An ecological survey is the process whereby a proposed development site is assessed to establish any environmental impact the development may have. With any potential new land development, along with cost estimates, insurance, structural warranty, and planning permission, you will need to conduct various site surveys, including an ecological survey.

An important type of hydrographic surveys is the bathymetric survey, which originates from the Greek terms bathus (deep) and metron (measurement). This is the underwater equivalent to a land survey operation known as hypsometry.