Authorship and Acknowledgements

Commissioned following the 16th annual meeting of the IHO Crowdsourced Bathymetry Working Group (CSBWG) in Wellington, New Zealand, this document provides guidance for establishing and maintaining Crowdsourced Bathymetry (CSB) initiatives. It addresses requests from member organizations for clear guidance and examples for how to create, recruit, operate, and maintain a CSB program. Based on the collective expertise of leading Trusted Nodes, research partners and hydrographic offices these insights represent proven strategies for success in CSB implementation while recognizing that these strategies are not necessarily the only path to success.

The authors acknowledge the significant contributions of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information and the co-located IHO Data Centre for Digital Bathymetry, University of New Hampshire's Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping (CCOM), University of South Florida’s Center for Ocean Mapping and Innovative Technologies (COMIT), Orange Force Marine, and the International SeaKeepers Society, as well as other partner organizations who have also been instrumental in consolidating the knowledge presented here.

Furthermore, we recognize the International Hydrographic Organization, the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project and the GEBCO Programme for all of their efforts in fostering global collaboration. Their efforts in bringing together stakeholders are essential for the ongoing compilation and utilization of global crowdsourced bathymetry data.

This document provides technical and practical guidance only that in no way supersede national or international laws and regulations.