The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Cathrine Armour as the new Director of its Customer Division.

Cathrine brings experience in leading data, science and technology-centric organisations, and will be instrumental in developing the UKHO as a leading marine geospatial information agency and hydrographic office.

Cathrine joins the UKHO from Catapult’s South West Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications, a partnership led by the University of Exeter to stimulate the data economy; helping UK businesses develop new products and solutions using satellite technology. Cathrine also led the development of the Ordnance Survey’s Geovation Hub and accelerator program. An award-winning initiative, Geovation has helped many UK start-ups find innovative uses for geospatial data.

Commenting on the timing of her appointment, Cathrine explained: “More people are starting to understand the importance of our marine environment and the need to use ocean resources in a sustainable way. Marine geospatial data is essential to help unlock the value of our oceans whilst ensuring their protection for years to come.

“In its position as a leading marine geospatial agency, the UKHO has a key role to play in how this data is applied and used across our oceans. This means thinking differently about data we hold, and ensuring that, as an organisation, we can package our data in ways that meet the needs of a wide range of users.”

“The potential for users, from commercial and government to philanthropic and aid, to use this data is limitless.”

Cathrine is also a leading commentator on the economic power of innovation, and is a guest lecturer at the University of Exeter’s Business School. In 2016, her work to facilitate international collaboration and cooperation in environmental data for sustainable development was recognised as a finalist for the WISE International Open Source Award sponsored by Bloomberg.

Cathrine explained how her belief in the power of innovation would benefit her in her new role at the UKHO: “Innovation is a powerful and compelling force for change. Be it economic, societal or environmental, data for decision-making is critical to shaping our shared future. I am looking forward to leading the UKHO’s development in this area as we further strengthen our position as the authoritative marine geospatial agency and hydrographic office.”

The National Bee Unit has confirmed a sighting of the Asian hornet in the Fowey area of south Cornwall.

This Asian hornet is smaller than our native hornet and poses no greater risk to human health than a bee. However, they do pose a risk to honey bees and work is already underway to identify any nests, which includes deploying bee inspectors to visit local beekeepers and setting up monitoring traps.

Previous outbreaks of the Asian hornet have been successfully contained by APHA bee inspectors who promptly tracked down and destroyed the nests. The intention is to do the same in this instance.

Nicola Spence, Defra Deputy Director for Plant and Bee Health, said:

While the Asian Hornet poses no greater risk to human health than a bee, we recognise the damage they can cause to honey bee colonies. That’s why we are taking swift and robust action to locate and investigate any nests in the south Cornwall areas following this confirmed sighting.

Following the successful containment of the Asian hornet incursion in North Devon last year and Tetbury previously, we have a well-established protocol in place to eradicate them and control any potential spread.

We remain vigilant across the country, working closely with the National Bee Unit and their nationwide network of bee inspectors.

Bee inspectors from APHA National Bee Unit have started carrying out surveillance and monitoring in a 1-2 km radius around the initial sighting.

If you suspect you have seen an Asian hornet you can report this using the iPhone and Android app ‘Asian Hornet Watch’ or by emailing alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk. Identification guides and more information are available.

• Members of the public can also report sightings by email to alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk with a photo or on the Great Britain Non-native Species Secretariat website.

• The Great Britain Non-native Species Secretariat is a joint venture between Defra, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government to tackle the threat of invasive species. More information can be found on their website.

• For details on the appearance of an Asian hornet please can be found on Bee Base guide or the non-native species identification guide.

• Photographs of the Asian hornet are available on our Flickr account

• The cost of eradication on private land will be met by APHA.