1. Hydrographic Commission on Antarctica Seminar on the status and the impact of hydrography in Antarctic waters Item Hydrographic information drives marine knowledge Rear Admiral Tim Lowe CBE UKHO Chief Executive & National Hydrographer
a. Good morning everyone. It is a genuine honour to be standing here with you all today at this Hydrographic Committee on Antarctica Seminar. This is an esteemed gathering of ocean science professionals, and it falls to me following on from my two esteemed colleagues and on behalf of the wider international hydrographic community to outline how we believe ‘hydrographic information truly drives marine knowledge'.
b. For those of you who I haven’t met, I am Rear Admiral Tim Lowe, Chief Executive of the UK Hydrographic Office and the UK National Hydrographer – an organisation that I am proud to be leading at such an important time for our sector.
c. I would like to start by talking to you about how we, the international hydrographic and marine geospatial information community, see the future for this unfolding area.
d. Nearly every advance in ocean science in recent years has been founded on improving access to, and making better use of, geospatial data. We have worked hard as an organisation in recent years, together with other hydrographic offices around the world, to refocus on the management of this information as a driver for change.
e. And as we all know, there is now recognition from policy makers at the highest levels, that effective management of geospatial data holds the potential for great impact in terms of prosperity, security, environmental protection and sustainability.
f. With this increased focus, the technologies used to collect this data are rapidly transforming. We have seen massive technological advances in surveying methods which makes it possible to collect and manage far greater volumes of data than humans could ever have achieved previously. This promises to be a significant force for change around the world.

2. DECADE OF OCEAN SCIENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
United Nations announced the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development ( )
to mobilize the scientific community, policy-makers, business and civil society around a programme of joint research and technological innovation.
to boost international cooperation in ocean sciences.
to enable better coordination of research programmes, observation systems, capacity development, maritime space planning and the reduction of maritime risks to improve the management of ocean and coastal zones resources.
g. I know that I didn’t need to remind you that the UN has marked the 2020s as the decade of ocean science, under UNESCO goals, with the aim of promoting a greater understanding of our oceans and their resources and ensuring their sustainability.
h. We believe a fundamental goal of this initiative should be to enable governments to make informed policy decisions about their marine resources. This makes the context for hydrography and ocean science stronger than ever before. This is the decade for the hydrographic community to drive real, meaningful change. Transformational change.
i. So, how can hydrography and hydrographic data help inform policy decisions in Antarctic waters? In reality, it is the same for any body of water but in Antarctica data is at a premium as what we have in this area is very sparse. We see this hydrographic geospatial data as an integral part of ensuring sustained use of our oceans. For us, this isn’t an abstract end-goal. We are clear that geospatial data can have a vital impact in key areas that will help unlock peace, prosperity and sustainability.

3. A keystone activity/data type
GEOSPATIAL DATA HAS A KEY PART TO PLAY
Habitat Mapping
Charts updated
MPAs
Hydrographic risk assessment
Fisheries Management
SAR planning
Environmentally sensitive areas protected
Coastal Zoning
‘Hydro Data’
A keystone activity/data type
Oceans Governance
Cruise itineraries better informed
Sustainable Environmental Management
j. Firstly, there is the ever-important priority of safety of shipping. Geospatial data has a key part to play in ensuring safety of life at sea. We also believe that geospatial data has a wider role to play in informing the future of regulations related to international maritime activities.
k. You have already heard from Admiral Carrasco about the need for more data in this area and how by working together, collaborating and sharing information we can we provide mariners with more information in a way that doesn’t overload them. But we can also do so much more by providing easy access to emergent, dynamic information like weather and tides. These are areas that geospatial data and the accompanying technology and standards will help us to improve.
l. Global warming, the pollution of oceans and waterways, over fishing and the rapidly growing water transport networks all post challenges that can only be overcome by working together. Currently only 18% of ocean areas have depth information available and much less is covered to an accuracy which complies with the current state of technology.
m. Thanks to the standardisation and coordination of hydrographic activities, IHO Member States transform hydrographic geospatial data into maritime knowledge for the benefit of all who have economic and ecological connections to the seas and oceans.
n. Geospatial data is also beginning to help us plan, test and create better disaster planning and response strategies for vulnerable coastal and island nations. Here in this room, we all understand that climate change is driving more extreme weather events, so access to this dynamic data has never been more critical.
o. Today the scope and use of hydrographic data is much wider. All sorts of economic explorers, marine environmentalists and policy makers need knowledge about all scientific aspects of the seas. Hydrography can help to deliver this but it needs standardisation, cross border coordination and a collaborative approach.
p. I think it is clear to all of us here that geospatial data is going to be a powerful and influential tool for policymaking. However, this data would not exist without the tools and expertise needed to gather and process it.
Sustainable Tourism Management

