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Who we are and what we do
The Istituto Idrografico della Marina (IIM) was founded in 1872 and is based in Genoa, in the 16th century Fortress of San Giorgio. As the Italian Charting Agency, the IIM is in charge of the national hydrographic service and the production of all official nautical documents relating to Italian seas - over 550,000 square kilometers of waters and over 7,800 kilometers of coastline. It is an area of great strategic interest, located in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea and crossed by the main international sea routes that connect Western Europe with the Middle and Far East.
It is the IIM’s task to contribute to safety of navigation and to national security and to improve and enhance sea-related knowledge from a technical, scientific, environmental and cultural point of view.
The tasks and functions of the Istituto Idrografico della Marina are detailed in Italian Presidential Decree 90/2010, Chapter V, art. 222:
» to provide the Armed Forces with the necessary hydro-meteorological-oceanographic support;
» to contribute to safety of navigation and the protection of human life at sea by issuing and updating official nautical documents relevant to Italian waters, according to SOLAS 1969;
» to draw up the technical specifications and standards for the correct execution of hydrographic surveys;
» to create a database of all hydro-oceanographic data from the surveys carried out in Italian waters by the IIM and by other public and private bodies;
Updating Sailing Directions
The hydroboat of of the Ammiraglio Magnaghi survey vessel during a coastal survey
Bottom sampling from
the Ammiraglio Magnaghi survey vesseli
Who we are and what we do
The Istituto Idrografico della Marina (IIM) was founded in 1872 and is based in Genoa, in the 16th century Fortress of San Giorgio. As the Italian Charting Agency, the IIM is in charge of the national hydrographic service and the production of all official nautical documents relating to Italian seas - over 550,000 square kilometers of waters and over 7,800 kilometers of coastline. It is an area of great strategic interest, located in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea and crossed by the main international sea routes that connect Western Europe with the Middle and Far East.
It is the IIM’s task to contribute to safety of navigation and to national security and to improve and enhance sea-related knowledge from a technical, scientific, environmental and cultural point of view.
The tasks and functions of the Istituto Idrografico della Marina are detailed in Italian Presidential Decree 90/2010, Chapter V, art. 222:
» to provide the Armed Forces with the necessary hydro-meteorological-oceanographic support;
» to contribute to safety of navigation and the protection of human life at sea by issuing and updating official nautical documents relevant to Italian waters, according to SOLAS 1969;
» to draw up the technical specifications and standards for the correct execution of hydrographic surveys;
» to create a database of all hydro-oceanographic data from the surveys carried out in Italian waters by the IIM and by other public and private bodies;
Updating Sailing Directions
The hydroboat of of the Ammiraglio Magnaghi survey vessel during a coastal survey
Bottom sampling from
the Ammiraglio Magnaghi survey vesseli
» to manage and update a database of historic and non-historic wrecks in Italian waters, with the help of other public and private entities;
» to train hydrographers and oceanographers through suitable courses open to university students and foreign citizens;
» to certify the status of “hydrographer” to those military and civilian students who complete the required training process;
» to contribute to the didactics in training centres in the field of hydrography and oceanography;
» to take part in the activities of the International Hydrographic Organization - IHO;
» to set the standards for hydrographic surveys executed by non-Defense entities.
To comply with the tasks set forth by the law, the IIM plans and carries out hydrographic and topographical surveys as well as tidal measurements in order to build and update charts and nautical publications, trains military and civilian hydrographers, and carries out research activities for the protection of the marine environment and sustainable growth.
The IIM operates in the following four sectors:
» surveying and hydro-oceanographic research (in Italian waters, in the Mediterranean sea, in the Arctic Ocean and in Antarctica);
» drafting technical standards for safety of navigation;
» issuing official nautical charts and documents and relevant updating;
Water sampling with a rosette of Niskin bottles
Lecturing future hydrographers Recover of a rosette of Niskin bottle.
» training hydrographers (military and civilian, Italian and from other countries, within capacity building projects).
To manage the manifold activities in the fields of research, training, data collection, production, distribution, communication and international commitments, the Istituto Idrografico della Marina can count on just over 220 military and civilian employees.
Dramatically understaffed, with an ever-increasing number of specialized personnel retiring every year and a national hiring freeze in the Public Administration, the IIM was at risk of being unable to fulfill their institutional duties. In December 2019, however, 16 new technical assistants for cartography and graphics were finally hired, after the selection procedure started in January 2018.
The Director of the Istituto Idrografico
meets the newly hired cartographers in Sala Consiglio
» training hydrographers (military and civilian, Italian and from other countries, within capacity building projects).
To manage the manifold activities in the fields of research, training, data collection, production, distribution, communication and international commitments, the Istituto Idrografico della Marina can count on just over 220 military and civilian employees.
Dramatically understaffed, with an ever-increasing number of specialized personnel retiring every year and a national hiring freeze in the Public Administration, the IIM was at risk of being unable to fulfill their institutional duties. In December 2019, however, 16 new technical assistants for cartography and graphics were finally hired, after the selection procedure started in January 2018.
The Director of the Istituto Idrografico
meets the newly hired cartographers in Sala Consiglio
The IIM 2019 organization chart