UCL/PLA MSc in Hydrographic Surveying

CIVIL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND GEOMATIC ENGINEERING
UCL/PLA MSc in Hydrographic Surveying
MSc in
Hydrographic
Surveying
Taught jointly by University College London

and the Port of London Authority
For entry in September 2013
Contents
1 Introduction .......................................................................... 1
2 Structure of the programme .................................................... 2
3 History of the MSc programme ................................................ 2
4 Aims and Strengths of the course ............................................ 4
5 The Institutions ..................................................................... 9
6 Research Environment...........................................................11
7 Equipment and Facilities ........................................................14
9 Review procedures................................................................26
10 Entry Requirements.............................................................28
11 Assessment ........................................................................29
12 Examples of individual MSc projects ......................................31
13 Careers and Student Profiles ................................................33
14 Final Remarks.....................................................................40
1 Introduction
The MSc in Hydrographic Surveying at UCL is a full-time twelve-month
course that is run jointly by University College London and the Port of London
Authority. It builds on the strengths of the two institutions, combining the
sound research-led teaching of UCL with the state of the art hydrographic
facilities of one of the most advanced ports in the world.
The course is recognised as a Category A course by the International
Hydrographic Organisation (IHO), the International Federation of Surveyors
(FIG) and the International Cartographic Organisation (ICO). This is an
internationally recognised qualification that enables graduates of the course
to gain employment at the highest level. It is increasingly required by
employers around the world. The course is also recognised as offering
specialised training and education in the following standard specialisms:
Optional Unit 1 (Nautical Charting Hydrography);

Optional Unit 2 (Hydrography to Support Port Management and
Coastal Engineering);
Optional Unit 4 (Offshore Construction Hydrography).
This document gives a full description of the course for prospective students
and employers. It includes details of the aims and strengths of the course,
the institutions that are offering it, the entry requirements, the facilities
available, the research environment and individual projects, and profiles of
the careers of some of our students.
The MSc in Hydrographic Surveying is an internationally recognised degree
offered by two outstanding institutions. Our graduates are much in demand
and have gone on to have interesting and rewarding careers around the
world.
We hope that you find the information that youre looking for here. If you are
interested in joining us then we look forward to hearing from you.
Dr Jonathan Iliffe, Senior Lecturer, Head of Geomatic and Geotechnical

Engineering, Course Director.
Captain John Pinder, Port Hydrographer, Port of London Authority.
Mr John Dillon-Leetch, Deputy Port Hydrographer, Port of London Authority,
Course Coordinator.
2 Structure of the programme

The overall length of the programme is 12 months, split into a first term from
September to December, with the modules assessed in early January; a
second term runs from January to late March, with assessment in late April/
early May. The final part is the individual project, running from May to
September.
There are three sections to the course, each given equal weight: the first
term taught material; the second term taught material; and the individual
project. Each of these is worth 60 credits.
The first term is organised into four 15 credit modules as:
Data Analysis
GIS Principles
and Technology
Principles and
Practice of
Surveying
Mapping
Science
Hydrographic
Applications
Management/
Group Project
The second term is organised as:

Positioning
Ocean and
Coastal Zone
Management
The individual project runs from mid-May to mid-September.

It is possible for students to graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma after
following the taught part of the course but not doing the individual project.
However, only the full programme, leading to an MSc, is recognised by the
RICS and the IHO/FIG/ICO.
3 History of the MSc programme

The initial decision to offer jointly an MSc in Hydrographic Surveying was
taken by UCL and PLA in 1998, and following this the masters programme
was first run in the academic session 1999 2000. It was initially accredited
by the IHO/FIG/ICA board at their 2001 meeting in Trieste.
At the time of the initial establishment of the course, it was based in the
Department of Geomatic Engineering at UCL.
The
MSc
in
Hydrographic
Surveying has always been
strongly integrated with other
geomatics masters programmes
in the department, in particular
the course in (Land) Surveying,
but
also
sharing
generic
elements with courses in GIS
and
Remote
Sensing.
So
although the programme has
only been running since 1999, it
sits within a structure of
geomatics MSc programmes
that have been running for over 60 years.
In 2007 the Department of Geomatic Engineering ceased to exist as an
independent department and merged with Civil Engineering to become the
new Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering. In terms of
the Hydrographic programme, the main effect has been the strengthening of
ties that already existed in the delivery of the engineering aspects of the
ocean and coastal zone module in future it is likely to mean stronger
collaboration and overlap with MSc programmes in marine and coastal
engineering.
This gives an overview of how the course was established and the academic
context in which it sits. However, central to all of this has been the
collaboration between UCL and the PLA: this was initially established through
a memorandum of understanding signed at the highest level between the two
institutions. Since then, it has been cemented by the joint practical
experience of collaborating on the MSc, with the strong professional and
personal ties that this
engenders; it has also
been
enhanced
by
diversification beyond the
narrow aim of course
delivery to encompass
other
collaborative
projects. For example,
UCL has participated in
the
GPS
observation
campaign for Thames
tide
gauges,
both
organisations
have
collaborated
with
the
Ordnance Survey on the
use of their OSNet system, the PLA has been a pioneer in the use of VORF,
and so on.
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We believe that this is a unique partnership between an academic institution

and a public or private organisation that is involved day-to-day in the
practice of hydrographic surveying. The benefits are obvious, in that it is
clear that UCL is bringing its wealth of experience in teaching, its outstanding
facilities, its research leadership, whilst the PLA is bringing not only a fleet of
state of the art survey vessels but also the accumulated practical experience
of its surveyors.
4 Aims and Strengths of the course

Overall aims
The UCL/PLA hydrographic programme aims to provide a broadly based
education in hydrographic surveying, combined with a strong practical
element. It is a feature of the teaching in the department that we aim to
move rapidly from a theoretical classroom-based exposition of a subject to
its practical implementation. This practical element might take the form of
exercises aboard survey vessels, or it might involve acquisition and
processing of GPS data, or handling digital mapping and charting data, or
even using a pencil and paper to work out the functional link between an
observational type and parameters to be derived by least squares.
By the term broadly based we mean firstly that we do not restrict ourselves
to any particular area of hydrographic surveying: the participation of a port
authority is an important feature of the course, but our remit is not restricted
to ports and harbours. We involve professional offshore surveyors in the
course delivery, but it should also be noted that several of the staff of the
PLA have themselves had a background in offshore surveying before joining
the organisation.
Secondly, we mean that the hydrographic surveying programme is grounded
firmly in a general geomatics framework. There are obvious practical reasons
for this, in that it enables some elements of the course to be taught in
parallel with material delivered to other programmes at UCL. However, it has
the dual effect of both making the hydrographic students aware of how the
subject fits within the wider framework of geomatics and exposing more
students to important concepts related to surveying at sea. So, for example,
hydrographic surveyors study GPS alongside surveyors and are aware of
problems related to the use of satellite systems in many dynamic situations,
not just the ship-borne ones, whilst all students at UCL who are on
programmes in the geomatics area have to study at least some aspects of
marine datums. This means that a student of GIS who ends up working on
data related to the coastal zone has a much stronger understanding of
bathymetric datums than would generally be the case.
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Strengths and specialisms

Why come to UCL? What are the specialist areas that the UCL/PLA MSc
programme will give students over and above what they would expect to find
on any hydrographic course. We believe that these are:
Practical work carried out aboard working PLA hydrographic vessels, in

collaboration with professional surveyors and crews;
Deep study of error theory, least squares analysis and quality control;
In depth study of GNSS, geodesy, and coordinate reference systems
(including in combined areas such as study of the VORF project);
Links between electronic charting and the GIS research group in the
department;
Study of maritime boundaries related to real world examples that have
been analysed in the department;
Opportunity to carry out an in-depth study into one particular topic as
part of the individual research project.
These particular strengths can best be illustrated with direct examples.

