PRESS RELEASE

World Hydrography Day, 2023 June 21

1. The 21st of June, has been designated by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly as "World Hydrography Day" in order to raise public awareness to Hydrography and its role to improve the knowledge of the seas and the oceans, but also to urge states to cooperate in promoting safe navigation and protection of the marine environment.

2. This year’s main theme has been set by IHO "Hydrography: Underpinning the Digital Twin of the Ocean". The Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO) aims to develop a reliable, high-resolution, multidimensional and near-real-time virtual representation of the oceans that will contribute to their better understanding. Furthermore, the purpose of DTO is to make ocean data freely available to citizens, scientists and policy makers around the world by creating a platform for global collaboration. The theme for the World Hydrography Day was chosen to highlight the key role of Hydrography in the development of the DTO model.