Survey operations
A research or survey vessel is mapping the seabed or water column, often while towing equipment.
Hydrographic, geophysical and scientific survey vessels run long straight lines back and forth across an area, often towing sonar, magnetometers or sampling gear. Warnings give the area, the period and the vessel's name and radio call sign, and ask ships to keep clear of the vessel and anything it tows.
Survey warnings dominate some seas in summer, when polar and high-latitude research cruises run. The "R/V" before a ship's name marks a research vessel.
What the archive shows
6,614 messages in this archive use “Survey operations”, the earliest issued 1993-07-03 and the latest 2026-09-23. 21 of them are in force in the latest lists we collected. A hazard reported again and again counts once per message.
The largest yearly count is 2017, with 770 messages. Collection is incomplete between 2024-05 and 2026-08-17, so 2024, 2025 and 2026 are not comparable with fully collected years.
Surveys accounts for 6,522 of 6,614 recorded messages (99%), the largest warning type group in this selection.
Located messages that use it fall in 72 sea areas; the most frequent are South Atlantic Ocean (1,295), Arabian Sea (615) and North Atlantic Ocean (587).
Its use is spread fairly evenly through the year: the busiest month, October, has 614 messages and the quietest, December, 480.
By warning series: HYDROLANT 3,257, HYDROPAC 2,572, NAVAREA IV 568 and HYDROARC 176, and 6 more.
Messages using it, by year of issue
By month of issue, all years
Where it appears · 72 sea areas
In force now · 21
- HYDROPAC 2694/26 · Surveys · Persian Gulf2026-09-17 · in force
PERSIAN GULF. QATAR. SURVEY OPERATIONS 18 SEP UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE BY M/V FUGRO RESILIENCE IN AREA BOUND BY 26-33.31N…
Survey operations 18 sep until further notice by M/V fugro resilience in area bound by 26-33.31N 051-04.86E,… → - HYDROARC 191/26 · Surveys · Norwegian Sea2026-08-28 · in force
NORWEGIAN SEA. 1. SURVEY OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE BY M/V AMAZON CONQUEROR TOWING 12 10000 METER LONG…
Survey operations in progress until further notice by M/V amazon conqueror towing 12 10000 meter long cables… → - NAVAREA 7 246/26 · Cable ops · South Atlantic Ocean2026-08-24 · in force
…- OFFSHORE ORANGE RIVER MOUTH 2. CHART SAN 1 3. M/V RAMFORM VICTORY CONDUCTING SEISMIC SURVEY OPERATIONS TOWING 12 SEISMIC CABLES WITH LENGTH 2.6 NM IN AREAS BOUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING…
NAVAREA VII 246 of 2026 (24 aug 26) 1. south atlantic ocean - ne sector - offshore orange river mouth 2.… → - NAVAREA IV 831/26 · Surveys · North Atlantic Ocean2026-08-13 · in force
NORTH ATLANTIC. GUYANA. 1. SURVEY OPERATIONS 01 SEP THRU 20 NOV 26 BY M/V HOS RIDGEWIND IN AREA BOUND BY 07-44.74N 056-13.99W,…
Survey operations 01 sep thru 20 nov 26 by M/V hos ridgewind in area bound by 07-44.74N 056-13.99W,… → - HYDROPAC 2280/26 · Surveys · Persian Gulf2026-08-09 · in force
PERSIAN GULF. KUWAIT. SURVEY OPERATIONS 10 AUG UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE BY M/V VISION 2 IN: A. 29-03.09N 048-10.06E. B. 29-03.12N…
Survey operations 10 aug until further notice by M/V vision 2 in: a. 29-03.09N 048-10.06E → - HYDROPAC 2249/26 · Surveys · South China Sea2026-08-06 · in force
GULF OF THAILAND. SOUTH CHINA SEA. MALAYSIA. 1. SURVEY OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS UNTIL 31 DEC BY M/V PXGEO 2 TOWING EIGHT FIVE MILE LONG CABLES IN AREA BOUND…
