Fugro continues Norway seabed mapping

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The Norwegian Hydrographic Service (NHS) has awarded Fugro a new hydrographic survey contract for the 2023 MAREANO seabed mapping programme.

Swathe bathymetry seafloor

Source: Fugro

An example of a bathymetry map of the seafloor

This is the latest in a series of contracts that Fugro has won for the MAREANO programme, demonstrating the company’s long-standing commitment to champion sustainable development in the marine environment.

“We are pleased to continue supporting the MAREANO project, which reflects our team’s dedication to enhance the understanding of our marine environment,” said Marc Kebbel, service line director hydrography for Europe and Africa, Fugro.

”The programme is aligned with Fugro’s values and we are committed to providing high-quality Geo-data that advances scientific research and contributes to a sustainable and prosperous future for our oceans and communities.”

Scientific mapping

Supported by the Central Government of Norway, MAREANO is a multidisciplinary initiative aimed at mapping the seabed to generate scientific information for the responsible management and preservation of Norway’s marine resources.

Fugro has been actively involved in the programme since 2006 and has acquired over 142,000 km2 of data.

The 2023 survey will cover a region in the North Sea, spanning 2,887km2, where water depths range between 140 and 335 metres. The primary goal of the survey is to gather high-quality, seamless datasets that integrate bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data to improve our understanding of the marine environment in the North Sea.

This knowledge is essential for the sustainable development of new marine industries, such as offshore wind and offshore aquaculture and for the protection of particularly valuable and vulnerable areas (SVOs) in the region.

Fugro’s survey vessel, equipped with advanced high-resolution, high-density multibeam echo sounders and sub-bottom data acquisition systems, will obtain comprehensive marine Geo-data for the Norwegian mapping programme. Fieldwork is scheduled to take place between July and late August this year.

Survey progress, including interim and final deliverables, will be accessible via VirGeo, Fugro’s web-based Geo-data engagement platform.

As part of the MAREANO survey, Fugro will collect transit data for The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project, adding to the more than 2 million km2 of bathymetry data already collected for the project.