World Hydrographic Day 2023 - "Hydrography - Underpinning the Digital Twin of the Ocean"

World Hydrographic Day, celebrated on June 21st, is an international day to recognize the contribution of Hydrography to society as a whole, as it forms the basis of navigation safety and knowledge of the ocean, enabling its more sustainable use. Currently, the importance of hydrography is increasingly significant in the development of the so-called blue economy.

This year, the International Hydrographic Organization has chosen the relationship between hydrographic information and Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTO) as the theme for World Hydrographic Day (WHD). It is an opportunity to promote discussion on the potential of hydrography in supporting the development of DTOs.

A digital twin is a digital representation of a real-world object or process. A connection is established between the real object and its digital twin through sensorization of the real object, which feeds real-time data into the digital model, processed with the help of analytics techniques (Artificial Intelligence, High-Performance Computing, etc.). This continuous flow of data allows monitoring and storing the real object's life cycle in the digital model. Digital twins exhibit the expected characteristics and behaviors of the modeled object, enabling the mimicking of its response in simulated environments and, thus, facilitating studies based on scenarios, where analysis can identify potential solutions and determine the most favorable ones. The knowledge gained from the interaction between the real and digital objects is then used for better management of the real object. DTOs have enormous potential for studying ocean response scenarios under different changes in their state (e.g., ocean temperature increase). They are knowledge-sharing tools that help build a common understanding of the issues affecting the ocean and enhance cooperation among citizens, researchers, and policymakers.

The chosen theme for WHD aims to highlight the relationship between hydrography and other ocean sciences, emphasizing the fundamental role hydrography plays in the development of DTOs.