Crowdsourcing Bathymetry Expedition Vessels Contribute to Science While Underway By Matthew Zimmerman A s many of us working in the maritime industry know, hydrographic surveying is a hot topic. With less than 24 percent of our world’s ocean floor mapped (https:// seabed2030.org/mapping-progress), the message from Seabed 2030 that we know the topography of the Moon and Mars in greater detail than that of our own planet surely resonates within our community. Seabed 2030 is a global initiative of the Nippon Foun-dation and GEBCO to map the world’s oceans by 2030 and make it publicly available. By combining both pro-fessional and crowdsourced depth measurements, the project aims to unite our community in building a com-plete map of the oceans. Expedition vessels, including cruise ships and explorer yachts, are actively participat-ing in these efforts today. Mapping the seafloor’s bathymetry is critical for both ST | June 2023 Map of the world’s seafloor. The red/gray markings indi-cate the only areas that have been mapped at 100-m reso-lution or better. (Credit: Seabed 2030) safety and scientific endeavors. The most basic informa-tion needed by a crew to ensure safe sailing is the water’s depth, and scientists use bathymetry to understand ocean circulation, tides, tsunami forecasting, fishing resources, sediment transport, and environmental changes. It’s also important for commercial endeavors, such as infrastruc-ture construction, cable laying and pipeline routing. In well-charted areas, passengers aboard expedition vessels might assume that everything one needs to know 10 www.sea-technology.com
Sea Technology June 2023: Page 10