Practical work aboard PLA vessels
The Port of London Authority (PLA)
has the busiest port hydrographic
department in the UK with six
qualified surveyors and support staff
comprising 14 employees in total.
The department has three dedicated
survey craft fitted with RESON
Multibeam Echo Sounder Systems.
In addition to planning and conducting

at least 3 bathymetric MBES surveys
during the practical part of the course,
students will also use dual frequency
single beam and side scan sonar. The
software used for acquisition and
processing (Hypack, Geodas, Cadcorp
GIS, Fledermaus) is available at the
college so that the students can become
familiar with it and produce their own
reports.
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Study of error theory

Error theory and quality control are taught through the Data Analysis
module, and further reinforced through applications in the Positioning
module. For one of the practical assignments in the Data Analysis module the
students are given a scenario of a rig being towed offshore from the yard
where it was constructed, and its movement along a precisely defined path
being monitored. Students are required to devise an observational scheme
that meets certain pre-defined requirements for precision and reliability
(expressed in terms of the marginally detectable errors being within a
defined limit). This has to be simulated mathematically, with the students
being responsible for the derivation of all the relevant equations and their
implementation in Excel. Having devised the appropriate algorithms, they
then refine the observational scheme to meet the quality criteria with the
minimum number of observations.
Study of Global Navigation Satellite Systems
One example of student work involves calculating a position fix from GPS
pseudo-ranges. Students are given five pseudo-ranges measured by a GPS
receiver at the site of Herstmonceux Castle in Sussex at the epoch 2001 9 14
13 45 0.00, as well as the satellite positions in WGS84 at the epoch of signal
transmission and the approximate location of the receiver. The students are
told to estimate the position (in ECEF Cartesian coordinates) of the receiver,
and the receiver clock offset, using all the pseudo-ranges. They are also
instructed to assume that the standard deviation of a pseudo-range
measurement in metres is the cosecant of the satellite elevation angle. The
students have to set up the
appropriate observation equations,
carry out a linearisation and invert
for updated coordinates, using
several iterations. The students then
convert the answer to latitude,
longitude and height. The quality of
the position fix must be assessed
(analysis of residuals, estimation of
variance factor, scaling of covariance
matrix) and the GDOP, PDOP, HDOP
and VDOP values are to be
calculated
from
the
variancecovariance matrix.
Another example of the depth to which students study GNSS is from a lab
class in the Positioning module, in which students carry out a linearisation of
double differenced phase observations. The purpose of this exercise is to aid
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the understanding of the standard procedures for processing GPS phase

data. The calculation that the students are asked to carry out is a
simplified version of what is done in mainstream GPS manufacturers
software such as Geo-Office (Leica Geosystems), TGO (Trimble
Geomatics Office), Ashtech Solutions and TGPS (Topcon). The students are
supplied with L1 carrier phase data observed at two stations and at two
epochs 15 minutes apart. They are also supplied with satellite antenna phase
centre positions in ECEF coordinates at the epochs of signal transmission,
along with precise coordinates of one station, and approximate coordinates of
the other. The task in the lab is to form double differenced observations,
linearise the system of equations, solve for float phase ambiguities, fix these
to integers and then estimate the precise coordinates of the second station.
The whole task is carried out in Excel, and the students are directed to
determine the standard deviations of all parameters at each stage (assuming
the variance factor is unity for this small dataset).
Electronic charting and GIS
The professional aspects of electronic chart production are taught by the PLA
as part of the Hydrographic Applications module, as they are the ones that
are involved in day-to-day production of S57 charts. However, it is also
important to realise that this builds on a foundation laid down in the first
term as part of the GIS Principles and Technology module taught by UCL.
Thus, students get a very fundamental grounding in the principles of
handling digital data before going on to the specialist marine applications.
An example of the advantages of this approach would be in the MSc project
on Risk Analysis for Submarine Cable Burial carried out by Mr Andrew
Palmer-Felgate, a student on the course. This took a very fundamental
approach to the way that data acquired with multibeam is analysed and
processed, examining the advantages and disadvantages of different
methods of interpolation onto grids, such as inverse distance weighting,
kriging, splines, and so on.
Study of maritime boundaries
The study of maritime boundary delimitation forms part of the Ocean and
Coastal Zone Management module. An exercise that is carried out by the
students is as given in the following specification:
You work for an oil company that is intending to negotiate with the
Israeli government for several offshore exploration licences in the
Eastern Mediterranean Sea. At present Israel does not have any formal
maritime boundary agreements with its Mediterranean neighbours, but
your company wishes to know about any risks associated with
purchasing licences in particular areas where is the boundary likely
7

to end up? Where might areas of particular uncertainty or dispute lie?
Where are we going to need extra data?
They have assigned you to a team that is going to spend a day
exploring this issue. At the end of the day (literally, rather than
figuratively) you will aim to have derived provisional maps and
coordinates of the maritime boundaries of Israel. You will also have
developed ideas about the particular problem areas, and will make a
presentation to the directors of the company in which you explain your
methodology, its possible limitations, and what you see as the
potential problem areas.
Students then work on this problem

for a day, using digital mapping of the
coastlines
from
which
Thiessen
polygons are derived, assisted by
charts of more detailed areas,
software to carry out ellipsoidal
computations, reference to online
sources such as Google Earth,
published international agreements,
and so on.
Individual MSc projects

Individual MSc projects form one third of the total credit value of the course,
and are a means through which students can demonstrate a deep
understanding of the subject. The aim of the project is to produce work that
has a research element and is in principle of interest to a wider community
than those immediately involved. That is, the MSc project is something
distinct from a routine professional job and is intended to launch students to
some extent into the unknown: in several cases it has led to published
papers. In most cases it fosters resourcefulness, as they are expected to act
as the liaison point between their academic supervisors and other bodies
involved (such as the Port of London or industrial sponsors). In all cases it
encourages students to think deeply about their chosen field, to research
widely in published literature, and to write clear and concise reports.
This is a significant part of the course there is a separate section giving
examples of students individual projects.
5 The Institutions
The collaboration between UCL and the PLA to run a combined MSc
programme represents a combination of two London based organisations that
both have an outstanding international reputation.
University College London
In 2009 UCL climbed to fourth place in the annual
Times Higher Education - QS World University
Rankings, confirming its standing as Londons global
university. The meteoric progression up the tables in
recent years reflects the outstanding quality of UCLs
community of academics and students. The university
is one of the foremost in the UK for research and
innovation, and is dedicated to harnessing its
exceptional research for positive social and economic
benefit: no fewer than 21 Nobel prizewinners have
come from the UCL community.
This community continues to pursue the highest standards of academic
rigour and has earned admiration in the higher education domain for its
strategies to pool research expertise across a wide range of disciplines, to
deliver the highest standards in teaching, and to attract the brightest
students from all over the globe. Student life at UCL is rich and challenging;
we provide the opportunities and leadership in teaching, research,
entrepreneurship, volunteering and overseas study. 34% of UCL students
come from outside the UK, from approximately 140 countries around the
world, and our research reaches the farthest corners of the globe; from the
conservation of antiquities in Iraq to the transformation of engineering
research in Kazakhstan.
UCL was founded in 1826 as a secular alternative to the universities of
Oxford and Cambridge. Prior to this, the benefits of a university education in
England were restricted to men who were members of the Church of
England. UCL was founded to challenge this discrimination, providing a
radical alternative to Oxbridges social exclusivity, religious restrictions and
academic constraints, thus opening up English higher education for the first
time to people of all beliefs and social backgrounds. Today, it remains
fervently progressive and is one of the worlds leading multidisciplinary
universities, with a global reach and global vision.
The Port of London Authority
The Port of London Authority was established under the Port London Act of
1908, for the purpose of administering, preserving and improving the Port of
London and for other purposes including the conservancy of the tidal
Thames. Those powers have been extended in subsequent Acts and Orders,
the last of significance being the Port of London Act 1968 (as amended),
which gives very wide powers and duties to the PLA in the improvement and
conservancy of the Thames including:
Regulation of navigation by means of River Byelaws, General

