
Ex Abyssis ad Alta – IHO Award for Hydrographic Excellence 2025
With a hydrographic career spanning over 25 years, the winner of this year’s Ex Abyssis Ad Alta Award has consistently demonstrated technical expertise, and an unwavering commitment to innovation in hydrography in support of safer and smarter navigation. He has also been a central force in moving the S-100 implementation forward.

Seabed Mapping: Enabling Ocean Action - World Hydrography Day 2025
Seabed mapping supports all activities centred on the ocean, from safety of navigation to marine conservation, marine renewable energy, coastal resilience, and the ocean economy. This includes charting new shipping routes in polar regions to providing up-to-date data to improve climate change models.

The Gambia Joins the IHO: Strengthening Hydrographic Capacity in West Africa
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) proudly welcomes the Republic of The Gambia as its newest Member State, marking a significant milestone for both the Organization and the West African region. With this accession, the global hydrographic community continues to grow in Africa, underscoring the increasing recognition of the importance of hydrography for safe navigation but also coastal zone management, tourism, UNCLOS obligations and more.

Major Milestone Achieved in Transition to Smart Navigation with Operational Editions of S-100 Standards
In a historic breakthrough for digital navigation, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Member States have adopted the first set of operational standards within the S-100 framework. This decision paves the way for Coastal States to offer official products and services based on these standards, significantly advancing the field of maritime navigation. The adoption also has profound implications for ocean data collection and sea surveys, as these new products will require enhanced data in order to realize their full potential.

Mapping the Future: Fiji Hosts Pivotal Meetings on Ocean Mapping and Hydrography
Suva & Nadi, Fiji — November 2024
Fiji became the epicenter of global ocean mapping, hydrographic collaboration and geospatial information management as it hosted a series of landmark meetings with a strong focus on Pacific engagement. From the 41st Meeting of the GEBCO Guiding Committee (GGC41) and the 6th Pacific Ocean Mapping Meeting to the subsequent UN workshops on geospatial frameworks and sustainable development, the events underscored the critical role of ocean and data governance for Pacific Island countries and territories.

Council Members Discuss Progress in Transition to Smart Navigation and More
130 participants representing 45 Member States, Observers and partner organizations gathered at the IHO Secretariat in Monaco and online for the annual meeting of the Council from 15-17 October. Participants discussed topics covering education and training, technology, a potential new infrastructure center and of course the transition to smart navigation. With the provision of products and services scheduled to begin in January 2026, many of the discussions focused on progress with the implementation of S-100, the Universal Hydrographic Data Model.
The main goals of the meeting were to review the work plan, take stock of progress, and decide on priority areas for the coming year.

IHO DCDB - temporary app during NCEI outage
Hurricane Helene caused severe damage to several areas of the East Coast of the USA, which in turn has significantly impacted the operations of NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) in Asheville. Many of their systems including the online access to IHO DCDB-archived bathymetric data are currently down.

The digital twin of the navigable waters: paving the way for e-navigation
The maritime domain is in the midst of radical changes which will propel navigation forward and open a realm of new possibilities. These transformations will pave the way for e-navigation and autonomous shipping aiming to improve safety, efficiency and sustainable vessel operations. At the core of these transformations is the digital twin of navigable waters.

Winner of the first Ex Abyssis ad Alta Award announced
“Professionalism”, “dedication”, “profound knowledge”, “expertise”, “kindness”, these are a few of the words used to describe the winner of the new Ex Abyssis ad Alta – IHO Award for Hydrographic Excellence.