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Table of Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Introduction in Hydrography
Qualification to be Hydrographic Surveyor
Job Scope in Hydrographic Survey
Risk Assessment in Hydrographic Survey
Instrument or Equipment
The Importance of Hydrographic Survey
Hydrography Firm in Malaysia
Job Prospect in Hydrographic Survey

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9. Point of View in Hydrographic Survey
10. Conclusion
11. Reference

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Introduction in Hydrography
Hydrography is the branch of applied sciences which deals with the measurement and
description of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, as well as
with the prediction of their change over time, for the primary purpose of safety of navigation
and in support of all other marine activities, including economic development, security and
defence, scientific research, and environmental protection
Hydrography, mostly for reasons of safety, adopted a number of conventions that have
affected its portrayal of the data on nautical charts. For example, hydrographic charts are
designed to portray what is safe for navigation, and therefore will usually tend to maintain
least depths and occasionally de-emphasize the actual submarine topography that would be
portrayed on bathymetric charts.
Hydrographic surveyors are expert professionals who strive to make sure that marine
resources and environments are maintained, explored and utilised in an ethical and
sustainable manner.
Essentially, this profession involves collecting scientific data and mapping the underwater
topography of oceanic and inland bodies of water. These scientific professionals use state-ofthe-art hydrographic surveying equipment and innovative techniques in both commercial and
non-commercial fields.

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Qualification to be Hydrographic Surveyor

To break into this line of work, a strong academic result and experience (in certain
company) are required. Here are some list of minimum requirement to be a hydrographic
surveyor.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Diploma / Degree in Land Survey

Diploma / Degree in Science Marin
Knowledge in Global Positioning System
Knowledge in Geography
Knowledge in Basic Survey
Work experience at least a year ( in certain company)
Basic Hydrographic Survey Course CAT A / CAT B
1. HYDRO I Course (FIG/IHO/ICA Category B)
2. HYDRO II Course (FIG/IHO/ICA Category A)
8. Ability communicate in English

It is possible to qualify as a land surveyor and then acquire the skills needed to move
into hydrographic surveying by taking a postgraduate diploma or Master degree in
hydrography. Candidates need to show evidence of the following:
1. the ability to learn quickly;
2. team working skills and the ability to work closely and get on with others in pressured
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

situations;
a practical approach to problem solving;
logical thinking;
resourcefulness and resilience;
the capacity to adapt sensibly to changing circumstances;
patience and a sense of humour;
communication skills, cultural awareness and foreign language skills;
the ability to maintain concentration - carelessness or a lapse in concentration may
have drastic consequences in terms of the overall quality or efficiency of a survey

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Job Scope in Hydrographic Survey

There are plenty job that wait the one who want to be hydrographic survey, as much
as quantity of water in this world. As we know that 70% of the earths surface is made up of
water? Underwater environments are home to many natural resources, plants and animal
species and are also vital in moving people, goods and services across the entire globe.
Job scopes of Hydrographic survey
1. Analyses hydrographic data to determine trends in movement and utilization of water:
Reads meters and gauges to measure water flow and pressure in streams, conduits,
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

and pipelines, and records data.

Measures water sea level.
Measures depth of water (sea, river or lake) to determine ground water condition.
Prepares graphs and charts to illustrate water patterns.
Determined positioning in middle of sea.
Installs, calibrates, and maintains metering instruments.
Recommends locations for metering stations and instrument placement.
Search for underwater obstacles in oceans or lakes.
Use underwater acoustic equipment to establish and monitor tidal data and outline

coastlines
10. Archive and quality control collected data and information

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Risk Assessment in Hydrographic Survey

The varied and dynamic nature of sea water dictates that the frequency and
methodology for hydrographic survey operations should be determined primarily by a risk
assessment, rather than by the blanket adoption of a set of rigid criteria. The usefulness and
credibility of associated risk assessments largely depend upon the quality of the balanced and
quantifiable information on which they are based.
Hydrographic factors for consideration in risk assessments should take account of the
stability of the seabed and depth of available water in relation to vessel draught, as well as
intended development that will affect the navigable depth in a given area. Assessments should
be undertaken in a rigorous manner. An important product of the risk assessment is a plan that
sets out the requirements for surveys, including the type, extent and frequency. Other
considerations include (but are not limited to):
1. Vessel type and operations
2. Potential environmental impact of a hydrographic-related event
3. Quality/reliability and/or uncertainty of existing hydrographic information
4. Complexity of the area to be surveyed
5. Stability of seabed
6. Depth and width of navigable water in relation to vessel draught
7. Regional development
8. Fairway design
9. Reports arising from vessel groundings or reported depth discrepancy
10. Competency of persons responsible for the surveys.

