Glossary

B-12

B-12 - IHO Guidelines for Crowdsourced Bathymetry is an IHO guidance document created by the IHO CSBWG to provide best practices for collecting and contributing crowdsourced depth data. The document provides an overview of the technical “how-to” on CSB collection, metadata format, offset correction, and data contribution to the IHO DCDB so that all providers (Trusted Nodes) follow the same format uniformly.

CSB

Crowdsourced bathymetry is defined by the IHO as the collection and sharing of depth measurements from vessels, using standard navigation instruments, while engaged in routine maritime operations. 

CSBWG

The IHO Crowdsourced Bathymetry Working Group is tasked with maintaining IHO publications B-12 - IHO Guidelines for Crowdsourced Bathymetry - as well as investigating and highlighting use cases of CSB data, providing guidance on data quality and standards in liaison with other IHO bodies, universities, nonprofits, private companies, and other organizations interested in the utility of CSB. The CSBWG is particularly tasked to work in cooperation and coordination with other stakeholders to ensure a harmonized approach to data gathering and the resultant datasets.

DCDB

Data Center for Digital Bathymetry: Data Center co-located at NOAA’s NCEI, stores bathymetry data for all IHO initiatives including CSB, and is a major source for the Seabed2030 initiative.

IHO

International Hydrographic Organization: The organization that creates the structure for how we engage with Seabed2030 and global CSB initiatives. 

NCEI

National Centers for Environmental Information: Part of NOAA, NCEI provides environmental data, products, and services and co-hosts the IHO DCDB, which is responsible for CSB data validity, safe storage, data distribution, and more.

NOAA

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: The United States federal agency under which the DCDB and NCEI are co-located.

S-44

IHO Publication that defines the standard applicable to hydrographic surveys and takes its place amongst the other IHO publications, designed to improve the safety of navigation, knowledge, and protection of the marine environment.

Seabed2030

A global initiative and United Nations Decade Action Program, which is supported by the Nippon Foundation, the IHO, NOAA, and GEBCO with the goal of mapping the entire seafloor by the year 2030 and providing this data as an open-access open-source resource.

Trusted Node

A designation that any organization can apply for which allows that organization to aggregate and directly contribute CSB data to the DCDB.