Directions and other associated Byelaws;
Licensing of river works and dredging;
Hydrographic Surveying;
Inspection and licensing of commercial vessels;
Removal of sunken vessels and other hazards to navigation;
Licensing of watermen and lightermen.
The Port of London is the second largest port in the UK in terms of tonnage
handled and number of shipping movements.
The area of responsibility extends from the tidal limit of the Thames above
Richmond in the west, right out to the southern North Sea in the east, a
distance of 140 Km and an area of 1000 sq Km. The estuary has 3 main
shipping channels and many complex sand banks which need constant
monitoring
The Hydrographic Service of the PLA, as already mentioned, is the largest
port survey department in the UK, producing over 300 surveys a year. It is
accepted as a centre of excellence in the field of port surveying and has
recently gained a reputation for innovative use of high resolution multibeam
for engineering and diver support. It produces its own large scale ENC and
works closely with the UKHO and MCA on chart production and national
interest mapping.
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Collaboration arrangements
Physically, the two institutions are located approximately 25 miles from each
other, with UCL being sited near the centre of London and the hydrographic
service of the PLA being down the River Thames at Gravesend. PLA staff
travel to London to deliver lectures, a journey that can now be accomplished
within around 30 minutes door-to-door with the opening of the new high
speed train service. Students either travel to Gravesend to join survey
vessels or board closer to the centre of the city when it can be integrated
with the PLAs work flow.
Formally, the degrees are awarded by UCL. The PLA take primary
responsibility for two of the modules and for the practical work, however,
staff from both organisations work together on the planning process for the
degree.
6 Research Environment
UCL is a research intensive university. In a department such as Civil,
Environmental & Geomatic Engineering, the annual income from research is
around 5 million. Rather than being seen as a distraction from teaching
students, the philosophy at UCL is that the whole learning experience is
enriched by contact with academic staff who are clearly at the forefront of
their fields. This is true for staff involved in the MSc in Hydrographic
Surveying as it is for all staff, and students on the course come into contact
with research into the latest developments in the field.
To give a very brief flavour of this, some examples are given below of current
or recent projects in the department that are relevant to the hydrographic
course.
GNSS positioning aboard vessels
A recent project led by Professor Paul Cross, and involving PhD student Alex
Parkin, and running from 2005 to 2009 has examined the future positioning
requirements of the IMO (resolution A.915) and tested the acquisition and
processing of data in a marine environment against the IMO requirements.
A data collection exercise was held in Harwich Harbour, in collaboration with
Trinity House, and saw THV Alert navigate into the harbour whilst GPS data
was acquired on board and at reference stations on shore. In addition, total
stations at shore based reference stations were used to track the vessel and
provide a truth model.
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The
data
acquired
was
processed
under
different
scenarios and the positioning
performance
was
analysed
against the IMO requirements.
A principal finding was that
providing
integrity
through
single-epoch
real-time
kinematic positioning, required
to meet the strictest IMO
requirements, was particularly
difficult. However, the work
carried out in this project has
significantly improved the vital
ambiguity resolution success rate, and increased the maximum baseline
length over which the highest requirements are met from 1 km to 66 km.
Example impact on MSc teaching: in 2009 Christopher Bubb did an MSc
project on Characteristics and impacts of new GNSS signals, exploring
what the impact of new developments in satellite positioning would be on
the offshore industry.
The VORF project
The VORF project (Vertical Offshore Reference Frames) ran from 2005 to
2008 and was sponsored by the UK Hydrographic Office; a follow-on project
to extend the concepts around the world commenced in 2011. The project is
run by Dr Jonathan Iliffe and Professor Marek Ziebart, and involves research
assistants Dr Jim Turner and Mr Joao Oliveira.
With the advent of technology such as GPS and LIDAR, and increasing
interest in areas such as the coastal zone, there is an imperative need for a
system that will seamlessly transform between all the different reference
surfaces and extend our knowledge of vertical datums offshore. This is what
VORF aimed to achieve, through a set of transformation models integrated
into one software package.
Once such a system is in place there are many different applications that
could potentially make use of it. To take just one example, any ship equipped
with a high precision GPS receiver and using the VORF transformation
software will effectively become its own tide gauge, with no need to rely on
observations made at remote ports. This is likely to have a significant impact
on marine safety, but the efficiency implications for activities such as
hydrographic surveying are one of the main drivers for such models.
The VORF project brought together data from short term and long term tide
gauge observations, numerical tidal models, satellite altimetry, gravimetric
12
geoid models, datum corrector surfaces and specially commissioned GPS

observations to many remote tide gauges.
Example impact on MSc teaching: in 2012 James Johnston did an MSc
project on how VORF could be extended around the world, combining
satellite altimetry data with coastal tide gauges, and using a study area of
the west coast of France.
Example of VORF observation campaigns: these pictures are from a VORF

expedition to the uninhabited island of Sule Skerry, west of the Orkneys, where
observations were made to tie the Chart Datum to ETRF89. MV Bounteous Sea
was chartered for the expedition.
Morphological seabed modelling

This is a project involving Professor Richard Simons and PhD student Anna
Bakare. It develops and investigates the applicability of a statistical method
for morphological modelling of the seabed that is able to account for spatial
morphological properties and external forcing conditions. The statistical
method is a spatial functional regression model. It has been applied to
idealised scenarios of morphological behaviour and evolution that simulate
real morphological properties as the seabed evolves over time. In addition,
the model has been applied two study sites off the English coastline that
have different morphodynamic characteristics. The sites are the Great
Yarmouth sandbanks and the nearshore zone of Poole Bay.
Results from the applications show that the model is able to identify
morphological behaviour and evolution properties. For the idealised scenarios
with temporal periodicity, stochastic effects and noise, it was able to
generate predictions with accuracies of 0.02m against mean observed
variability of 0.14m. For the study sites accuracies of 1.79m and 0.75m were
obtained respectively where the mean observed variability was
13
approximately 1.73m and 1.16m respectively. On including the

environmental forcing information in the modelling process the prediction
errors are reduced. Therefore the spatial functional regression model is an
applicable method for morphological modelling applications.
Observed bathymetric surface at Great Yarmouth study site for 2006 (a) and
predicted bathymetric surface for 2006 (b).
Example impact on MSc teaching: in 2012 Marilyn Eghan carried out an

MSc project on the use of the MIKE software to model sediment transport
in a selected area of the Thames.
7 Equipment and Facilities

At the Port of London Authority:
Survey vessels:
Verifier: 25 m monohull.
Yantlet: 14 m catamaran.
Galloper: 8 m catamaran.
Sonar equipment:
Reson 7125, 8125, 8101 multibeam systems.
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CMax- CM2 Dual Frequency Side-scan Sonar.

Odom echotrack dual frequency single beam echosounder.
RDI Seahorse ADCP
Positioning equipment:
Applanix POSMV on each vessel.
Software:
Hypack/Hysweep for data acquisition.
Fledermaus for post-processing and reporting.
Applanix POSPAK for post processed kinematic.
GeoDAS for sidescan and mosaicing.
Cadcorp GIS for chart production.
SevenCs for ENC production.
Seazone Geospatial/Oracle for data archiving.
At University College London:
The Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering department at UCL has a
suite of dedicated hydrographic software including Hypack, GeoDAS,
Fledermaus and Cadcorp. In addition to this specialist software, students also
have access to AutoCAD, ArcGIS, GeoOffice and Starnet in the department.
Students are introduced to, and trained in this software throughout the
teaching terms and utilise the suite in their individual research projects in the
third term.
The department also maintains a store of standard survey equipment. This
includes levelling kit, total stations, static and RTK GPS receivers, and
handheld MobileMappers. The hardware capabilities within the department
have been enhanced with the recent acquisition of five new reflectorless total
stations and a new laser scanner. The reflectorless total stations have been
used in MSc Hydrographic Surveying projects to monitor embankment and
bridge deformation (as control for underwater multibeam observations), and
the GPS kit is frequently used to tie projects into national coordinate
systems. As with the software, students are trained in the surveying kit in
the first and second terms before using the equipment when undertaking
their projects in the summer.
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8 Staff
A number of academic staff from within the Department and hydrographic
surveyors from the Port of London Authority are involved in delivering taught
modules, providing support in the field and supervising MSc projects.
UCL staff
Paul Groves
Paul Groves joined UCL in 2009 after 12 years at DERA and
QinetiQ. He leads a programme of navigation and positioning
research within UCLs Space Geodesy and Navigation
Laboratory. Paul specializes in the integration and
mathematical modelling of all types of navigation system. He
is interested in all aspects of navigation and positioning,
including multi-sensor integrated navigation, robust GNSS
under challenging reception conditions, and novel positioning
techniques. Current research projects include GNSS
multipath mitigation, positioning using signals of opportunity, pedestrian
motion modelling for aiding indoor and outdoor positioning, novel GNSSbased positioning techniques for urban canyons and ultra-low-cost inertial
sensors integrated with multi-antenna GNSS.
He is an author of about 40 technical publications, including the book
Principles of GNSS, Inertial and Multi-Sensor Integrated Navigation Systems.
He holds a BA/MA and a DPhil in physics from the University of Oxford. He is
a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation and an associate editor of both
Navigation: Journal of the ION and IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and
Electronic Systems.
Paul runs the Positioning module and contributes to the Data Analysis and
Mapping Science modules.
Muki Haklay
Muki Haklay is Professor of Geographic Information Science and the

