The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) launched a new Beta version of its Seabed Mapping Service, which provides detailed data on the bathymetry and any potential barriers.
Specifically, the updated ADMIRALTY portal includes data on bathymetry, wrecks and obstructions, along with a range of apps and APIs, to enable users to help inform a wide range of decisions to support a safe, secure and thriving future for the blue economy.
It is added that the service has been developed using agile project management principles and launched as a beta service, meaning that the service will be continually tested and improved, ensuring it fulfils user needs.
However, UKHO calls all users to provide their feedback about the service’s usability and suitability to meet their needs. This feedback will form part an iterative approach and enable the Office to align the service closer to the user needs and supporting a more seamless user journey.
Referring to the updated version, UKHO Product Manager Paul Marks commented
We encourage feedback and input from users on our Seabed Mapping Service. Through this, we will help people make better use of the marine environment and our blue economy through sustainable decision-making based on detailed seabed information.
Given the importance of seabed mapping, in June 2020 and in light of the World Hydrography Day, the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project, which aims to facilitate the complete mapping of the global ocean floor by 2030, has announced the inclusion of 14.5 million square kilometres of new bathymetric data in the latest GEBCO Grid.
