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| Global Ocean Mapping Project | |
|---|---|
| Name | Global Ocean Mapping Project |
| Abbreviation | GOMP |
| Established | 21st century |
| Headquarters | International Hydrographic Organization |
Global Ocean Mapping Project The Global Ocean Mapping Project is an international initiative to produce high-resolution bathymetric and thematic maps of the world's oceans, coordinating maritime survey activity among agencies such as the International Hydrographic Organization, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and European Space Agency. The project brings together capabilities from institutions including the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, and national hydrographic offices of Japan, Australia, Canada, Norway, and France to synthesize datasets from research vessels, satellites, autonomous vehicles, and historic charts. By aligning standards from bodies such as the International Organization for Standardization and the International Hydrographic Organization, the initiative seeks interoperable products used by stakeholders like the United Nations Environment Programme, International Maritime Organization, World Meteorological Organization, and Global Environment Facility.
The project aims to assemble bathymetry, geology, oceanography, and biological habitat layers by integrating survey data from programs such as the Seabed 2030 project, GEBCO, Argo (oceanography), and the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, while coordinating with platforms operated by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, ROV Jason, AUVs deployed from institutions like Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and fleets contracted by Shell plc or Equinor. Outputs are intended for users including the International Seabed Authority, Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Convention, and coastal managers in jurisdictions like California, Alaska, Iceland, Chile, and South Africa.
Primary objectives encompass comprehensive mapping coverage inspired by targets set by United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, improving navigation safety promoted by International Maritime Organization regulations, supporting marine spatial planning as practiced in regions like the European Union and New Zealand, and enabling scientific research affiliated with universities such as University of Southampton, Columbia University, University of Cape Town, and National University of Singapore. Scope includes deep-ocean trenches like the Mariana Trench, continental margins such as the Grand Banks, polar seas including the Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean, and island shelf systems around Philippines, Indonesia, Hawaii, and Falkland Islands.
The initiative evolved from century-long charting traditions exemplified by the British Admiralty charts and explorations by figures and vessels linked to James Cook, Challenger expedition (1872–1876), and twentieth-century efforts by USNS Vema and RV Knorr (1968). Modern impetus came from collaborations like GEBCO and commitments at summits hosted by World Ocean Summit and meetings of the United Nations General Assembly. Funding and partnerships have involved entities such as the National Science Foundation, European Commission, World Bank, and philanthropic donors like the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Methods combine multibeam echosounders fitted to ships like RV Atlantis (AGOR-25), satellite altimetry from missions such as TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-3, and CryoSat, lidar surveys conducted by airborne platforms used by agencies such as USGS, and acoustic telemetry arrays akin to those developed by Ocean Tracking Network. Processing employs geospatial standards from the Open Geospatial Consortium and software tools used by groups including Esri, QGIS, Fugro, and research codes from Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory. Autonomous platforms include gliders from Teledyne Webb Research and unmanned surface vessels trialed by Norwegian University of Science and Technology and companies like Kongsberg.
Data stewardship aligns with principles championed by Group on Earth Observations, DataONE, and the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange, using repositories operated by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, GEBCO_Grid, and institutional archives at British Oceanographic Data Centre and PANGAEA (data publisher). Licensing and access reflect policies debated at forums such as World Data System and the Open Data Charter, balancing open access preferred by academic consortia at University of Oxford with proprietary concerns raised by private survey firms including IIC Technologies.
Products support maritime safety enforced by International Maritime Organization conventions, resource management under regimes like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, disaster risk reduction agencies similar to UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, biodiversity assessments tied to IUCN, and climate research integrated into reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Economic impacts affect sectors represented by firms such as BP, TotalEnergies, Maersk, and Siemens through improved route planning, offshore energy siting, and subsea infrastructure mapping used by consortia like Thematic Reservoir Characterization Consortium.
Governance frameworks draw on precedents from International Hydrographic Organization conventions, cooperative mechanisms exemplified by GEBCO Guiding Committee, funding partnerships like those of the Global Environment Facility and World Bank, and legal instruments administered by United Nations organs and regional bodies such as the European Commission and Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Collaborating countries include United States, China, India, Brazil, Russia, Germany, Spain, and South Korea with participation from research networks such as Census of Marine Life and industry consortia like The Nippon Foundation initiatives.
Challenges include surveying politically sensitive areas governed under frameworks like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, technological limitations in abyssal mapping demonstrated in studies by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, data interoperability issues addressed by ISO committees, and financing gaps discussed in forums hosted by the World Economic Forum and United Nations Development Programme. Future directions emphasize integrating hyperspectral remote sensing from missions by European Space Agency and NASA, expanded autonomous survey fleets developed by companies such as Sea Machines and universities like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and coordination with conservation targets set by Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.