director of UCL Extreme Citizen Science group. The group is dedicated
to allowing any community, regardless of their literacy, to use
scientific methods and tools to collect, analyse, interpret and use
information about their area and activities. His research interests
include Public access and use of Environmental Information; HumanComputer Interaction (HCI) and Usability Engineering aspects of GIS;
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and Societal aspects of GIS use - in particular, participatory mapping

and Citizen Science.
He contributes to the Mapping Science module.
Jonathan Iliffe
Jonathan Iliffe's expertise lies in the area of geodesy, and
specifically those issues that relate to coordinate reference
systems national or local, on land or at sea. Current or
very recent research projects include determining the
height corrector surfaces for use in the British Isles
(transforming GPS data to the local height system in each
country),
the
UKHO-sponsored
VORF
project
(transforming GPS data to the different coordinate
reference systems used on land and at sea) and the
development of the SnakeGrid system (which gives nearunity scale factor along very large linear engineering projects such as
railways, highways and pipelines). He acts as a consultant on international
land and maritime boundary delimitations, and advises governments, survey
and engineering companies, and railway organisations on the geodetic
aspects of large infrastructure projects. In 2008 Jonathan Iliffe was awarded
the Richard Carter Prize (Geospatial Engineer 2008) by the Institution of Civil
Engineering Surveyors, for his work on SnakeGrid and projects such as
OSGM02 and VORF.
Jonathan is the programme director for the Surveying and Hydrographic
Surveying courses and contributes to the teaching on Data Analysis; Mapping
Science; Principles and Practice of Surveying; Hydrographic Applications and
Ocean and Coastal Zone Management.
Richard Simons
Richard's main research interests lie in the field of Coastal
Engineering, where he has made a major contribution to the
study of wave-current interaction, providing an insight into
fundamental fluid processes and related interactions with the
seabed. Richard oversaw commissioning and management of
the UKs National Coastal Research Facility at Wallingford,
and was influential in the introduction of the UK coastal wave
monitoring programme WaveNet (now managed within the
UK Coastal Monitoring & Forecasting Service). He has a
particular interest in marine aggregate dredging and
supervised a recent project using a new cellular automata model to predict
the long-term behaviour of the seabed and benthos after dredging. In the
17
broader field of coastal morphology, another project has applied novel

statistical methods to predict long-term morphological development of the
seabed. In the field of fluid-structure interaction, extensive tests are being
performed to train and validate a neural network model of 3D wave effects
around submerged breakwaters, advanced 3D flow measurements are being
made to assess the stability of scour protection for various levels of rock
misalignment, and an EngD project with HR Wallingford is investigating scour
around complex foundations relevant to the marine renewables industry.
Richard contributes to the Ocean and Coastal Zone Management module.
Marek Ziebart
Space Geodesy - this is the science and engineering of using
satellites in orbit around planets to measure dynamic
characteristics, such as the gravity field, sea level and ice cap
variations, as well as plate tectonics. In 2007, GPS World
named him as one of the 50 Leaders to Watch for his
contributions to the global navigation and positioning
industry. He holds a PhD in Satellite Geodesy and
Astrodynamics, and is a member of the NASA/CNES Ocean
Surface Topography Science Working Team. He is a
contributor to news items and documentaries on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 4
(Today programme), BBC Radio 5live, BBC News 24 and the World Service.
He has carried out numerous consultancies and research contracts, including
for the UK Hydrographic Office, the European Space Agency, Tritech Rail,
NASA,
US
Air
Force,
QinetiQ,
and
Ordnance
Survey.
The UCL Satellite Geodesy and Navigation Research Group has 12 members:
4 academics, 3 PDRAs and 5 PhD students.
Marek contributes to the Positioning, Principles and Practice of Surveying,
Ocean and Coastal Zone Management, and Hydrographic Applications
modules.
Claire Ellul
Claire Ellul joined the department as a lecturer in Geographic
Information Science in 2010, following a 10-year career as a
GIS consultant in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. She is
interested in technical and data-related research in GIS, and
specializes in spatial databases and software development.
Current research themes include three-dimensional GIS,
spatial data management, data quality and metadata and she
is conducting research into how to persuade non-GIS research
18
teams to capture and use spatial metadata, the use of GIS in Citizen Science
and Community Engagement, teaching GIS principles to researchers from
other disciplines.
Claire contributes to the Mapping Science module in Term 1.
Liz Jones
Liz Jones joined the department after working as a surveyor
in the 3D team of Plowman Craven, a UK survey company.
Prior to this, she completed an MA in Egyptology (Liverpool)
and an MSc in GIS (UCL).
In addition to her role as the Geomatic Systems Manager, Liz
is the GIS officer and surveyor for the Kouphovouno Project,
and a surveyor and archaeological supervisor for The
Saqqara Geophysical Survey Project and the Egypt
Exploration Societys Survey of Memphis. She runs the
Principles and Practice of Surveying module, and supports practical work on
Ocean and Coastal Zone Management and Positioning modules.
Dietmar Backes
Dietmar Backes is one of the departments geomatics systems
managers, providing support for the use of equipment and
software in the department, particularly focusing on the Lidar
and imagery side. He coordinates the Mapping Science module
and contributes to Ocean and Coastal Zone Management.
Tao Cheng
Tao Chengs background is in spatial information science, from the
acquisition, management and modelling to application of spatial data. She
leads the GIS Principles and Technology module and has supervised MSc
projects such as Creating a Global Database of Submarine Landslides for
Hazard Prediction.
19
Stuart Robson
Stuart Robsons research focus is in traceable on-line dynamic 3D coordination and monitoring of engineering, medical and cultural objects and
structures using photogrammetric image networks and sequences, vision
metrology and laser scanning. He contributes to the module on Principles and
Practice of Surveying.
Jan Boehm
Jan Boehm has a background in Computer Science, for which he holds a
Masters degree from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, USA, and
a Diploma degree from the University of Stuttgart, Germany. He holds a
doctoral degree from the department of Aerospace
Engineering and Geodesy at the University of Stuttgart.
Since 2010 has been a lecturer in Photogrammetry and 3D
Imaging at University College London. He actively
participates
in
the
International
Society
for
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), where he
regularly serves on organising and programme committees
and as a reviewer for related journals. He is co-chair of the
ISPRS working group on Image-based and range-based 3D
modelling. He serves on the VDI panel for optical
metrology, where he works on the the VDI/VDE 2634 guidelines.
He has published more than 50 papers on the topics of close-range
photogrammetry, three-dimensional point cloud processing and robotics. His
current research projects include creating building information models (BIM)
from point clouds, detailed faade modelling from terrestrial and mobile laser
scanning and developing a human measurement system from low cost
natural user interface sensors.
Jan contributes to the teaching on Mapping Science.
20
Port of London Authority Staff

