The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has began a survey in the waters of the Kingdom of Tonga as part of the Commonwealth Marine Economies Programme.
The company will use multibeam sonar equipment to map key areas of the seabed in the approaches to the harbour of the capital, Nuku’alofa, on the main island of Tongatapu.
This information will be used to update nautical charts and publications, help Tonga meet its international maritime obligations, including the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention and elements of the Implementation of the IMO Instruments Code (IIIC), and assist in infrastructure planning and development.
The survey will capture high-resolution bathymetric information and, as part of the survey, tidal observations will also be taken.
This work forms part of the CME Programme, a programme delivered on behalf of the UK Government by the UKHO, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the National Oceanography Centre (NOC).