Hydrographic & Oceanographic Surveys

A hydrographic survey is the scientific process of measuring and mapping the physical features of bodies of water and their adjacent coastal areas. At its core, hydrographic surveying focuses on collecting precise data about water depths, seabed topography, submerged obstacles, and navigational hazards. This specialised discipline plays a critical role in maritime safety by providing the essential data needed for creating nautical charts that guide vessels safely through waterways.

Hydrographic surveys play a crucial role in numerous maritime activities, providing essential data that supports safe navigation, infrastructure development, and environmental protection. At SOCOTEC, we understand that detailed seabed mapping delivers value across multiple sectors by identifying potential hazards, supporting critical marine operations, and enabling sustainable development of marine resources.

Hydrographic surveys map the seabed using technologies like multibeam echosounders and precise positioning systems to create detailed bathymetric charts and 3D models, aiding dredging, offshore energy, and infrastructure planning. Oceanographic surveys measure water properties such as currents, waves, salinity, temperature, and sediment composition using instruments like ADCPs, multi-parameter sondes, and profiling systems, often complemented by dispersal studies and sample collection. These surveys rely on specialised vessels and unmanned platforms equipped with advanced sensors to operate in diverse and challenging environments, ensuring accurate data for environmental monitoring, renewable energy development, and marine engineering.

Hydrographic survey vessels are specialised maritime platforms designed to map the seafloor, measure water depths, and collect critical oceanographic data. At SOCOTEC , we deploy various vessel types from offshore vessels to unmanned ASVs to deliver high-resolution seabed mapping and comprehensive marine surveys, ensuring safe navigation and supporting sustainable marine development.

Offshore Sensor is the latest acquisition to Aspect Land & Hydrographic Surveys Ltd’s fleet. The German built vessel, constructed to DNV GL classification and Coded to MCA Cat 1, is a twin hulled catamaran design and measures 22m in length, 8.0m beam and has a shallow 1.85m draught. The boat is powered by 2 x Cat 32 engines, which offer a top speed of 25 knts and a cruising speed of around 20 knts.

The vessel is a safe and stable working platform for any Hydrographic, Geophysical, Geotechnical or Oceanographic project. She is fitted with a large moon pool, over-the-side pole mount, 5m 5T A-Frame and a 5.25T deck crane.  The selection of deck machinery allows deployment of a variety of sensors including; Multibeam Echosounders, Geophysical Equipment, ROV’s, Vibrocorers and Towed-wing Magnetometer arrays.

The vessel has a spacious wheelhouse, seating for 12 passengers & crew, survey room, galley, large rear deck with a 10-tonne load capacity and overnight harbour accommodation for 5.

• MCA Cat I [150 miles]

• Length 22.0m

• Beam 8.0m

• Draught 1.85m

Proteus is a multi-purpose survey vessel ideally suited to working in the challenging offshore environment. Configured to deploy a wide range of Hydrographic, Geophysical, Geotechnical or Oceanographic equipment, she is equipped with central moonpool – able to deploy a variety of sensors including multibeam systems and ADCPs, plus dual deck winches and an ‘A-frame’ for towed equipment such as dual gradiometers for pUXO surveys .

The vessel has a spacious cabin, dedicated survey suite equipped to power laptop computers, on board PC systems and back-up servers as well as a variety of other sensors.

The vessel can comfortably accommodate up to 6 personnel, enabling 24 hour working patterns via crew rotation schedules, where projects & timescales dictate. With ample room in the cabin for personnel and equipment, survey works can continue in adverse weather conditions.

The vessel’s ‘A-frame’ and deck winch can be used for seabed sampling projects, benthic projects, ROV works and ADCP deployment and recovery or other environmental / oceanographic survey disciplines.

• MCA Cat II

• Length 14.0m

• Beam 4.96m

• Draught 1.3m

Road towable with a small forward cabin, Marine Sensor is easy to deploy from slipway or boat hoist / crane and able to operate a wide variety of sensors. Her hulls and catamaran configuration lend a fast transit speed and give good directional stability resulting in high quality survey data.

• MCA Cat III Workboat

• Length 6.9m

• Beam 2.5m

• Draught 0.3m

Coastal Sensor is a road transportable 6.1m fibreglass hull SPORTIS SK6100K RIB with enclosed cabin, central console, twin 60Hp outboard engines and spacious aft deck that can be used for inshore bathymetry, oceanographic & environmental projects.

Coastal Sensor’s road trailer has pivoting front and rear roller supports that allow the boat to be launched and recovered in even very shallow water. The boat is able to deploy a variety of sensors from multibeam through to boomer and can access the most confined areas due to high manoeuvrability.

• MCA Cat III Workboat

• Length 6.1m

• Beam 2.0m

• Draught 0.3m

Coastal Sensor II is a road transportable 6.5m fibreglass hull SPORTIS SK6500K RIB with enclosed cabin, central console, twin 60Hp outboard engines and spacious aft deck that can be used for inshore bathymetry, oceanographic & environmental projects.

The vessel is piloted by an RYA qualified coxswain and surveyor and equipped with Trimble RTK GPS equipment and an R2Sonic multibeam echosounder, enabling positional and depth reading to be taken through the course of the works.

• MCA Cat III Workboat

• Length 6.5m

• Beam 2.0m

• Draught 0.3m

Enviro Sensor is a small aluminium hulled vessel that is used in sheltered waters where access is limited or where the water is considered too shallow to operate the larger vessels.

She can be operated with either petrol outboard engine or electric motor, making her well suited to operate in reservoirs where fossil fuel engines are not permitted. She can be fitted with a variety of sensors including multibeam sonar.

• Sheltered Waters

• Length 4.0m

• Beam 1.5m

• Draught 0.2m

Waterway Sensor is a small aluminium hulled vessel that is used in sheltered waters where access is limited or where the water is considered too shallow to operate the larger vessels.

She can be operated with either petrol outboard engine or electric motor, making her well suited to operate in reservoirs where fossil fuel engines are not permitted. She can be fitted with a variety of sensors including multibeam sonar.

• Sheltered Waters

• Length 3.5m

• Beam 1.4m

• Draught 0.2m

Littoral Sensor is used to access areas such as mud flats and estuarine environments where fluid mud or sinking sands pose a Health & Safety risk. It is capable of deploying a variety of sensors allowing water sampling, sediment sampling and wide area topographic / hydrographic survey of otherwise inaccessible areas.

• Sheltered Waters

• Length 3.3m

• Beam 1.85m

• Draught 0.2m

The EchoBoat ASV is a small, portable autonomously controlled survey platform that is fitted with an R2Sonic 2020 MBES and Applanix INS system. It can be carried and deployed in areas otherwise inaccessible to survey vessels and is able to be positioned using RTK GNSS, or Total Station where there is insufficient satellite coverage.

• Remote / Autonomously Controlled

• Length 1.8m

• Beam 0.8m

• Draught 0.1m

• Endurance: Up to 8hrs

The Argocat Avenger 750HDI is an eight wheel vehicle that can transport six people on land and four on water. This vehicle is designed to operate in the most challenging terrain such as mud, snow, ice, sand, marsh and small areas of water. This allows our team to undertake surveys in areas that would otherwise be difficult to access, such as remote lochs and reservoirs.

• All Terrain Vehicle

Our quad bike is used to access and survey areas of various terrains. This vehicle can effectively operate across sand dunes as well as sites consisting of long grass, gorse, heather, scrubland and marsh areas.

• 4×4 All Terrian Vehicle