4. GEOSPATIAL DATA GATHERING
The ranges of possible LIDAR data gathering areas in the British Antarctic Territory
Available research bases have a variety of landing strips
Twin Otter and De Haviland Dash 7 are the most common aircraft in the region
Ranges of 700km and 1500km could be reached
q. From the increasing focus on autonomous vessels to satellite derived bathymetry, you will hopefully be aware of the increasing ways to gather this data. This means we are now working together in one of the world’s fastest changing and most dynamic sectors – and that is something for all of us to be excited about. Indeed, in the Antarctic region, the UK is looking into the use of LIDAR technology in the British Antarctic Territory using available Research Base resources.
r. It is worthy of note that our colleagues from the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency have highlighted the use of semi-autonomous data gathering vehicles – drones and unmanned autonomous surface vessels – in their national report to the Hydrographic Commission on Antarctica.
s. It would be fair to say that new technology has changed the way that many hydrographic offices work. Our archives hold some of what you might call the earliest ‘geospatial data’ on record – even if we didn’t call it geospatial data in the 18th Century. From the days of the great explorers and continuing from the mid-17th century to the present, hydrographic offices have led the way in exploring and increasing the understanding of our oceans. Moving from lead-line to LIDAR, we are now handling more data than ever before, but we remain hungry for data and the example of the Seabed 2030 initiative is a response to that.
t. This is why many hydrographic offices are investing in data science teams, so that they can work in new and innovative ways. A recent example is how they have employed machine learning to detect objects offshore using radar satellite imagery. Vast swathes of our oceans have been surveyed using this technique, which allows us to identify offshore features like wind turbines and oil rigs just a few pixels across. Technology could also be utilised in remote areas to identify change and the unusual. What immediate steps can we make in supporting the Antarctic region from a nautical perspective?

5. UK SEABED MAPPING PROGRAMME IN ANTARCTIC WATERS
u. In 2017, to ensure the UK fulfils its commitment to the Region M international (INT) chart scheme, the UK Government provided funding to the UKHO for a three-year Seabed Mapping Programme in Antarctic waters. It enabled work on a concentrated surveying programme to ensure the completion of the 12 charts for which the UK is responsible in Region M. So far, this has delivered seven new charts in the last two years. The remaining five charts will be completed by July 2020.
v. Charting Antarctic waters is a very complex. Most charts are compiled from a variety of digital and analogue sources such as satellite imagery, limited topographic mapping and modern and historic bathymetric surveys. The key challenge is deconflicting overlapping survey data to ensure improved access to the region and better coverage of secondary shipping routes.

6. COLLABORATION BETWEEN HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICES
w. I mentioned earlier that collaboration is a key part of our work in the Antarctic region and the next 2 slides show the results of recent collaboration between the UKHO and the Hydrographic Offices of Colombia and Turkey to gather survey data in the Antarctic region for charting purposes. The Hydrographic Office of Colombia, DIMAR, provided survey data to fill un-surveyed areas covered by a new chart in the region. Similarly, the Hydrographic Office of Turkey, ONHO also provided the UK with survey data to fill un-surveyed areas covered by another new chart in the region. This collaboration and sharing of data is essential if we are to support and play our part in the protection of the Antarctic region.

7. COLLABORATION BETWEEN HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICES
x. Seabed mapping initiatives, such as these, help to support and protect the regions fragile marine environment and from a wider perspective the data to will contribute to ‘global weather’ disaster models that will help Governments to prepare for severe weather events. That’s why we all have a shared responsibility to make sure that policymakers and end users alike understand the potential of geospatial data.
y. As governments and policymakers around the world grow their understanding of geospatial data and how integral it can be for peace and prosperity, we only expect demand in this sector to intensify.
z. As a hydrographic community we have a bold vision for the future of geospatial data. We have seen today just some of the ways we have gathered and used it in recent times and laid out the case for how it can change, save and improve lives.

8. HYDROGRAPHIC INFORMATION DRIVES MARINE KNOWLEDGE
We must all share the vision: Geospatial Data is the future
to unlock a deeper understanding of the world’s oceans; for safer navigation, for sustainable marine economies and for the future of our planet.
“hydrographic information drives marine knowledge”
aa. In closing, I have a confession to make. I’m not a technologist, a hydrographer or a data scientist. I’m a mariner. I have served as a naval officer and a specialist navigator for 37 years. But it is precisely because of my experience at the sharp end of why accurate data matters that I’m so excited about what the future holds and the compelling geospatial data vision for our sector. In this upcoming Decade of Ocean Science, we must all share this vision: hydrographic geospatial data is the fundamental enabler for the future. It’s time for us all to embrace its power – “hydrographic information drives marine knowledge” - to unlock a deeper understanding of the world’s oceans; for safer navigation, for sustainable marine economies and for the future of our planet. That could never be more relevant than in the delicate ecosystems of Antarctica.
bb. Thank you.