FarSounder Partners with Seabed 2030 for Ocean Mapping Initiative

FarSounder has joined forces with The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project to enhance our understanding of the ocean floor, aiming for a comprehensive map of the Earth’s seabed.

New Funding for Innovative Data Sharing

This collaboration aligns with FarSounder’s recent achievement of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This funding will support the development of a groundbreaking cloud-based platform designed to facilitate the sharing of survey data collected by FarSounder’s clients.

Project Overview: Enhancing Crowdsourced Bathymetry

The initiative, titled “Enabling Expanded Crowdsourced Bathymetry Contributions With High-Quality Metadata via Commercially Sustainable Incentives to Contributors,” aims to enable data sharing among the FarSounder customer network and with Seabed 2030 through the International Hydrographic Association’s (IHO) Data Center for Digital Bathymetry (DCDB).

Significance of the Data Centre

The DCDB is a vital repository,housing over 30 terabytes of ocean depth soundings,and serves as the long-term archive for the Seabed 2030 initiative.

Seabed 2030: A Global mapping Endeavor

Seabed 2030 is a collaborative effort between The Nippon Foundation and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), with the aspiring goal of mapping the world’s oceans by 2030. The collected data will be compiled into the publicly accessible GEBCO Ocean Map.

Endorsement and Global Impact

This project is officially recognized as a Decade Action of the UN Ocean Decade. GEBCO operates as a joint program of the IHO and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), holding the unique mandate to map the entire ocean floor.

Data Accessibility and Contribution

All data gathered and shared with the Seabed 2030 project will be included in the freely available GEBCO global grid, promoting openness and accessibility.

Statements from Project Leaders

“We are thrilled to welcome FarSounder as an official partner,” stated Jamie McMichael-Phillips, Project Director of Seabed 2030. “FarSounder is pivotal in promoting crowdsourced bathymetry,which is crucial for the success of Seabed 2030. We eagerly anticipate our collaboration and look forward to witnessing the company’s progress on this exciting new venture.”

“Our dedication to providing high-resolution data to the IHO’s DCDB perfectly aligns with Seabed 2030’s vision of achieving a complete map of the ocean floor,” remarked Matthew Zimmerman,CEO of FarSounder. “By optimizing the data transfer process from our customers to the DCDB, we aim to foster greater participation, encouraging more individuals to contribute to filling the gaps in our oceanic knowledge.”