Crowd Sourcing of Depth Sounding

About

Expedition cruise vessels contribute by collecting depth soundings during their voyages through the Arctic. The collected data is shared with operators and authorities to supplement official nautical charts, improving navigation safety in remote regions.

In addition, AECO plays a vital role as both a driving force and industry contact point in the development of official charts and pilotage services for Svalbard. As an observer to the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), AECO actively engages with relevant authorities to convey the needs and preferences of operators navigating Arctic waters.

Members of AECO are required to share their position and trajectory when sailing in the Arctic, using a vessel tracker. AECO’s Cruise Database and Scheduler provide members with access to a fleet map, offering real-time information about the location of other vessels. This tool is invaluable for both voyage planning and safety risk assessments.

AECO also maintains the Cruise Database and Live Scheduler with both updated and historical data on vessel technical specifications, cruise itineraries, completed voyages, and post-visit reports. This allows members to coordinate their sailing plans effectively. The database is also used to generate statistics that are valuable for stakeholders such as the industry, policymakers, and search-and-rescue (SAR) entities.

As the primary representative of the Arctic expedition cruise industry, AECO works closely with national authorities to advocate for the industry’s needs. These include the availability of accurate nautical charts, ice charts, and pilotage services, as well as pilot certification. AECO has been instrumental in expanding pilotage services to new areas in Svalbard and ensuring the availability of real-time ice information and ice-metocean outlooks provided by meteorological institutions.