
The Australasian Hydrographic Society’s (AHS) internationally recognised hydrographic conference program will return in 2026, beginning with the Hydrospatial 2026 Conference.
The conference will be held from 23 to 26 March 2026 at Shed 6 in Wellington, New Zealand.
With a theme of ‘Shaping the Future of Marine Discovery,’ the event will bring together professionals and thought leaders from across government, defence, research, industry and academia to explore the evolving role of hydrography.
The four-day program will feature keynote speakers, technical sessions, panel discussions, exhibitions, and networking opportunities across six key themes:
- Advances in hydrographic technology and autonomous systems
- Blue Economy and sustainable maritime development
- Coastal infrastructure, ports and harbour innovation
- Climate change, oceanography and marine environmental science
- Law of the Sea, sovereignty and maritime domain awareness
- Hydrospatial data for marine policy, planning and heritage
Further details of the event will be posted on the conference website and also on the Society’s website during the coming months.

IPTSAT will host a webinar on ‘Copernicus for Smart Cities: Using Satellite Data to Support Urban Decisions’. The event is designed for public administration technicians, urban planners and professionals interested in leveraging satellite data for land-use planning.
In the webinar, IPTSAT experts will demonstrate how to access Copernicus data and apply it to urban planning. Participants will learn how to
- Access satellite data from the Copernicus program
- Find and download Sentinel imagery
- Explore data using online tools
- Integrate satellite data into GIS software
- Use data for environmental and urban analysis
Tools to be featured include the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, the Copernicus Browser, and QGIS integration via openEO (including short practical demonstrations on how to get started).
Real-world examples of satellite data for urban monitoring will be explored, such as urban heat islands; urban greenery distribution and health monitoring; land consumption, tracking soil sealing and urban growth; and water quality monitoring.
Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Inna