The 2023 hydrographic campaign of coastal hydrographic vessels is currently underway Arethusa, Galatea e Magnaghi.
Class units Nymphs, ship Galatea of the ship Arethusa, are in activity respectively in the Tyrrhenian Sea and in the Adriatic Sea, the first since 8 May is carrying out surveys on the Island of Montecristo and will subsequently move to the waters of the Egadi Islands. The second, on the other hand, is engaged in the waters in front of the Ancona coast to complete some surveys on the seabed and on the water column off Fano: an activity that falls within the collaboration agreements of the Navy with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security for the protection of the marine environment. Afterwards the unit will head towards the Island of Pianosa to update the nautical charts of the waters around the island.
At the work of the ships Arethusa e Galatea the one carried out by ship is also added Leonardo, until last June 2 engaged in the Tuscan archipelago for activities of the Hydrographic Institute.
Ship Magnaghi, which departed on May 18 from the Naval base of La Spezia, was first engaged near Golfo Aranci, and subsequently in the Calabrian Ionian waters, to complete the activity already begun during the 2022 campaign.
The activities that the units are carrying out during the campaign have been requested by the Hydrographic Institute of the Navy on the basis of the need to update the nautical documentation and planned by the hydrographic vessels squadron under the supervision of CINCNAV to ensure synergy with the broader scheme of maneuver of the naval squadron.
The strong link between the Institute and the units of the Squadron is also strengthened by the hydrographic training courses carried out before the units' departure, during which the specialist staff of the Hydrographic Institute of the Navy supports the crews on board for the test phases of the equipment valley of maintenance carried out in the winter period and discuss the continuous technological evolution that involves the sector.
The hydrographic units, unique by type in the fleet of the Italian Navy, deal with the collection of data concerning the seabed, the study of the chemical-physical parameters of the water column and the sampling of the seabed for updating the cartography and nautical publications essential for the safety of navigation.