Several global and regional initiatives are underway to change this situation. The remaining bathymetry is predicted from satellite altimeter data, providing only an approximate estimation of the shape of the seafloor.

Only a small fraction of the seafloor has been systematically mapped by direct measurement. However, the vast majority of our oceans is still virtually unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored. In an era of ongoing environmental degradation worldwide, bathymetry data (and the knowledge derived from it) play a pivotal role in using and managing the world’s oceans in a way that is in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 – conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Bathymetry data is critical for safety of navigation and is used for many other applications. 17British Oceanographic Data Centre, National Oceanography Centre, Liverpool, United Kingdomĭetailed knowledge of the shape of the seafloor is crucial to humankind.16Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine, Brest, France.15Geoscience Australia, Symonston, ACT, Australia.14Kongsberg Maritime AS, Subsea Division, Horten, Norway.13Fugro USA Marine, Inc., Frederick, MD, United States.12Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States.11School of Environment, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.10National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New Zealand.9Venture Geomatics Limited, Sutton, United Kingdom.8National Centers for Environmental Information, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO, United States.7Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.6National Oceanography Centre, Marine Geoscience, Southampton, United Kingdom.5Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, United States.4Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany.2British Oceanographic Data Centre, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United Kingdom.

1GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany.

Huvenne 6 Martin Jakobsson 7 Jennifer Jencks 8 Gordon Johnston 9 Geoffroy Lamarche 10,11 Larry Mayer 12 David Millar 13 Terje Haga Pedersen 14 Kim Picard 15 Anja Reitz 1 Thierry Schmitt 16 Martin Visbeck 1 Pauline Weatherall 17 Rochelle Wigley 12 Devey 1 Boris Dorschel 4 Vicki Ferrini 5 Veerle A. Anne-Cathrin Wölfl 1* Helen Snaith 2 Sam Amirebrahimi 3 Colin W.

World map and oceans outline numbered