The Quest to Map the Global Ocean

This year's Revelle Lecture will feature Dr. Larry Mayer, Professor and Director of the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire. The lecture will examine the scientific, technological, and logistical challenges of mapping the global ocean, where nearly three-quarters of the seafloor remains unmapped despite its central role in supporting marine ecosystems, infrastructure, and economic activity.

Dr. Mayer will describe why satellite-based imaging techniques that are effective on land cannot be applied to most of the seafloor and how advances in multibeam sonar, autonomous and uncrewed platforms, and satellite communications are transforming seafloor mapping. The lecture will also highlight national and international initiatives to accelerate mapping of the global ocean and U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, with implications for navigation safety, hazard and climate modeling, resource management, and ocean exploration.