THS:UKI Alan Ingham Award 2025 Winner

Each year, The Hydrographic Society UK & Ireland runs the Alan Ingham Award. This award recognises and rewards the very best research, innovation and application demonstrated by students and recent graduates on relevant BSc, MSc and PhD programmes at universities in the UK and Ireland.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱

Merte P. submitted his paper titled ‘𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗮 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗣𝗣-𝗚𝗡𝗦𝗦 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀’.
The research aims to create a method for determining a vertical separation model in data-sparse environments using already existing survey data. With this research, Merte wants to raise awareness for the vulnerability of these island states for sea level rise and meteorological events such as hurricanes. Accurate vertical datums can contribute significantly to coastal development in order to make these islands more resilient.

Merte is currently working as commanding officer of the Royal Netherlands Navy survey vessel HNLMS Snellius. He has been working as a navigator and hydrographic surveyor for the RNLN and Boskalis Westminster, specialising in Geo Informatics, UXO clearance, dredging and Subsea Rock installation.
Merte has achieved his IHO CAT-A and B certification and BSc at FOST HM and Plymouth University.
In 2024 Merte started his MSc research project at MLA college in partnership with Plymouth University, which was completed in March 2025.

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Merte will be THS:UKI’s 2025 nominee for the International Federation of Hydrographic Societies (IFHS) Student Award and will be presenting their paper at HYDRO 2025, where we will present the Alan Ingham Award! 🌊

Keep an eye out for Merte’s paper featuring in our next 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 edition 📰

More info on the award, here: Alan Ingham Award – The Hydrographic Society