(CNS): Newly completed ocean floor mapping survey in the Cayman Islands British Hydrographic Office (UKHO) provides a valuable resource to support the safety of maritime navigation and to support the management, protection and understanding of the local marine environment.
New charts reveal information about the depth and nature of the ocean floor and its ecosystems. The UK also provides remote monitors to measure sea level rise in the region.
The data was formally submitted to the Cayman Islands Government by UKHO’s Hydrographic Program Manager, Kelly Howard, in June.
The Department of Land Survey is the custodian of the data, but the information is also useful to several other government departments, including the Department of Environment, Disaster Management Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands Coast Guard, the National Weather Service and the Maritime Department. and the Port Authority.
Wayne Panton, Prime Minister and Minister for Sustainability and Climate Resiliency, said the mapping covers a shallow seafloor from the shoreline to a drop-off of about 130 feet, providing a clear picture of substratum including beds of coral, sand and seagrass. said to provide
“In addition to providing such valuable information about the coastal marine environment, the data will facilitate the creation of more comprehensive storm surge and flood models, enabling effective mitigation strategies for the impacts of severe weather and climate change.” He said.
“Providing this technical support is another example of the excellent partnership the Cayman Islands Government enjoys with the United Kingdom. will be grateful to.”
investigation was conducted last November Created by international geodata experts as part of a £1m Crossover Territories project funded by the UK Government’s Overseas Territories (OTs) Seafloor Mapping Programme. UKHO is also installing his four tide gauges that remotely monitor changes in sea level.
Home Affairs Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said the information was “a giant leap forward in filling the mapping information gap” and was of immense value to the government.
“We recognize that data collection is an ongoing process to ensure that we have the most up-to-date data available,” she says, adding that Lands and Survey has aerial photographs from the 1950s to the present. Yes, but nothing recent. A hydrographic survey covering the underwater environment of the three islands.
“This study provides the accuracy needed to ensure world-class operations and services,” she said.
The Cayman Islands were included last year in the International III Code ‘Flag State’ audit of the UK and its Overseas Territories, focusing on SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea). Bringing the current seafloor mapping data to the required specifications is therefore a very positive step forward, the release said.
Up-to-date coastal shipping charts instantly present the latest and most accurate GPS data for waters around the Cayman Islands, helping to make navigation safer in local waters.
As an overseas territory, data is given to the Cayman Islands Government, but private entities and individuals can purchase data from the UKHO, which is funded by selling the data it collects to third parties.
Have a look at this For more information on how to access your data and how to purchase, please visit .
