The Hydrographic Society UK & Ireland is delighted to announce that Faye Chatzopoulou has been selected as a Runner-Up for the Alan Ingham Award, in recognition of her research and contribution to the field of hydrography.

Faye recently completed an MSc in Hydrography at the University of Plymouth, following a BSc (Hons) in Marine Biology and Oceanography, for which she achieved a First Class mark for her dissertation. Originally from Greece and a keen sailor, the sea has played an important role throughout her life, inspiring her interest in the marine environment and leading her to pursue studies and research focused on exploring, mapping and navigating the ocean.

Her paper, “Enhancing Arctic Hydrography: Integrating Community-Assisted and Scientist-Led Data for Improved Mapping in the Coppermine River, Nunavut, Arctic Canada,” explored the potential of combining community-collected hydrographic data with professional survey methods in remote and poorly surveyed Arctic environments.

The research was a self-directed project supported by the Université du Québec à Rimouski and the Canadian Hydrographic Service, which provided data and guidance. Faye’s work compared Inuit community-collected “HydroBall” single-beam data with data from a professional multibeam survey conducted near Kugluktuk, Nunavut.

The study assessed how effectively the community-collected data could reproduce the river’s main morphology and examined the influence of sound-speed assumptions on agreement between the two datasets. Its findings highlighted the potential value of community hydrography in supporting improved mapping in remote, dynamic and challenging Arctic environments.

Looking to the future, Faye hopes to combine her background in marine science with her expertise in hydrography to contribute to safer navigation and explore new approaches to ocean mapping through marine autonomy and emerging technologies.

The Society congratulates Faye on this well-deserved recognition and wishes her every success as she continues her career in hydrography.

 

THS:UKI also congratulates Mildred Haelg of the University of Plymouth, who has been named a runner-up in this year’s competition.

Mildred recently completed her undergraduate degree in Ocean Exploration and Surveying. Before beginning her studies, she completed a Surveying apprenticeship and worked as a land surveyor. Her paper is titled “Ice from Kangerdlugssuaq: Using Landsat 8 and 9 satellite imagery from 2016–2025 to analyse the dynamics of icebergs in the Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord, southeast Greenland”.

As Mildred explains:

“I have always had a passion for the seas and the exploration of these deep blue waters. Seeking a new challenge, I combined my interest in surveying with the ocean, which brought me to Plymouth.”

Her journey from land surveying into ocean exploration reflects the diverse routes into the hydrographic profession and the value of combining established surveying expertise with marine and oceanographic skills.

Congratulations to both runners-up, and thank you for entering the Alan Ingham Award!

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