The **ocean beds**, covering three-quarters of the planet, are less explored and mapped than [the surface of the Moon](https://noticiasambientales.com/ciencia/la-luna-podria-estar-mas-activa-geologicamente-de-lo-que-se-creia-anteriormente/). However, since 2017, the global initiative *Seabed 2030* has been tirelessly working to obtain a detailed image of this **vast and unknown region** of our world.
The Importance of Mapping the Oceans
Understanding the **ocean depths** is essential for various applications, such as laying submarine cables, calculating tsunami trajectories, and [projecting sea-level rise](https://noticiasambientales.com/medio-ambiente/el-aumento-del-nivel-del-mar-amenaza-a-ciudades-como-los-angeles-shanghai-o-bombay/) due to **climate change**.
When the project started, only 6% of the **ocean floor** was adequately mapped, but with the use of historical data, advanced technology like multibeam sonars, and the power of computers, that figure has increased to 25%.
“It’s like focusing a **photograph of the seabed**,” explains Vicki Ferrini, project leader at the Indian and Atlantic Ocean Center as reported by AFP. “As we gather more data, the details and patterns become clearer, allowing us to understand oceanic processes in a completely new way,” she adds.
Technological and Geopolitical Challenges
Despite technological advances, such as multibeam sonars that generate **3D views of the seabed**, we still face significant challenges. The lack of standardized formats for sharing data, differences in image resolutions, and **variable water conditions** like turbidity or tides complicate the process. To manage this complexity, *Seabed 2030* filters, corrects, and normalizes the collected information.
In addition to **technological challenges**, there are economic and geopolitical barriers. “Many people do not understand why this mapping is important,” says Martin Jakobsson, co-director of the Arctic and North Pacific center of the project. In **areas like the Arctic**, geopolitical disputes increase the **exploration difficulties**.
Innovation and Discoveries
Emerging **technologies**, such as machine learning, are helping process data, identify patterns, and fill knowledge gaps. As **pieces of the ocean map** are completed, impressive features are revealed, such as meandering channels that reflect terrestrial landscapes.
Partially funded by the Japanese organization Nippon Foundation, the project has also identified key areas with little information, especially in **open seas** and far from **common shipping routes**. Autonomous platforms equipped with sonar could be crucial to accelerate data collection in these areas.
An International Debate: Exploitation of the Seabed
The effort to map the oceans coincides with an intense debate about the possibility of exploiting minerals from the seabed for the **energy transition**.
Scientists like Ferrini urge that these operations should not proceed without a deeper understanding of the **environmental consequences**. “We need solid data to make informed decisions, and we still don’t have it,” she emphasizes.
