Authorship and Acknowledgements

ThisCommissioned document was commissioned out offollowing the 16th annual meeting of the IHO Crowdsourced Bathymetry Working Group (CSBWG) held in March 2025 in Wellington, New Zealand.Zealand, Thesethis effortsdocument areprovides theguidance resultfor of a request by newestablishing and interestedmaintaining Crowdsourced Bathymetry (CSB) initiativesinitiatives. withinIt variousaddresses requests from member organizations for clear guidance and examples for how to create, recruit, operate, and maintain a CSB program. This document drawsBased on the knowledgecollective expertise of leading Trusted Nodes, research partners and resourceshydrographic ofoffices severalthese majorinsights Trustedrepresent Nodesproven andstrategies Hydrographicfor Officessuccess in CSB implementation while recognizing that participate in the IHO CSBWG and highlights the information found to be most pertinent by these entitiesstrategies through trial-and-error. All information reflected here is an amalgamation of experience, butare not necessarily the only path to success. 

The authors would like to acknowledge the worksignificant contributions of organizations which have contributed majorly to this effort including 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 whichwho have contributedalso tobeen amassinginstrumental in consolidating the knowledge containedpresented in this document.here.

WeFurthermore, would also like towe recognize the roleInternational ofHydrographic global organizations and initiatives, such asOrganization, the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project,Project and the GEBCO Programme andfor theall International Hydrographic Organization forof their rolesefforts in fostering global collaboration. Their efforts in bringing together interestedstakeholders partiesare toessential contribute tofor the overallongoing usecompilation and compilationutilization of global crowdsourced bathymetry data.

 

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