“FarSounder joins Seabed 2030 in Mapping the World’s Oceans” –FarSounder News Release

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Below is a news release from FarSounder. Sure, it’s a PR piece, but this is an interesting and potentially important project. For decades, Coast Guard cutters passed their depth sounding to the Hydrographic service. We have talked about FarSounder products before.

November 7, 2023
Warwick, RI USA

FarSounder joins Seabed 2030 in Mapping the World’s Oceans

FarSounder is partnering with The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project to work together to advance the collective understanding of the ocean floor in pursuit of the complete map of the entire seabed.

This partnership coincides with FarSounder’s recent Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant awarded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This award is providing funding for the research and development of a new project that will develop a cloud-based service to shareFarSounder/NSSL Global survey data collected by FarSounder customers.

The project – Enabling Expanded Crowdsourced Bathymetry Contributions With High-Quality Metadata via Commercially Sustainable Incentives to Contributors – will allow for data sharing with others across the FarSounder customer fleet and with Seabed 2030 via the International Hydrographic Organization’s (IHO) Data Centre for Digital Bathymetry (DCDB), which archives over 30 terabytes of oceanic depth soundings and serves as the long-term archive for Seabed 2030.

Seabed 2030 is a collaborative project between The Nippon Foundation and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), which seeks to inspire the complete mapping of the world’s ocean by 2030, and to compile all the data into the freely available GEBCO Ocean Map. The Project is formally endorsed as a Decade Action of the UN Ocean Decade. GEBCO is a joint programme of the IHO and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), and is the only organisation with a mandate to map the entire ocean floor.

“Our commitment to contributing high-resolution data to the IHO’s DCDB aligns seamlessly with Seabed 2030’s mission of achieving a complete map of the entire ocean floor,” commented FarSounder CEO Matthew Zimmerman. “By streamlining the transfer of data from customers to the DCDB we hope to encourage broader participation, inviting more individuals to actively contribute to bridging the gaps in our understanding of the ocean.”

“It’s a pleasure to welcome FarSounder on board as an official partner,” said Seabed 2030 Project Director Jamie McMichael-Phillips. “FarSounder plays a central role in championing crowdsourced bathymetry – which is essential to Seabed 2030. We look forward to working together, and look forward to following the company’s journey as it embarks upon its exciting new project.”

All data collected and shared with the Seabed 2030 project is included in the free and publicly available GEBCO global grid.

About FarSounder

At FarSounder, we believe in pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the exploration of the world’s oceans and waterways. We do this by developing innovative products that do more than just help vessels get safely from point A to point B. We make a difference by being environmentally conscious by creating products that reduce the impact on the ecosystem.

For over 20 years, we have dedicated ourselves to tackling new ideas and developing 3D Forward Looking Navigation Sonar technology (3D FLS). Our unique patented technology paints a clear picture of what lies ahead underwater and along the bottom, reducing the likelihood of collisions, which in turn prevents costly damage to property, the environment, and marine and human lives alike.

Our navigation systems are globally recognized. The Argos 1000, Argos 500, and Argos 350 are able to provide customers with a whole suite of sophisticated navigation capabilities of interest to many types of vessels. Wherever you decide to go, FarSounder will help get you there safely.

For more information, visit http://www.farsounder.com

About The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project

The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project is a collaborative project between The Nippon Foundation and GEBCO. The Seabed 2030 Project, launched at the United Nations Ocean Conference in 2017 by Chairman Sasakawa of The Nippon Foundation, coordinates and oversees the sourcing and compilation of bathymetric data from different parts of the world’s ocean through its five centres into the freely-available GEBCO Grid. Four Regional Centres cover the Southern Ocean, the Arctic and North Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and the South and West Pacific Ocean. These feed data products into the Global Data Centre. The IHO Data Center for Digital Bathymetry (DCDB) serves as the
long-term archive for Seabed 2030.
Find out more about the project and how to get involved.

For more detailed information on The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project, please visit our website, seabed2030.org, like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter @Seabed2030, or contact enquiries@seabed2030.org.

For media inquiries, contact:
Pegah Souri
pegah.souri@shearwater.global
+44 (0)7951 581707

Media Contact:

Cassie Stetkiewicz
Director of Operations
Cassie.stetkiewicz@farsounder.com
+1 401 784 6700 6002

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