The  Deutsches  Hydrographisches  Institut  (PHI)  in  1981

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5  GENERAL  REPORT

THE  DEUTSCHES  HYDROGRAPHISCHES  INSTITUT  (DHI)  IN  1981
The  DHI  Is  a  Central  Marine  Navigation  and  Marine  Environment  Authority
within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Federal  Minister  of  Transport.  It  has  the
tasks  of  surveying  the  seas,  publishing  the  charts  and  nautical  books,
and  testing  the  nautical  equipment  used  on  board  ship.  Moreover,  it  has
to  promote  navigation  and  High  Seas  fisheries  by  natural  scientific  and
nautical-technical  research,  and  to  ensure  the  protection  of  the  marine
environment.
The  Hydrographic  Services  (Tide,  Sea  Level  Forecast  and  Storm  Surge
Warning  Service,  Ice  Service,  Time  Service  for  Shipping,  Geomagnetic
Service)  also  fulfilled  their  tasks  for  the  safety  of  navigation
during  the  year  under  review.  The  Storm  Surge  Warning  Service  has
again  proved  its  value,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  very  severe  storm  surge
on  24th  November.
As  in  the  previous  years,  the  chart  portfolio  was  particularly  drawn
upon,  with  20  "new  tasks”,  owing  to  the  change-over  of  the  navigation
marks  in  the  buoyage  system  A  (red  on  port).
In  1981  there  were  four  new  editions  of  Pilots  and  one  Ocean  Pilot.  For
the  Verzeichnis  der  Leuchtfeuer  und  Signalstellen  (List  of  Lights  and
Signal  Positions),  seven  parts  were  published  as  new  editions.  Moreover,
38  "new  charts"  and  192  "new  issues"  of  charts  appeared.  By  direction  of
the  Federal  Minister  of  Transport,  new  information  booklets  for  sportsboat
  navigation  were  issued.
The  navigation  marks  of  the  Federal  German  coasts  have  been  integrated
on  electronic  data  carriers,  and  can  be  displayed  automatically  for  the
production  of  the  print  originals.  The  cartographic  contents  of  the
charts  were  digitalized.  For  sports  boat  navigation,  a  further  special
chart  portfolio  with  17  "Charts  of  the  Weser  and  Jade  from  Helgoland  to
Bremen  and  Wilhelmshaven"  was  issued,  together  with  an  accompanying
booklet.
The  Survey  and  Research  Ship  "Komet"  and  the  Survey  Ship  "Siideroog"  ran
14,700  nautical  miles  of  lines  of  sounding  in  the  North  Sea  and  the  Baltic ­
  Sea  to  maintain  the  charts  of  the  Federal  German  waters.  The  two
ships,  "Atair"  and  "Wega",  fitted  out  with  light  diving  equipment,  have
checked  120  already  known  wrecks  and  positions  at  which  submarine  hindrances ­
  were  suspected,  and  found  35  new  wrecks.  The  Research  Vessel
"Gaufl”,  with  19  cruises  in  the  North  Sea  and  the  Baltic  Sea,  provided
contributions  to  natural  scientific  investigations,  type-approval  tests,
and  equipment  trials.