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Instrument or Equipment
Equipment to be used during hydrographic survey operations falls within the broad
groupings of depth measurement equipment, positioning equipment and water level
measurement equipment. Generic considerations for the use of such equipment are covered in
this section. Advances in survey equipment technology have significantly reduced the level of
user input in normal modes of operation. It is however vital that users possess a reasonable
understanding of the capabilities, and more importantly, the limitations of the survey
equipment operated
1. Depth Measurement Equipment
Depth measurement is normally achieved using either Single Beam (SBES) or Multibeam
(MBES) echosounders.
i.

Single Beam Echosounder (SBES)

SBES should be calibrated by bar checks to

correct for index error, set the correct draught
setting and ensure that the instrument records the
depth below the sea surface and not below the
transducer. A bar check should be conducted at
least daily and on any change of survey area during the day
ensure consistency of data quality.
ii.

Multibeam Echosounder (MBES)

The use of MBES as a hydrographic survey

tool has significant advantages over SBES in the
capability to detect small objects and achieve full
bottom coverage. MBES require key ancillary
equipment such as an appropriate motion sensor
and gyro, which must be correctly integrated for
correct operation.

The ability to measure SV

profiles through the water column is also required

to correct for the refraction of beams, particularly
when using wide swathe widths

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2. Positioning System Equipment

Differential GPS has been widely adopted as the primary method to fix vessel position
during hydrographic surveys. The source of the differential corrections should be proven by
comparison with a known mark, particularly if a local base station is established. GPS
receivers should be configured to output position in the desired datum (normally WGS84)
with associated quality tags. Close monitoring of position quality during sounding operations
through examination of the number of tracked satellites and PDOP, and/or real-time
comparison with a second system, is recommended.
Kinematic GPS offers increased precision in terms of horizontal position, provided that
the footprint of the echosounder in use is of a comparable dimension.

3. Water Level Measurement Equipment

Sea level (tide) measurements of height and time are required to reduce collected
soundings to Chart Datum and are subsequently used (as a continuous record over long
periods) to define tidal reference levels like Mean High Water Spring.
i.

Tide Gauge Equipment

Tidal observations are normally obtained via automatic recording gauges, such as those
permanently installed in most standard ports. Other methods used to obtain tidal information
include manual tide pole (or staff) readings referenced to a recognised datum (normally chart
datum) and, in recent years, using the centimetres precision achievable with Kinematic GPS
in the vertical dimension.

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Equipment Calibrations
Preparation for the survey involves the planning of hydrographic observations and
ancillary activity necessary to support the collection of data, the most important of which is
calibration of the surveying equipment. Equipment calibrations need to be conducted at
regular intervals and documented in order to support the quality estimate given to the final
survey dataset. Maintaining a data pack for key equipment and/or including the relevant
information in a final report accompanying each survey is recommended.

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The Importance of Hydrographic Survey

The knowledge gained as a result of the work carried out by hydrographers has many
important applications, both for human use and for the protection of the environment. The
data and information obtained by hydrographers can be applied for such purposes as:
1. The production of charts and related information for navigation
2. Planning and designing dams, bridges, irrigation projects, water supply schemes,
sewerage systems, flood protection works
3. Designing nautical warning services and marine facilities
4. The effective management of the countrys water resources, both for human use as
well as the environment
5. Locating offshore resources (oil, gas, aggregates)
As we know, hydrography, mostly for reasons of safety, adopted a number of
conventions that have affected its portrayal of the data on nautical charts. There are many
cases, incidents that happened due to lack of knowledge in hydrography.
For example, The Tasman Bridge disaster
occurred on the evening of 5 January 1975, in
Hobart, the capital city of Australia's island state of
Tasmania, when a bulk ore carrier travelling up the
Derwent River collided with several pylons of the
Tasman Bridge, causing a large section of the bridge
deck to collapse onto the ship and into the river
below. Misinterpreting to read sea water level is the reason this incident happened.