John Pinder Port Hydrographer
John joined the Merchant Navy on leaving school
and served with P&O on international voyages
aboard a wide selection of ships for 11 years,
eventually
achieving
his
Master
Mariner
certificate.
In 1987 he did a BSc (2-1) in Nautical Studies at
Plymouth,
majoring
in
Navigation
and
Hydrography,
minors
in
Meteorology and
Oceanography.
After a spell commanding a
training ship based in SE England he joined the
PLA as a field surveyor in 1989, becoming Port Hydrographer in 2000.
During this time he has been instrumental in the selection and
commissioning of 4 survey vessels, the full digitisation of the chart
production process, the move to MBES and the transition from Hifix6,
through Microfix to full GPS positioning.
The department, in addition to its statutory duties for safety of navigation
and conservancy has, under Johns leadership, taken on all the tidal analysis
for the 12 Thames gauges, GIS for the organisation and extensive
commercial work for engineers and environmentalists, as well the abovementioned digital chart production and move to ENCs.
John is a Chartered Surveyor, Master Mariner, Member of the Nautical
Institute and the Hydrographic Society. He sits on the UK Committee on
Shipping Hydrography and maintains close links with the UKHO, MCA and
Trinity House. He regularly presents papers at international conferences and
chairs many working groups and seminars.
John Dillon-Leetch PLA Deputy Port Hydrographer. BSc(Hons),

CMarSci
John attained a first class honours degree in Maritime
Studies at JMU Liverpool in 1993 and immediately
joined Racal Survey Ltd where he worked for 4 years
as an Overseas Offshore Surveyor progressing to
Senior Surveyor and from there to the Port of London
Hydrographic Department where he has worked for
15 years.
John presently holds the position of Deputy Port
Hydrographer at the Port and is responsible for the
21
day to day activity of the fleet of three multibeam survey craft and
associated personnel.
As part of his present role - John manages the Port of London Hydrographic
Departments commercial services provision which has tripled turnover since
2005 and gained recognition for the department as experts in the field of
high resolution multibeam surveys.
John is a Chartered Marine Scientist through IMarEST and a member of the
Hydrographic Society.
He regularly presents papers at international
conferences, most recently at Port and Terminal Technology 2011,
Rotterdam. Pipeline Integrity Summit, 2012, Aberdeen.
Previous to attaining his surveying qualifications John worked in the USA in
construction project management and previous to that in yacht delivery. He
has also worked as a general manager of a start up IT marketing company.
John holds an RYA Yacht Masters Certificate
Since 2003, John has been keenly involved with the delivery of the
MSc/PgDip Hydrographic Surveying at University College, London.
Jim Powell Hydrographic Surveyor
A graduate of University Of East London (UEL)
Bsc
Geographical
&
Land
Information
Management in 1997 -. He commenced his
career with Svitzer survey on pipeline and
cable route surveys in the North Sea then to
working overseas for Great Lakes Dredge &
Dock Company for 4 years worldwide on
most continents in their cutter suction &
clamshell divisions progressing to the post of Project Engineer. He joined the
PLA in 2001 and has since helped integrate and develop the use of the Ports
three multibeam surveying systems. Jim is a multibeam specialist
concentrating on high-end engineering related multibeam surveys. Jim
project manages statutory and commercial survey work for the PLA
Hydrographic Service both internally and externally beyond the port limits.
Jim is a Chartered Marine Technologist (CMarTech) & Member of IMarEST
(Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology) and a member of the
Hydrographic Society.
Jim contributes to the course delivering lectures on Multibeam Surveying,
SSS & Field Trip organisation and supporting the field trip modules.
22
Rob Howard Hydrographic Surveyor

A P&O Merchant Navy Officer from school and a mature
student graduate of Cardiff (UWIST) BSc Maritime
Studies in 1990. He returned to sea, working in the N
Sea, Mediterranean and W Africa for Seismograph
Services Ltd, (Later Schlumberger Geco-Prakla) as a
Navigator/Surveyor on board their seismic exploration
survey vessels for 5 yrs, before returning shoreside,
working self-employed (Coastline Surveys Ltd) in the
UK, surveying coastal, riverine and reservoir areas and
for ABP in Grimsby, combining surveying the River
Humber & Approaches with mate during dredging
operations.
In late 1996 he joined the PLA where he has helped mature the survey fleet
from single-beam to the present 3 multi-beam craft, carried out bathymetric
and current distribution surveys in the River & Estuary and more recently
high resolution multibeam surveys of the river bed and engineering
structures. He also is presently creating the PLA berthing scale ENC charts.
Rob assists in the management and completion of statutory and commercial
survey work for the PLA Hydrographic Service both internally and externally
beyond the port limits.
Rob is a Chartered Marine Technologist (CMarTech) & Member of IMarEST
(Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology), Fellow of the Royal
Institute of Navigation (FRIN) and a member of the Hydrographic Society.
Rob contributes to the course delivering lectures on Seismic Operations and
supporting the field trip modules.
Hilary Morgan - Hydrographic Surveyor
surveys.
A graduate of University of Cardiff BSc Maritime Studies

and Plymouth University Post-graduate Diploma in
Hydrographic Survey. She commenced her career with
Gardline Geosurvey in 2000 working worldwide on
geophysical site surveys, pipeline surveys and MOD
surveys for 4 years. After working as a Land Surveyor
for Halcrow and a Hydrographic surveyor for Medway
Ports she joined the PLA in 2006 and has worked on
projects such as Blackfriars monitoring project for HR
Wallingford amongst other external high resolution
multi-beam projects as well as PLA main and periodic
23
Hilary is a Member of IMarEST (Institute of Marine Engineering, Science &

Technology).
Alex Mortley Marine Conservancy Manager
Alex attained a first class honours undergraduate
masters degree in Oceanography at Southampton
University
in
2007,
specialising
in
marine
sedimentology and geophysics.
Alex joined the Port of London Authority in 2007 as a
Technical Coordinator on the London Gateway project
with specific responsibility for environmental data
management and supervision of maritime archaeology
programme.
Following a period of time as a
Hydrographic Surveyor at the port, Alex is now the
PLAs lead on river hydraulics and geomorphology responsible for dredging,
tidal monitoring and prediction. He is heavily involved in the major capital
projects of London Gateway, Thames Tideway Tunnel and Crossrail.
Alex is a fellow of the Geological Society of London and member of the
Hydrographic Society and regularly presents papers at regional and national
conferences together with chairing the Thames Estuary Partnerships working
group on the sediment quality. Alex also holds the Mountain Leader award
and has extensive experience in leading mountaineering expeditions in the
UK and European Alps, with a keen interest in glacial geology.
He has also maintained strong academic links being involved in postgraduate
teaching from practical demonstration and field course coordination to
lecturing and supervision of numerous postgraduate student projects in many
facets of marine sedimentology.
Jed Green- Hydrographic Surveyor
A graduate of Southampton University BSc Marine
Science. He commenced his career with Emu Limited in
2002 working in the UK and worldwide on inshore
surveys. Jed moved to work on the Humber as a Port
Hydrographic surveyor for ABP in Hull. He joined the PLA
in 2008 and has worked on projects such as Blackfriars
monitoring project for HR Wallingford amongst other
external high resolution multi-beam projects as well as
PLA main and periodic surveys.
24
Stuart A B Leakey Hydrographic Surveyor

A graduate of Southampton University BEng. Ship Science
(Naval Architecture). Post-graduation, he worked for
Carillion Rail primarily on the 22M DLR 3 Car
Enhancement Project, but also on other works for CTRL
(maintenance) and Network Rail. Whilst at Carillion he
provided the on-site link between construction and supply
chain and moved on to manage a team of 8 in his role as
Manager of the Carillion Infrastructure Consolidation
Centre before changing roles to gain experience with the
commercial team as a forensic QS.
In 2011, in a bid to return to the water to focus on marine civil engineering
projects he completed the Category A Hydrographic Surveying MSc at UCL
whilst continuing to work for Carillion Rail as a forensic QS. He joined the PLA
in January 2012 and has worked extensively with the PLAs multibeam
systems conducting main, periodic and dredge support surveys, GNSS
topographic surveys and control installation, bridge heighting and headway
board installation and has had a project management role on the Thames
Tideway Tunnels Geophysical works.
Paul Clement Hydrographic Surveyor
Paul graduated in 2005 after studying BSc Meteorology &
Oceanography at the University of East Anglia (UEA). On
graduation, he commenced his career at CD Surveys Ltd,
Godalming, as a Land Surveyor. This role included the use of
Total
Stations
equipment
to
provide;
large-scale
topographical surveys, as-built road surveys, building floor
plan and elevation surveys.
In 2008, in order to move into a career as a Hydrographic Surveyor, Paul
started employment at EGS (International) Ltd. During this employment
experience was gained during work in a wide range of projects, to include:
Multibeam and geophysical fibre-optic cable landfall surveys for

