The Australasian Hydrographic Society is the South West Pacific and South East Asian regional focus for those interested in h ... ydrography and related sciences. The recent and extraordinary progress in oceanology means that the maritime industry and undersea exploration will be to this century, that which aviation and aerospace exploration was to the last. In our region in particular, hydrographic and related information increasingly facilitates the generation, sustainment and transportation of resources. Better hydrographic and geophysical information now allows the responsible development of offshore projects that might have been considered financially untenable a matter of years ago. More accurate information will continue to allow the shipment of resources with greater effectiveness, speed and safety. Of perhaps greater significance is that the quality and quantity of data coming from hydrography and related sciences now allows undersea cabling and pipelines that are more direct, geophysically prudent and environmentally responsible. Similarly, in the recent past there has been an examination of the security of regional interests, both in the private and public domains. There has been a growing acknowledgment amongst maritime services, such as police, customs and regional navies, that accurate hydrographic data in the littoral environment is fundamental to providing security, protection and humanitarian support. In this challenging time it is apparent that hydrography and the associated skills that identify and ensure safe passage of shipping, irrespective of flag, are seen as bridging gaps in regional understanding, where few other lines of communication may exist. This is due to hydrography and the like being increasingly acknowledged as egalitarian in purpose and therefore humanitarian in the broadest sense. This is not new, but the extent of acknowledgement is. read more