German hydro draws the crowds
A near-record attendance of an estimated 400 delegates from 38 countries was recorded for Hydro 2016, the International Federation of Hydrographic Societies’ 24th symposium held in Rostock-Warnemunde in early November.
Organised and staged by the German Hydrographic Society (DHyG) at a venue overlooking the Baltic Sea , the three-day event featured 54 specialist presentations, 48 exhibitor organisations and a wide-ranging series of seminars and workshops convened by, among others, Atlas Elekronik, Eomap, Eiva, Innomar, Kongsberg, QPS, SBG Systems, Teledyne Caris and Triton Imaging.
Proceedings opened with the first of two keynote addresses by Peter Ehlers, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the German Society for Maritime Technology and former President of the Federal Maritime & Hydrographic Agency (BSH), who reminded his audience of the importance of hydrographic data for maritime governance and its links to oceanography and the environment. Robert Ward, in his new guise as Secretary-General of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) in Monaco, followed with a demand for increased availability of existing hydrographic data, allowing better use of vessel capacity to survey areas yet to be mapped.
A succeeding Hydro event hosted by the Benelux Hydrographic Society is anticipated for next November, in Rotterdam.
By David Goodfellow