multiple systems along the east and western coasts of Africa.
Pre and post construction surveys of renewable energy sites along the
coast of the UK and Europe.
Providing positioning to various large offshore vessels for geotechnical

purposes and for investigating the spatial and temporal movement of oil flow
after the April 2010 oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
Pipeline inspection surveys, small boat single-beam surveys and

coastal-zone dredge monitoring surveys.
25
Paul started his employment with the Port of London authority in October
2012 and is currently involved with the PLA periodic and main surveys as
well as high-resolution multibeam surveys for external clients.
Other staff
Besides the contribution from UCL and PLA staff, we have several important
collaborations with colleagues from industry.
In a typical year these include lectures on underwater positioning from Jon
Martin of Sonardyne; lectures on applications of multibeam technology from
Duncan Mallace of Netsurvey; practical demonstrations of sidescan sonar
software from C-Max; and lectures on ROVs and other offshore activities
from colleagues from Fugro.
9 Review procedures
In addition to the accreditation of the programme by the IHO/FIG/ICA, there
are many different procedures in place to ensure the quality of the
programme offered.
In common with other geomatics MSc programmes in the department, the
MSc in Hydrographic Surveying is recognised by the Royal Institution of
Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This means that passing at MSc level affords an
entry route into that institution for graduates of the programme. In order to
gain this accreditation, details of the syllabus are supplied to the RICS, and
then on an annual basis further information is supplied on qualifications of
entrants, destinations of graduates, and so on. There is also an annual
partnership meeting between the RICS and university representatives, with
invited attendees from industry.
The programme, the department itself, and UCL more widely, are subject to
a hierarchy of quality control procedures. These start at the level of the
individual modules, with a consideration of the marks awarded and any
problems encountered, and then work their way up through a consideration
of the programme as a whole, the department, and finally UCL itself being
subject to external review of its quality control apparatus.
Student feedback into these procedures takes several forms, including
questionnaires and round table discussions, but as with any surveying course
the experience of working together on field courses means there are many
opportunities for students to comment on the programme.
26
The Crown and Thistle in Gravesend is the traditional venue for the commencement
of the field course
Separately to all of this process there is a system of external examiners to

ensure that the academic standards of the degree match the national and
international norms. Thus, all exam papers are sent to the external examiner
for review before being signed off, they have access to all student work and
review the marking, and they are present at the final examiners meeting at
which degrees are awarded.
The start of the course in September 2011, with students from the UK, Norway,
Spain, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Ghana, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
27
10 Entry Requirements
The minimum entry requirement for the MSc in Hydrographic Surveying is an
upper second class honours degree in a cognate subject at undergraduate
level (generally a BSc). Entrants should also have an appropriate level of
background mathematical knowledge.
Examples of cognate degrees would include geography, civil engineering,
mathematics, marine sciences, physics, archaeology and geology. The
essential point is that before embarking on the MSc in Hydrographic
Surveying students should already have followed a programme of study that
prepares them for scientific analysis, report writing, the statistical analysis of
data, and so on.
The UCL Registry has extensive knowledge and experience of overseas
institutions and their marking schemes, and is able to provide an assessment
for any applicant of how they compare against UK university standards.
Preparatory reading for entrants
It is an aim of the MSc that students achieve a basic level of competence in
seamanship, and are able to acquit themselves well aboard survey vessels.
No specific prior qualifications are required for this, but all students are
expected to purchase and read the following book before starting on the
course:
RYA Manual of Seamanship (Hardcover) by Tom Cunliffe
Students are expected to have read this before entry onto the course;
however, for those students for whom this is not possible library copies will
be available at UCL.
For the appropriate level of mathematics, the advice given to students is that
a British A Level in mathematics would certainly be sufficient preparation
for the course. However, given that not all applicants are likely to have this,
more specific specifications are available about the level of background
knowledge and the subjects that should be revised before embarking on the
course. Essentially, these advise the students that they are expected to have
a basic familiarity with algebra (manipulation of equations, solution of
simultaneous equations, quadratic equations, etc); geometry (properties of
circles, concepts of angular measure); trigonometry (definitions and
applications of basic functions, expansions of compound angles, application
of sine and cosine rules for plane triangles); calculus (differential calculus
including application to standard functions); matrices (definitions, simple
algebraic functions such as addition, subtraction and multiplication, inversion
of small matrices). Students are advised to prepare themselves for the
programme by studying these subjects as much as possible before arrival; it
28
is then possible to give a fairly rapid summary of these subjects before

immediately proceeding to apply them in practice. An example of a
comprehensive mathematics text book to revise from would be:
Engineering Mathematics (paperback) by Stroud
Other text books are available if the above is not available locally. Another
option would be:
Maths for Map Makers (paperback) by Arthur Allan
Average age of students on this MSc
It is worth pointing out that although the minimum age for enrolling on the
MSc is 21 (this being the effective minimum for a graduate of a British
undergraduate degree) in practice the average age is generally a bit older
than this. Some graduates have come to us either with a few years of
general experience of work for example in the IT industry or have more
specific experience of working in hydrographic surveying and are coming
back to university to gain the Category A accreditation. However, there are
plenty of others who have come straight onto the course without any
previous experience.
11 Assessment
At the programme level, the minimum standards required are:
MSc Pass:
50% weighted course average in ALL taught modules
and
No more than 30 credit points at less than 50% (condoned fail
grades may be granted between 40-49% at Board of Examiners
discretion). No marks below 40% are allowed
and
50% (minimum) in Dissertation
MSc Merit
60% credit-weighted average over ALL modules (including

Dissertation)
and
29
and
No marks below 50%, no condoned fails, no re-sits, and all
marks are based on first attempts.
MSc Distinction:
70% credit-weighted average over ALL modules (including

dissertation)
and
and
No marks below 50%, no condoned fails, no re-sits, and all
marks are based on first attempts
N.B The taught modules have a weight of 120 credit points. The
Dissertation has a weight of 60 credit points.
Individual modules may be assessed either by coursework or by an unseen
written examination or by a combination of the two.
A summary of the method of assessment of each module, together with
details of the nature of the examination (where assessed by a written exam)
or of how many pieces of coursework need to be submitted and what their
credit value is (where assessed by coursework) is given in the table below.
Module Title
First Term
GIS Principles &
Technology
Mapping Science
Credit value
Assessment
15
100% Coursework
15
100% Exam
Data Analysis
15
100% Coursework
Principles & Practice of

Surveying
15
50% Exam and 50%

Coursework
Second Term
Ocean and Coastal Zone
Management
15
Management/Group
Project
15
Hydrographic Applications
15
Positioning
15
60% Exam and 40%

Coursework
50% Exam and 50%
Coursework
60% Exam and 40%
Coursework
50% Exam and 50%
Coursework
30
12 Examples of individual MSc projects

Some examples of MSc projects that have been carried out by students on
the MSc in Hydrographic Surveying are given below. Where a project
illustrates a particular point about the range of subjects studied or had other
features of particular interest, more details are given.
Andrew PalmerFelgate, UK
A risk analysis of submarine cable burial operation.

Analysed instances where plough failure had occurred in
different types of terrain, and compared with the errors
involved in the acquisition, processing and presentation.
Work sponsored by Alcatel Submarine Networks Ltd; led
to a publication in Hydro International.
Lam Lik Shan,

Hong Kong
Combination of Photogrammetric and Bathymetric

techniques in monitoring of marine rubble-mound
structures.
Led to a publication in Hydro International.
Thomas Lowe, UK
Assessing the potential of LIDAR / Bathymetry

integration within the Thames Estuary.
Thai Low YingHuang, Singapore
Dynamic Tide: Real-Time tidal corrections in electronic

navigational charts for the Port of London.
Cheminade JeanPhilippe, UK
The Applications of Synthetic Aperture Sonar to the

Hydrographic Surveying Industry.
Richard Day, UK
Modelling multipath errors in wideband

underwater acoustic transponders.
Work carried out in collaboration with Sonardyne Ltd.
Andrew Lessnoff,
UK
Elizabeth Petrie,
UK
Calibration of Altimetry Satellite Measurements.
Ben Thompson,
UK
Analysis of Multibeam Echosounder Backscatter Data for

Seabed Classification.
Marie Ceccaldi,
Autonomous Underwater Gliders.
Vertical offshore datums.

