Contribution to Collective Bathymetry Information via Public Sourcing - Collaborate to Unveil Depths and Share Your Hydrographic Data

Contribution to Collective Bathymetry Information via Public Sourcing - Collaborate to Unveil Depths and Share Your Hydrographic Data

The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is encouraging all Hydrographic Offices (HO) of Member States (MS) to positively respond to IHO CL 21/2020 and IRCC CL 1/2020, as the organization seeks to strengthen its efforts in crowdsourced bathymetry (CSB) data collection.

The IHO's Crowdsourced Bathymetry (CSB) initiative, supported by the CSB Working Group (CSBWG), is a crucial step towards filling existing gaps in mapping the ocean. The key to successful CSB efforts lies in volunteer observers who operate vessels-of-opportunity in areas where surveys are poor, inadequate, non-existent, or where the seafloor is changeable and hydrographic assets are not readily available.

The IHO defines CSB as the collection of depth measurements from vessels, using standard navigation instruments, while engaged in routine maritime operations. The organization has a history of encouraging innovative and collaborative ways to gather data, including the concept of crowdsourced bathymetry (CSB).

Current initiatives in CSB data collection are centred around global collaborations like Seabed 2030, which unites governments, scientists, and industry to map the ocean floor more comprehensively—particularly in poorly surveyed areas such as deep sea and polar regions. As of mid-2025, Seabed 2030 has expanded to include over 185 contributors, welcoming data from previously unsurveyed locations like Comoros, Cook Islands, Kenya, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

Despite these advances, approximately 72.7% of the ocean remains unmapped to modern standards, largely due to technical challenges and high costs in harsh or inaccessible regions. However, progress in autonomy, data processing, and international cooperation continues to improve the quantity and quality of crowdsourced bathymetric data, helping to bridge these gaps.

Uses of this growing CSB data in various applications include supporting the blue economy, enhancing coastal resilience, guiding biodiversity conservation, climate strategy development, and pollution assessment near industrialized seaports. For example, higher-resolution regional seafloor maps generated from crowdsourced data enable better environmental monitoring and management in vulnerable or poorly charted areas.

The IHO's strategic plan objectives include participating actively in international initiatives related to the knowledge and sustainable use of the ocean. The organization's strategic goal 3 is to participate actively in international initiatives related to the knowledge and sustainable use of the ocean.

The IHO's CSBWG was established to draft a guidance document meant to empower mariners to collect and contribute CSB data. MSs not yet members of the CSBWG are invited to join the group. The IHO Data Centre for Digital Bathymetry (DCDB), hosted by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, provides archiving, discovery, display, and retrieval of global crowdsourced bathymetry data contributed from mariners around the world.

Engaging in CSB contributes to spreading the message of global responsibility in order to reveal the deep and fill existing gaps in mapping the ocean. The rest of the data used for seafloor mapping are estimated depths derived from satellite gravity measurements. The world's commercial fleet represents a significant untapped source of potential depth measurements due to SOLAS 1974 carriage requirements obliging all commercial vessels to be equipped with certified systems consisting of at least a single beam echo-sounder and satellite-based navigation systems.

Crowdsourced bathymetry data can be used to identify uncharted features, assist in verifying charted information, and help confirm that existing charts are appropriate for the latest traffic patterns. The IHO's CSB initiative and the CSBWG are important for contributing to spreading the message of global responsibility and revealing the deep.

Progress in mapping coastal waters is only marginally better, with about 50% of the world's coastal waters shallower than 200 meters remaining unsurveyed to modern standards. These efforts collectively enhance our understanding of the seafloor, supporting multiple scientific, economic, and environmental goals, especially in regions historically lacking adequate survey coverage.

[1] Hydro International, (2025). Seabed 2030 Engages Hundreds of Contributors. [Online] Available at: https://www.hydrointernational.com/news/seabed-2030-engages-hundreds-of-contributors/ [2] Springer, (2025). Crowdsourced Bathymetry: A Game Changer for Ocean Mapping. [Online] Available at: https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030855696 [3] SeaKeepers/NOAA, (2025). NOAA Processes Extensive Crowdsourced Bathymetric Datasets. [Online] Available at: https://www.seakeepers.org/news/noaa-processes-extensive-crowdsourced-bathymetric-datasets/ [4] Instagram, (2025). Seabed 2030 Logger on Arctic Expeditions. [Online] Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/CeX56y9LwRl/ [5] Speak Up For Blue, (2025). Improved Ocean Pollution Monitoring with Crowdsourced Data. [Online] Available at: https://speakupforblue.com/improved-ocean-pollution-monitoring-with-crowdsourced-data/

1. The IHO's CSB initiative, in partnership with the data and cloud computing sector, aims to leverage technology to bolster coastal zone management and environmental science by analyzing marine spatial data obtained through hydrographic surveys.
2. In line with the IHO's strategic goal 3, environmental scientists are collaborating with Seabed 2030, using climate-change models to predict impacts on the marine ecosystem, while also utilizing crowdsourced bathymetry data to understand the effects of such changes, particularly in the deep sea and polar regions.
3. The IHO Data Centre for Digital Bathymetry (DCDB) promotes data sharing among mariners and researchers worldwide, fostering advancements in science, climate strategy development, and technology, as well as supporting the participatory efforts ofMember States in the collection and contribution of hydrographic survey data.
4. To further encourage the collection and sharing of CSB data, the IHO's CSBWG is incorporating data from academic institutions, industry, and non-governmental organizations, in addition to commercial fleets, to help expand the global perspective of the ocean floor, and support pollution assessment, biodiversity conservation, and the development of a more sustainable blue economy.

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