UKHO welcomes Government report
The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has welcomed the publication of the UK Government’s Foresight ‘Future of the Sea’ report, which outlines a number of recommendations to help the UK utilise its current expertise and technological strengths to foster trade links, build marine capacity across the world and collaborate to tackle climate change.
Among these strengths, the report recognises the UK as a global leader in hydrography and highlights the UKHO’s expertise in collecting and processing hydrographic and marine geospatial data. Employing over 120 software engineers, solutions architects and data scientists, they manage a wide range of datasets for a variety of maritime applications, specializing in bathymetry, cartography, marine data science, law of the sea and more. All support the vision that science and innovation – and, in particular, marine geospatial data – can help the UK strengthen its position as a leading maritime nation in the 21st century.
The report also recognises that the sea plays a particularly significant role in the lives of UK Overseas Territories, including their dependence on fisheries for food security and economic growth and their exposure to marine climate change. Alongside its partners, the UKHO is working to build marine capacity in many of these countries through its Overseas Territories Seabed Mapping Programme.
You can download the Future of the Sea report here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/future-of-the-sea–2
By Jake Frith
