Seabed Mapping for Cayman’s Blue Economy
The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) will support maritime trade and economic growth in the Cayman Islands as it embarks on a new program of seabed mapping surveys in November 2021.
The surveys will unlock vital new information about the waters around the Cayman Islands and will enable safe navigation and the continued development of the islands’ sustainable blue economy.
Under the UK. government’s Overseas Territories Seabed Mapping Programme (OTSMP), UKHO will collect a range of geospatial data in waters around the islands to a depth of 40 m. The survey will also have its estimated carbon impact offset by Fugro, which has been awarded the contract to conduct the data gathering.
The survey will be conducted by a small aircraft using LiDAR. The aircraft will fly twice daily for periods of up to 4 hr. at a time over the islands, operating at a height of around 300 m. While it is airborne, the aircraft’s onboard survey equipment will gather information on water depth and land heights, as well as high-resolution images of both land and sea.