says: “It ensures inclusiveness. Attendees should gain a wider perspective than that aligned to their own particular area of competency.”