An early study of the requirements for deriving a vertical
offshore reference frame that then contributed to the
formulation of the VORF project.
31
France
Malik Chibah, UK
Derivation of equations for positioning of buoyancy

propelled gliders through Extended Kalman Filtering.
Creating a Global Database of Submarine Landslides for
Hazard Prediction.
Project carried out in collaboration with Arup Consulting
Engineers.
Laurence Letki,
France.
Harmonic Analysis of Satellite Altimetry Data.
Siddhi Joshi, UK
Research into the Use of Multibeam Backscatter for

Accurate Riverbed Classification.
This student was sponsored by the Marine Aggregate
Levy Sustainability Fund (MALSF) bursary scheme, and
this project was carried out in collaboration with the
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Science (CEFAS) and with the Port of London Authority.
Christopher Bubb,
UK
Characteristics and impacts of new GNSS signals.
Richard Clarke,
UK
Darren Murphy
Mean Sea Level Studies in the Persian Gulf.

Vessel headings derived from GPS.
Project carried out in collaboration with Sonardyne.
Mohamed
Abdelghafar
A comparison of beam distribution patterns performance

in high resolution multibeam echosounders.
Project carried out in collaboration with Reson Ltd and
the PLA.
Steinar Aasheim
Sounding selection algorithms.

Project carried out in collaboration with the UK
Hydrographic Office.
Stuart Leakey
Investigation of performance and benefits of a Doppler

velocity log aided inertial positioning solution for
hydrographic surveying in the port environment.
Project carried out in collaboration with IXBlue, PLA and
Teledyne RD Instruments.
32
13 Careers and Student Profiles

The range and quality of the career options that have opened up before our
graduates from national hydrographic organisations to offshore survey
companies, from port authorities to PhD programmes are an excellent
advert for the quality in depth of this masters programme.
There are exceptionally good career prospects for graduates of
the Hydrographic Surveying programme, and all students have so far found
relevant and well paid jobs even in the recent economic downturn. Many of
our graduates go on to work for offshore surveying companies - recent
examples have included Fugro, Gardline, Schlumberger, Horizon and Stolt
Offshore. This usually involves extended time aboard survey vessels, which is
well paid work and generally ideal for the young and free. Others have
preferred shore based jobs, or those that offer more of a mixture of time in
the office and aboard survey vessels - examples of these have included
GEMS Survey and Netsurvey, or port authorities such as the Port of London
or Singapore and Hong Kong (who have sent their personnel on the MSc
programme). Others have gone to work for equipment manufacturers such
as Sonardyne or cable companies such as Alcatel (even jobs like these often
involve short periods at sea or aboard exploration rigs) or for national
hydrographic offices such as the UKHO or its counterpart overseas. Some
of our graduates are now pursuing research careers.
The very varied career paths that our students have followed since
graduating from the course are illustrated below with some sample student
profiles. [NB: most of these are as written in 2009].
Elizabeth Petrie (2004 2005)
Research
I took the MSc in Hydrographic Surveying at UCL in 20042005. In the following year I did some contract hydrographic
surveying work (including 2 months as a temporary marine
geophysics technician with the British Antarctic Survey, which
was a fantastic experience). After that I started a PhD in
satellite geodesy at Newcastle University, which I am about
to finish. I did the MSc to change career direction and think it
was very successful, providing me with an excellent
foundation in the discipline and combining both theoretical
and practical aspects.
Malik Chibah (2006 2007)
Manufacturing
I studied at UCL from 2006 to 2007 taking the Hydrographic Surveying

masters degree course. Immediately following the course I joined
Sonardyne International, a producer of underwater acoustic positioning
33
systems. I have been involved in testing new systems, supporting customers

and demonstrating new products. My role has regularly taken me offshore to
various destinations worldwide. I am now managing the development of the
companys inertial navigation system for subsea positioning applications. I
found the course to be ideal preparation for my current career; particularly in
the mix of subjects covered and the close links with external organisations
such as the Port of London, which allowed us to gain Hydrographic survey
experience in a realistic environment during the course. The links also led
directly to me finding employment with Sonardyne at the end of the course.
Marie Ceccaldi (2005 2006)
Offshore
I did my MSc in Hydrographic Surveying at

UCL in 2005-2006. After graduation I found
a job as a navigation support in CGG which
is a French seismic company based in
Massy, France; after few months I found
out that I would rather get an offshore
position instead of an office job, so I joined
Fugro Geoteam, another seismic company
based in Oslo, Norway, as a navigator, and
Ive been there now for 2 years. The job
consists of 5 weeks rotations (5 on, 5 off).
It offers a very comfortable salary with some opportunities for advancement.
The MSc in Hydrographic Surveying is one of the best courses you could do if
you wished to be hired as a navigator on a seismic vessel; even though they
could hire electronics and IT engineers, its always a bonus for them to get
someone who has knowledge of surveying.
Andy Palmer-Felgate (2000 2001)
Cable laying
After studying the MSc Hydrographic Surveying at UCL

from 2000-2001 I returned to work for Alcatel
Submarine Networks who had sponsored me through
the course. I worked on surveys for underwater
telecommunications cables in the Mediterranean and
Atlantic and was also involved in developing their GIS.
Following the 'dot com crash' work dried up in
telecoms, and I was offered an 18 month research post
at Imperial College. This involved planning and
executing a small boat survey off the south coast of the
UK to investigate morphology of the seabed in areas
that once were land prior to sea-level rise. The research was so successful
myself and three others had a paper published in the journal Nature entitled
34
'Catastrophic flooding origin of shelf

Channel' and a feature on the BBC news.
valley
systems
in
the
English
I returned to Alcatel in 2004 to work on a cable project from France to

Singapore and subsequently a scientific observatory network in the Pacific
called NEPTUNE.
At the end of 2006 I was offered a new job at Verizon, the largest carrier of
phone and internet traffic in the US. For the last 3 years I've been CoChairman of the marine technical committee responsible for delivering the
Trans-Pacific Express Cable on behalf of a consortium of nine Asian and US
telecoms companies. The $500M project to cross from America to China,
Taiwan, Korea and Japan was a big challenge but has now been completed.
In addition to surveying this work included permitting, legal disputes, cable
installation and protection, project management and contract negotiations.
All my current work relies on having a quality survey as the starting point for
all that follows, so the skills gained on the MSc course have put me in very
good stead.
Siddhi Joshi (2007 2008)
Research
I studied the course in 2007-2008 and am now one

year into a PhD at the National University of
Ireland, Galway. Coming from a marine science
background, I am presently studying multibeam and
LiDAR data from the INFOMAR programme to
understand the sediment transport processes in
Galway Bay. The MSc course gave me a solid
grounding of the technical skills required in
geomatics, both in industry and in academia. Since
graduating, I have found this qualification and the
skills provided are greatly valued by employers in
surveying, as well as by those involved in research
in
seabed
mappingrelated
disciplines.
Highlights from the course I especially remember include producing our own
nautical charts, working with the PLA during the field course, ocean remote
sensing , learning how to apply least squares estimation to solve real-world
land surveying problems and GPS positioning. Benefiting from strong links
with industry, our course also provided practical training in areas such as
project management as required in industry. My MSc project during the third
term allowed me to further expand on seabed characterisation using
multibeam backscatter, working jointly with the PLA, Cefas and MALSF. This
course is one of the few courses in Europe which combines the diverse
subject of geomatic engineering with a special emphasis on its hydrographic
applications.
35
Christopher Bubb (2008 2009)
Offshore
I studied at UCL between 2008 and 2009

and started working for Gardline, the worlds
largest independent surveying company as
soon as my Hydrographic Surveying MSc was
completed. My job title is Offshore
Surveyor where I am expected to work on
boats around the world for periods of up to
two months at a time. I am finding the work
stimulating
and
diverse
and
the
Hydrographic Surveying Masters from UCL
gave me an excellent grounding in the required surveying discipline and was
well regarded by employers and work colleagues.
JP Cheminade (2003 2004)
Offshore and Ports
I completed an MSc in Hydrographic Surveying

