In the past 70 years, humans have managed to visually survey less than 0.001% of the world’s seabed, an area roughly one-tenth the size of Belgium. This insight is based on a study published in the journal “Science Advances.”
The ocean is significantly affected by human-induced climate change. While we have a good understanding of global warming’s impact on surface and shallow waters, its effects on the deep ocean (beyond 200 meters) remain largely unexplored.
Researchers analyzed 43,681 records from submarine missions conducted since 1958 across 14 nations, 120 Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), and the open sea. These efforts have only managed to document approximately 0.001% of the seabed.
The study reveals notable geographic discrepancies in data collection, with the majority of observations occurring within 200 nautical miles of the United States, Japan, and New Zealand. Together, these three nations, along with France and Germany, represent 97.2% of all recorded dives. The authors express concern over this limited and biased sample, as it hampers our ability to accurately characterize, understand, and manage the global ocean.
According to their estimates, mapping the ocean floor in situ could take over 100,000 years. They stress the urgent need for a fundamental shift in our approach to exploring and studying the deep global ocean.
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