Ensuring maritime safety through hydrographic surveys

A storm warning is issued for the North Sea. When Britta hits, she turns the waters into a seething mass of waves and spray. She passes, but has left her mark on the seabed. Small changes in the topography can represent a significant danger for all ships sailing above. The reason is that the North Sea is relatively shallow. When a large freighter only has 50 cm of water underneath its keel - on the River Elbe for example - any slight alteration in the ridges and hollows of the seabed can have a dramatic effect. The northern trade routes experience heavy traffic. That's why five survey and research vessels of the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency are on duty here around the clock. They patrol the German "Exclusive Economic Zone", an area of over 35,000 square miles.

We're on board the WEGA, a research vessel with a crew of 16 sailors and seven scientists. Their job: precise depth measurement. Using sonar technology and GPS, the hydrographic surveyors check to see whether new shoals have formed on the sea lanes and whether the navigable channels are still where the nautical charts have placed them. The seabed is scanned foot by foot. Sound waves of varying frequencies are transmitted into the depths. The pattern of the echoes reveals the precise topography of the sea floor. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, it is possible to carry out depth measurements even in very choppy waters. The crew of the Wega are thus able to detect every change. All the gauge readings obtained are based on a fixed reference plane. The GPS system constantly measures the distance of the boat from the so-called chart datum and reads in the evaluated depths. The evaluated data are compared with the nautical charts, which are then altered according to the new findings. In areas close to the coast, where the Wega would run aground because of its draught, the survey is carried out by smaller boats. The boats used are just 24 and a half feet long, but are equipped with the same technology and deliver reliable findings. Shipping is made more secure and reliable thanks to the work of the hydrographic surveyors. Cargo ships and massive oil tankers use the up-to-date nautical charts to safely reach harbors around the world.