Hydrographic surveys

Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH, Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany) is responsible for hydrographic surveying and wreck search in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea. Topographic mapping of the sea floor and of objects on the sea floor (e.g. wrecks) is a prerequisite to the safety and efficiency of navigation. However, hydrographic surveying data are indispensable also in other areas (coastal defence, environmental protection, marine science, hydraulic engineering, archaeology).

• Definition of hydrographic surveying
• History of hydrographic surveying
• Hydrographic surveying at the BSH
• Area covered and Survey schedule
• Annual survey
• Changeability of the sea bottom
• Survey methods
• Evaluation
• Chart datum and sounding reduction
• Processing of the survey data
• Results
• high resolution / area-wide surveys
• HELCOM-survey
• Recent developments