at University College London in 2004,
following a BSc in Marine Biology at the
University of Liverpool which I completed in
2001.
Upon completion of a thesis project entitled
"The Applications of Synthetic Aperture Sonar
to the Hydrographic Surveying Industry" I
began work as an offshore surveyor in the
Middle East for Horizon Survey FZC in October
2004. This job involved predominantly Rig
Moves, Geophysical Site Surveys, Pipeline Route Surveys (Prelay/Lay/PostLay) and Hazard Surveys for the oil and gas industry in Qatar, UAE, Bahrain,
Oman & Iran.
In late 2005 I moved on to hold a position as Hydrographic Surveyor at the
Port of London Authority in the UK. This post involved the production of
hydrographic charts for navigation in the River Thames estuary on a field-tofinish basis. This involved the planning, execution and processing of survey
data, and subsequent publication of IHO standard bathymetric surveys for
navigation.
In October 2007 I moved over to join NetSurvey Ltd, a specialist company
offering advanced hydrographic survey services using multibeam technology.
From SOLAS charting surveys to marine habitat survey, port surveys
including quay wall inspection to multibeam specialist services for pipeline
and site surveys, NetSurvey provide the highest quality and most
36
technologically advanced solutions. Our multibeam specialist personnel are

the best in the business and can install, calibrate, acquire and process data
from any portable multibeam system. Products for the client range from fully
interactive 3D visualisation scenes to traditional sounding and contour charts
or alignment sheets. Recent advances have included advanced backscatter
processing and Out-of-straightness pipeline visualisation. [Since writing this
JP has moved on to work for Sydney Ports Corporation].
Donald Chan (2005 2006)
Port Authority
I qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1996 and was

sponsored by my employer (the Hong Kong Government)
to study the MSc in Hydrographic Surveying at UCL in
2005-2006 as a specialised training. After completion of
the course I've been serving as a government surveyor
responsible for provision of hydrographic surveying
services for fairway dredging works and construction and
maintenance of marine structures in Hong Kong.
I find the course useful as it has provided me with the
necessary knowledge and qualifications to discharge my
duties effectively. The course content was comprehensive and was well
presented by some experienced and competent teaching staff in a structural
way. In particular, the topics on the theory and technique of echo sounding
survey, GNSS positioning and IHO Standard have proved to be very useful
for my work regarding implementation and management of survey systems,
drafting of contract specifications and quality control of survey products.
Laurence Letki (2006 2007)
National Hydrographic Office
I studied at UCL in 2006-2007 and after that I worked for the French
National Hydrographic Office. I spent most of my time onboard doing various
hydrographic and geophysical surveys, both in shallow water and in deep
water, around France as well as abroad. Since March
2009, I have been working for WesternGeco, in the
seismic processing department, at Gatwick. The job
is completely different and the extent of the
technical knowledge to acquire is challenging. I also
work in contact with the clients. Next year, I will be
transferred
to
the Research
& Engineering
department.
The beginning of my career is thus varied, technical,
challenging and promising. I am convinced I will
never get bored! Studying at UCL was a key in the
37
success of the beginning of my career, as it enables me to adapt to

completely different positions and to acquire specific technical knowledge
very quickly using the strong basis learned during the MSc.
Thomas Lowe (2001 2002)
National Hydrographic Office
I took a job as an offshore surveyor with Norwegian

company Stolt Offshore (now Acergy). Within this
role I worked in a number of countries (Norway,
Egypt) on a number of platforms (survey ships,
pipelay ships and barges, oil rigs). My main role was
as an online surveyor and involved, for example,
positioning work, multi-beam survey and dive
support. I then moved to the UK Hydrographic Office
as a data manager. At the UKHO my theoretical and
practical experience in geodesy became invaluable (I
have only one person to thank for that...UCL and
JCI!) and put me in a good position to progress. I was promoted quickly (for
the civil service and my age!) and became a key member of Hydrographic
Database (HDB) development team, with a mixture of technical, testing and
project management responsibilities. Here I worked with commercial
contractors (EDS, CARIS & LSC Group) to develop a geospatial database and
workflow management system to manage and create paper and electronic
chart products: basically a replacement to the UKHOs chart production
systems. Understanding of geodesy has been absolutely vital for me in my
job, and given me the stand-out competency to progress.
Now I've moved to the family firm (UK Solutions Ltd) as a Director,
delivering premium datacentre space and network solutions.
Richard Day (2004 2005)
Offshore
I studied at UCL in 2004-2005. Since then I have worked in the offshore

positioning sector, and I am currently a navigator on a seismic streamer
boat. The Port of London Authority surveyors gave us a good overview of
careers in this area, and I didn't know about my present role before the
course. The job is a tremendous challenge, and what I like about it the most
is the five week crew rotation - more time off than most people get in a year!
38
Alex Ewart (2010 2011)
Offshore
I came from a background in structural engineering,

having a BEng from Durham. Although I had a
successful few years as an engineer, I wasnt
particularly happy about basing a career in that field,
so I always kept an eye out for a Masters program
that would tick enough boxes for enjoyment and
usefulness. The geomatics courses at UCL caught my
attention, and although I was wary about the prospect
of life offshore it sounded adventurous and exciting (it
is) and I was quickly swayed. The course has very
good exposure to people like the Port of London
Authority and industry-leading companies, and there
are plenty of good opportunities to ask them all about life offshore and to get
help for your studies. I have now become employed as a hydrographic
surveyor at Netsurvey, a highly-specialist company, and work seems to be
how I hoped. The course is certainly more highly regarded than others, and it
was pleasing to feel I had a variety of options open to me when it came to
jobs. For those who take the course, Id recommend starting the job
hunt/research early on, not just to make sure you know what youre getting
yourselves in for (its not for everyone), but to allow you to shop around and
find the best jobs first! [Since writing this Alex has moved on to be a
maritime project officer with Headland Archaeology].
Andrew Price (2011 2012)
Offshore & NZ Hydrographic Office
In
2011-2012
I
undertook
the
Hydrographic Surveying Masters course at
UCL. In the following six months I worked
Offshore
in
the
Norwegian
Sector,
undertaking
R.O.V
based
Pipeline
Inspection work for DeepOcean. Working
offshore offers a lot of benefits; the pay is
very good, and you have a lot of
opportunities to travel. The Industry is
quite fluid at the moment, and In March
2013 I emigrated, and began working for the New Zealand Hydrographic
Authority. The main focus here is ensuring that the Nautical Charts are up to
date and correct. Its a very varied job, where the focus of the work is
administering the Hydrographic Survey Program. This includes Site visits
around New Zealand where projects are planned or are underway, and
validating and analyzing the consequent survey data before it enters a
Bathymetric database, from which Charts can be created or updated. We also
administer the Notice to Mariners, Navigational Area warnings and the
Nautical Almanac which keep on top of changes within the areas that the
Nautical Charts cover.
39
The MSc is both a challenging and rewarding way to spend a year, the
rigorous emphasis on Geodesy sets you up well for a career in the
Hydrographic Survey Industry; A Cat. A from UCL is a well respected
qualification, and a useful head start.
14 Final Remarks
The UCL and PLA MSc programme has been running almost 14 years. In that
time we have built a reputation for producing graduates who are capable and
competent, with a sound grasp of the principles and practice of hydrographic
surveying. You will find UCL surveyors around the world, working aboard
survey vessels, in ports and harbours, or aboard oil rigs; you will come
across our graduates in research laboratories, working for equipment
manufacturers, or producing charts in national survey offices. Its a big,
global, and dynamic industry, and our course is respected by employers
around the world.
We have tried in this brochure to give as much information as is feasible
about the scope of the course, its particular strengths, the staff who
contribute, and the facilities available. If you do need to know more, then
have a look at our web site or do feel free to contact us.
Otherwise, if you are thinking of applying to do the course, or if you have
employees that you are planning to send here for further training, or if you
are looking for well trained graduates to join your organisation then we
look forward to hearing from you.
40

UCL/PLA MSc in Hydrographic Surveying

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