Survey operations in progress until 31 dec by M/V pxgeo 2 towing eight five mile long cables in area bound… →
How it reads in recent messages
- HYDROPAC 2752/26 · Surveys · Mozambique Channel2026-09-23
MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL. MAYOTTE. 1. SURVEY OPERATIONS 24 SEP THRU 04 OCT BY M/V MARION DUFRESNE IN AREA BOUND BY 12-30.00S 045-17.00E,…
Survey operations 24 sep thru 04 oct by M/V marion dufresne in area bound by 12-30.00S 045-17.00E, 13-18.00S… → - HYDROPAC 2743/26 · Surveys · Arabian Sea2026-09-22
ARABIAN SEA. INDIA. 1. SURVEY OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS BY KOHINOOR 1 UNTIL 12 OCT, AND M/V FUGRO MAPPER UNTIL 15 OCT IN AREAS…
Survey operations in progress by kohinoor 1 until 12 oct, and M/V fugro mapper until 15 oct in areas bounded… → - HYDROLANT 1875/26 · Surveys · North Atlantic Ocean2026-09-22
NORTH ATLANTIC. BRAZIL. 1. SURVEY OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS UNTIL 03 OCT BY M/V AMAZON WARRIOR, M/V VENTURE G AND M/V BIG JOHN VII…
Survey operations in progress until 03 oct by M/V amazon warrior, M/V venture g and M/V big john VII towing… → - HYDROPAC 2722/26 · Surveys · Sea of Okhotsk2026-09-19
SEA OF OKHOTSK. RUSSIA. 1. SURVEY OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS UNTIL 25 OCT BY M/V FYODOR KOVROV IN AREA BOUND BY 53-46.10N 141-20.00E,…
Survey operations in progress until 25 oct by M/V fyodor kovrov in area bound by 53-46.10N 141-20.00E,… → - HYDROPAC 2717/26 · Surveys · Persian Gulf2026-09-18
PERSIAN GULF. SAUDI ARABIA. SURVEY OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE IN AREA BOUND BY 28-48.72N 048-50.06E, 28-42.06N…
Survey operations in progress until further notice in area bound by 28-48.72N 048-50.06E, 28-42.06N… → - HYDROPAC 2691/26 · Surveys · Japan Sea2026-09-17
SEA OF JAPAN. RUSSIA. 1. SURVEY OPERATIONS 210001Z TO 211200Z AND 251400Z TO 261000Z SEP IN AREA WITHIN FIVE MILES OF 42-31.00N…
Survey operations 210001Z to 211200Z and 251400Z to 261000Z sep in area within five miles of 42-31.00N… → - HYDROPAC 2677/26 · Surveys · Arabian Sea2026-09-16
ARABIAN SEA. GULF OF KHAMBHAT. INDIA. 1. SURVEY OPERATIONS 17 SEP THRU 15 OCT BY M/V FUGRO MAPPER IN AREAS BOUND BY: A. 20-22.00N 071-18.00E,…
Survey operations 17 sep thru 15 oct by M/V fugro mapper in areas bound by: a. 20-22.00N 071-18.00E,… →
Earliest in the archive
- HYDROLANT 1032/93 · Cable ops1993-07-02
1. SEISMIC SURVEY OPERATIONS 03 TO 13 JULY BY M/V URANIA ALONG TRACKLINES BETWEEN: A. 38-22N 11-28E AND 38-20N…
Seismic survey operations 03 to 13 july by M/V urania along tracklines between: a. 38-22N 11-28E and 38-20N… →
Often in the same message
Related terms
- Seismic survey
- A survey that maps the rock beneath the seabed with sound pulses from air guns, recorded on streamers kilometres long.
- Towed array / streamer
- Equipment towed a long way behind a vessel — sonar, a hydrophone cable, a sampling sled — invisible at the surface.
- Area bound by
- Introduces a list of positions that are the corners of an area — the polygon the warning applies to.
- Restricted in ability to manoeuvre
- A vessel whose work — cable laying, diving, dredging, towing — stops it from keeping out of other ships' way.
Warning types that use it
- Surveys — Hydrographic and scientific survey vessels, often towing long arrays.
Counts cover the messages in this archive that use the term, recounted 2026-09-24; see coverage for what is collected and since when. Not for navigation — follow official NAVAREA and coastal broadcasts.