Rate My Professor Emily Tidey

Emily Tidey is a lecturer and manager of Hydrographic Surveying in the School of Surveying at the University of Otago within the Division of Sciences. A former student of the school, she completed her Bachelor of Surveying (BSurv) with honours at Otago in 2006, with a dissertation on hydrographic surveying in marine protected areas. She earned her MSc in Hydrography with distinction from Plymouth University in the UK in 2012, focusing her thesis on the optimal use of underway sound velocity measurements in a multibeam survey of the Tamar Estuary. Holding FIG/IHO/ICA Category A certification, Tidey joined the University of Otago staff in 2013 following international experience in hydrographic projects encompassing charting, habitat mapping, oil and gas surveys, renewables, and offshore construction. She teaches practical hydrography in Dunedin Harbour and the Otago Coast, coordinates courses such as SURV322 Hydrographic Surveying and SURV552 Advanced Hydrographic Surveying, and participates in research voyages on university vessels. Currently pursuing a PhD at Otago on hydrographic measurements as spatial predictors of marine habitats and processes, she collaborates with researchers in surveying, marine science, and geology.

Tidey's research interests centre on underwater acoustics, sound velocity measurement and application, multibeam sonar in shallow coastal waters and deep offshore canyons, and leveraging hydrographic data for charting, geophysical analysis, habitat mapping, and sea-level studies, including in rivers and lakes. Notable projects include low-cost multi-GNSS single-frequency RTK averaging for hydrography (Marine Geodesy, 2023), Tuia-250 commemorative investigations (New Zealand Surveyor, 2019), Auckland Islands bathymetry and glacial geomorphology (Antarctic Science, 2018; Quaternary Research and Geosciences, 2018-2019), and bathymetric evolution of Tasman Glacier terminal lake (Global and Planetary Change, 2016). She has supervised over a dozen student projects on topics such as GNSS positioning, marine bryozoa, kelp forests, and unmanned surface vehicles. Her professional impact is recognized through awards including the 2021 Survey and Spatial NZ Hydrography Professional Award for outstanding service, 2022 University of Otago Staff Award for Health, Safety and Wellbeing (team), 2014 FIG Foundation Young Surveyor Fellow Award, 2017 Best Poster at New Zealand Coastal Society Conference, and 2011 Australasian Hydrographic Society Education Award. Tidey leads the Near Geophysical Imaging Research Facility management team, serves on school committees, chairs the AHS Education Award, and contributes to the S+SNZ Hydrography Professional Stream leadership.