IC-ENC Chairman Marc van der Donck receives 2022 Alexander Dalrymple Award
Retired Dutch Navy Captain recognised for services to international hydrography in latest edition of annual honours
Rear Admiral Rhett Hatcher presenting the 2022 Alexander Dalrymple Award to IC-ENC Chairman Marc van der Donck
The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has today presented Marc van der Donck, Retired Captain in the Netherlands Navy and Chairman of the International Centre for Electronic Navigational Charts (IC-ENC), the 2022 Alexander Dalrymple Award for services to international hydrography.
Captain Marc received the award on World Hydrography Day in a ceremony led by UK National Hydrographer Rear Admiral Rhett Hatcher at the UKHO’s office in Taunton, England. The 2022 presentation took place this year due to delays in awarding previous winners caused by COVID-19.
The 2022 award recognises Capt Marc’s positive impact on hydrography since 2014, when he first attended the Meso-American and Caribbean Sea Hydrographic Commission’s (MACHC) Regional Hydrographic Council meetings (RHC).
Since then, Capt Marc – who as well as chairing the IC-ENC from 2016 was also National Hydrographer for the Netherlands Hydrographic Office – has helped improve data sharing between members of the MACHC, which he chaired for two years.
In 2016, 2018 and 2021, Capt Marc represented the Netherlands Navy at the North Sea Hydrographic Commission. He has attended Inter-Regional Coordination Committee meetings on behalf of the RHC, helping shape policy decisions for one of the International Hydrographic Organization’s key vehicles for progress, and contributed to strategic developments at the North Sea Hydrographic Commission.
Elsewhere, Capt Marc has led the Worldwide ENC Database Working Group through its transition from S57 Electronic Navigational Charts to WEND100 – the framework for globally consistent and high-quality nautical and hydrographic S-100 products. He has also contributed to Hydrographic Services and Standards Committee, assembly and council meetings.
Speaking on the award, Rear Admiral Rhett Hatcher, UK National Hydrographer, UKHO, said:
This award is presented to an individual or organisation that has made a lasting contribution to hydrography. Capt Marc is fully deserving of this accolade, having helped shape policies aimed at continually improving how we survey and map the world’s oceans to support safe navigation and protect marine life. He has also been instrumental in developing stronger data-sharing networks between stakeholders and representing the interests of hydrographic bodies at key committee meetings.
Captain Marc van der Donck, Chairman of the International Centre for Electronic Navigational Charts, added:
I’m honoured to receive this award on World Hydrography Day, a significant occasion for promoting the essential role of hydrographic agencies around the world. Their work is vital to safety of life at sea and to maintaining the vibrant marine environment that we all rely on.
Having served in the Dutch Navy for 43 years, I am extremely passionate about our oceans and the shipping industry, both of which rely on vital hydrographic data from a safety, economic and sustainability perspective. I will continue to support my peers and colleagues in any way possible over the coming years.
Named after the first Hydrographer of the British Admiralty, the Alexander Dalrymple Award has been awarded each year by the UKHO since 2006 to recognise outstanding contributions to hydrography. Recipients of the award are selected by the UKHO’s Executive Committee for their efforts in raising the standards of hydrography, cartography and navigation around the world.
Each year, the UKHO presents the award on World Hydrography Day, which celebrates the work of hydrographers and the role they play in underpinning the marine environment.