NOAA partnerships, smart technology to map the deepest and darkest ocean regions.
America’s waters are largely unknown, with vast areas still unmapped. Only 46 percent of U.S. ocean, coastal and Great Lakes waters are mapped to modern standards.
New and expanded NOAA partnerships can help fill these gaps, supporting a national strategy to completely map U.S. deep water by 2030 and nearshore waters by 2040. This year, NOAA and eight ocean partners agreed to explore, characterize and share ocean data, helping to close gaps in mapping the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and build understanding about remote global areas.
Little is known about these remote areas. Just five to 10 percent of the ocean has been explored since the U.S. Exploring Expedition set sail in the Pacific in the mid-1800s.
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