Following a passionate talk from our Co-founder and CSO Hannah Brocke at last year’s Hydrographic Conference HYDRO 2023 in Genoa, we got invited to write an article in the International Hydrographic Review. The article, a joint effort from members across our talented team, authored by Hannah, Tadzio, Raja, Guy, Anna-Lea, Nils and Joost, and titled "Closing the data gap: Automated seafloor health maps to accelerate nature-based solutions", was published this week.

The article delves into the pivotal role of the oceans, specifically the seafloor, in addressing climate change and food security. Despite its significance, a lack of detailed data on the seafloor hampers informed decision-making by policymakers, impedes sustainable blue economy investments, and hinders the development of blue carbon and biodiversity credit markets. The discussion encompasses the significant role of the seafloor as a carbon sink, the necessity for credible data in ocean conservation, and the crucial link between seafloor mapping and effective marine spatial planning.

We discuss our solution using advanced imaging, underwater navigation, and machine learning to automate seafloor mapping. Given the importance of seafloor data, and the barriers to access this data, we explain how our technology can improve the understanding of the ocean's potential. Our approach not only adds speed and scale to data collection but also provides multi-layered insights into species health, biomass, biodiversity and more, contributing to the credibility of marine conservation efforts.

We conclude with a summary of how different scientific reviews have confirmed the accuracy and meaningfulness of our methodology, validating the transformative impact on the blue carbon industry and seafloor habitat monitoring.

To dive into the topic in detail, you can find the full article here: Closing the data gap: Automated seafloor health maps to accelerate nature-based solutions