Profession hydrographic surveying technician

Hydrographic surveying technicians perform oceanographic and surveying operations in marine environments. They assist hydrographic surveyors, using specialised equipment to map and study underwater topography and morphology of bodies of water. They assist in the installation and deployment of hydrographic and surveying equipment and report about their work.

Personality Type

• Investigative / Realistic
• Realistic / Investigative

Knowledge

• Geomatics

  The scientific discipline that studies gathering, storing, and processing geographic information.

• Geodesy

  The scientific discipline that combines applied mathematics and earth sciences in order to measure and represent the Earth. It studies phenomena such as gravitational fields, polar motion, and tides.

• Surveying

  The technique of determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them.

• Mathematics

  Mathematics is the study of topics such as quantity, structure, space, and change. It involves the identification of patterns and formulating new conjectures based on them. Mathematicians strive to prove the truth or falsity of these conjectures. There are many fields of mathematics, some of which are widely used for practical applications.

• Topography

  Graphic representation of the surface features of a place or region on a map indicating their relative positions and elevations.

• Morphology

  The field of study dealing with the general structure of organisms and their features, including size and shape.

• Surveying methods

  Have an understanding of surveying methods, remote sensing methods and equipment.

• Hydrography

  The scientific discipline that studies and measures the physical features of bodies of water such as oceans, lakes and rivers. It studies the current situation for navigational purposes and predicts change over time.

• Cartography

  The study of interpreting the elements depicted in maps, the measures and technical specifications. 

• Bathymetry

  The scientific discipline that studies underwater topography.

• Survey techniques

  Techniques on how to identify a target audience, choose the right survey method and analyse the data.

Skills

• Operate surveying instruments

  Operate and adjust measuring instruments such as theodolites and prisms, and other electronic distance-measuring tools.

• Collect mapping data

  Collect and conserve mapping resources and mapping data.

• Document survey operations

  Complete and file all required administrative, operational and technical documents related to a survey operation.

• Write work-related reports

  Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.

• Perform surveying calculations

  Perform calculations and gather technical data in order to determine earth curvature corrections, traverse adjustments and closures, level runs, azimuths, marker placements, etc.

• Conduct underwater surveys

  Conduct subaquatic surveys to measure and map the underwater topography and morphology of bodies of water in order to aid the planning of aquaculture projects, the construction of marine constructions, and the exploration of natural resources.

• Prepare surveying report

  Write a survey report containing information on property boundaries, the height and depth of the terrain, etc..

• Assist hydrographic surveys

  Assist in the installation and deployment of hydrographic surveying equipment.

• Adjust surveying equipment

  Ensure accuracy of measurement by adjusting surveying equipment.

• Record survey measurements

  Gather and process descriptive data by using documents such as sketches, drawings and notes.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB