Completion of the top-hydrographic survey in Guinea Bissau

A team from the hydrographic brigade (BH) of the Hydrographic Institute completed fieldwork in Guinea Bissau in a campaign that took place in October 2017. These works, which are part of the Open Sea Initiative, had as objectives the verification of the bathymetric evolution of the bottom, as well as the collection of data for cartographic updating of the Port of Bissau, thus contributing, in a significant way, to the navigation safety in that region . The first part of this work had several tasks:     Coordination of 13 points to support nautical cartography;     Assembly of a tide gauge to support the hydrographic survey, and to determine the harmonic constants that will allow tide predictions more accurate (for this second function the tide gauge will have to remain in Bissau for a period exceeding 6 months);     Assembly of a reference station to send GNSS corrections to the survey vessel;     Completion of a geometric leveling with more than 2500 meters, from the leveling mark placed on the pedestal to Diogo Gomes, passing through the leveling mark where the tide gauge was installed and continuing to the Sé de Bissau Church, where a new leveling mark was placed ;     Topographic survey of all port structures in the Port of Bissau, as well as the Fishing Quays and DICOL in the southwestern part of Bissau. Once ground work was completed, the Bissau Port Basin was surveyed. In 10 days, with almost 90 hours of navigation, a total of 424 courses were completed, covering an area of ​​about 12 km2. Near the end of the work, a presentation was made on the same at the Portuguese Cultural Center (CCP), located near the Portuguese Embassy in Bissau, which was attended by representatives of the various local entities that supported this top-hydrographic survey, such as the Guinea- Bissau Ports Administration (APGB), the Guinea-Bissau Navy and the Maritime-Port Institute (IMP). This support included the provision of two elements, the Commanders Alberto Tipote (APGB) and Nando Mboto (Navy), who accompanied daily the field work with great interest.