We know more about the surface of the moon than we do about the surface of our seafloor, with only about 20% of the seafloor properly mapped. The Seabed 2030 project aims to change that with an ambitious target of 100% mapped by 2030. It’s being coordinated through four regional centres around the globe, with NIWA, GNS Science, and Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) jointly governing the South and West Pacific Ocean Regional Center. The area is equivalent to a quarter of the world’s oceans - some 124 million km2. It covers the Pacific Ocean from South America to Australia and the western part of the Northern Pacific Ocean to Japan, taking in 39 countries and territories, and the world’s two deepest trenches. People with common commercial echosounders and Global Navigation Satellite System receivers can be part of this global effort. Check out https://www.gebco.net/about_us/contributing_data/ for more info.