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Hydrography Firm in Malaysia

In Malaysia alone there are many firm in hydrography either under government or
non-government related. Each company may focus in certain job aspect like bathymetry or
oceanographic compare to others. Here lists of hydrography firm in this nation and the
company specialities:
1. Hurricane Geo Inspection Survey Sdn Bhd
Jalan Pinang,
50450 Kuala Lumpur,
Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
+60 3-2181 7763
www.hgis.com.my
Specialities: Navigation and Positioning
2. Asian Geos Sdn Bhd
Wisma MPL, Level 18,
Jalan Raja Chulan,
50200 Kuala Lumpur,
Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
+60 3-2031 4228
www.asiangeos.com
Specialities: Hydrographic Survey
3. Marine Science Technology Sdn.Bhd
35, Jalan Lawan Pedang
13/27, Seksyen 13,
40000, Shah Alam,
Selangor, Malaysia
+60 3-5511 2115
www.mast.com.my
Specialities: Oceanographic and Meteorological Studies

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Job Prospect in Hydrographic Survey

Employment of hydrographic surveyors is expected to grow faster than average for all
professions, increasing 19% through 2018. The increased demand for hydrographic
information will drive job growth. There are plenty of jobs for skilled surveyors in a range of
areas both in Malaysia and abroad.
Nowadays, Malaysian survey qualifications are highly recognised throughout the
world and Malaysia already got certification from International Federation of Surveyor (FIG)
and International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Advisory Board to recognise the
HYDRO I course as meeting their Category B standards for the training of hydrographic
surveyors and HYDRO II Course (FIG/IHO/ICA Category A) in Universiti Teknologi
Malaysia (UTM)
Job prospects should be good, especially for hydrographic surveyors with extensive
experience. Many job openings will stem from the need to replace hydrographic surveyors
that retire, transfer, or leave the field for other reasons.

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Point of View in Hydrographic Survey

In my opinion, hydrographic survey is one of the important career in Malaysia, the
reason is, as we know our nation is completely surrounded by ocean and Port Kelang the
largest port in country is one of the busiest port in Asia.
There is not to worry about certification in this course because it already authorised
by International Federation of Surveyor (FIG) and International Hydrographic Organization
(IHO) which mean we are recognised in the eye of world.
If we seeking the high salary career, here the option. Basically, salaries for
hydrographic surveyors can vary greatly depending on the sector, type of employer, location
and experience. For example, salaries are likely to be higher with oil and gas and dredging
companies than with environmental research companies. Typical starting salaries range from
RM 14,000 to RM 25,000 plus an allowance of RM 70 to RM 110 per day for each day spent
offshore. In a year you will typically spend between 130 and 180 days at sea, earning an
additional RM 10,000 to RM 17,000.
Every price has to take for granted, in this career you have less spending time with
families, most of your time being ship crew except you freelance and self-employment. The
working and living environment may be in cramped and uncomfortable surroundings.

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Conclusion
When Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote the words, Water, water everywhere, he was
not messing around. The romantic poet was absolutely spot on: over 70% of our planet is
made up of water. Hydrographic survey one of the ways to learn about this massive object on
the earth. With it, we can learn and know the underwater ground surface look-like. As many
time repeated, this study for safety purpose and to avoid another massive lost occur in the
future. Furthermore, hydrographic studies facilitate marine research into ocean currents and
the effect of climate change and industrialisation on marine environments.
Hydrographic surveyors are employed by commercial consultancies that offer
cartography and surveying services, academic research institutes and private companies in the
mining, energy and construction industries. Defence organisations, such as the Tentera Laut
Di-Raja Malaysia (TLDM) and the Jabatan Laut Malaysia (JLM), also employ complete
divisions of scientific professionals to work on marine-based activities, including
hydrographic surveying.

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Reference
http://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/job-profile/hydrographic-surveyor
http://collegemouse.com/jobs/how-to-become-a-hydrographic-surveyor.html
http://www.academicinvest.com/science-careers/geology-careers/how-to-become-ahydrographer
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/hydrographic_surveyor_job_description.htm
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/hydrographic_surveyor_entry_requirements.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Hydrographic_Organization
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Klang
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasman_Bridge_disaster
http://fght.utm.my/business-and-industry/course-in-hydrography/
http://www.asiangeos.com/
http://www.hgis.com.my/
http://www.mast.com.my/index.html
http://www.iho.int/srv1/index.php?lang=en
www.hydro.gov.my
www.marine.gov.my
www.navy.mil.my
https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/Publications-and-forms/Commercial-operations/Ports-andharbours/Hydrographic-surveys-guidelines.pdf
https://www.fig.net/resources/publications/figpub/pub56/figpub56.pdf

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