(Saunderstown, RI — April 1, 2026) Ocean Discovery League (ODL) announces the launch of the Global Deep Sea Exploration Goals , an ambitious international effort to visually explore 10,000 strategically selected locations across the deep seafloor. When completed, this initiative will nearly double the number of unique seafloor locations ever visually observed and produce the first globally representative visual dataset of the deep ocean floor.
These observations will unlock new discoveries about biodiversity, ecosystem function, and environmental change, helping scientists, policymakers, and the public better understand the largest and least explored ecosystem on Earth.
The methodology behind this strategy was published today in a Science Advances article titled “ The Global Deep Sea Exploration Goals: A Representative Approach to Visually Observing the Deep Seafloor .” The paper describes how the target locations were selected using existing global datasets of key seafloor characteristics and outlines the impact that observing these locations could have on achieving a representative picture of deep seafloor environmental diversity.
The initiative builds directly on ODL’s landmark 2025 study, " How Little We've Seen: A Visual Coverage Estimate of the Deep Seafloor ," which revealed that only 0.001% of the deep seafloor has been visually observed despite covering more than half of the planet’s surface.
“More than 99.999% of the deep seafloor has never been seen,” said Dr. Katy Croff Bell, President of Ocean Discovery League, National Geographic Explorer, and senior author of the study. “The Global Deep Sea Exploration Goals provide the first practical roadmap to change that. By coordinating exploration efforts across the global community and focusing on locations that represent the true diversity of the seafloor, we can dramatically accelerate discovery while building a more inclusive and collaborative future for deep-sea science.”
Visual observations are one of the most critical non-invasive tools available to scientists, allowing researchers to document marine life behavior, assess biodiversity, provide context for collected samples, and characterize geological environments.
To support the initiative, ODL has launched an open-access interactive platform that allows researchers, expedition planners, and the public to explore the 10,000 targets and track progress as observations are completed.
“By correcting for long-standing observational biases, such as disproportionate exploration near wealthy coastal nations or specific geological features, the approach provides a roadmap for a more representative, geographically balanced observation of the deep seafloor,” said lead author Dr. Kristen Johannes.
A growing international coalition of organizations has already committed to supporting the Global Deep Sea Exploration Goals, including the National Geographic Society, Seabed 2030, OceanX, Schmidt Ocean Institute, Challenger 150, SpeSeas, LAMAVE, Marmoris, Oceanswell, and the Deep Ocean Observing Strategy (DOOS). These collaborators represent a broad alliance of scientific institutions, expedition programs, and global ocean initiatives working to coordinate exploration, mapping, biodiversity discovery, and ocean stewardship.
The initiative is designed to integrate with ongoing global ocean science programs, including seafloor mapping and biodiversity discovery, enabling expeditions worldwide to contribute observations alongside their existing research goals. Because many observations can be incorporated into ongoing cruises or conducted with relatively low-cost imaging systems, the Global Deep Sea Exploration Goals can be achieved through a distributed network of expeditions over the next one to two decades.
ODL invites research institutions, exploration programs, governments, philanthropic and private-sector collaborators to participate by incorporating these targets into upcoming expeditions, contributing imagery and data, and supporting the expansion of deep-sea exploration capacity worldwide.
“Understanding the deep ocean is essential for informed decisions about biodiversity, climate, and the sustainable management of marine resources,” Bell added. “With the Global Deep Sea Exploration Goals, we now have a clear path toward seeing and understanding the deep ocean for the first time.”
The development of the Global Deep Sea Exploration Goals was supported by the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Expeditions program, Dalio Philanthropies, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, and the Cabot Family Charitable Trust and produced in collaboration with the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
More Information: https://www.oceandiscoveryleague.org/global-deep-sea-exploration-goals
Full Paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aea8731 . An advance copy of the full paper can be found online at the Science Advances press package at https://www.eurekalert.org/press/vancepak/
Special Notes to Reporters
The full Global Deep Sea Exploration Goals website and online interactive will be available on April 1, 2026, at 14:00 US ET. Custom graphics and animations for targets in specific regions and countries are available from the media contact below. More information, including a copy of the paper, can be found online at the Science Advances press package at https://www.eurekalert.org/press/vancepak/
About Ocean Discovery League
Founded by deep-sea explorer Dr. Katy Croff Bell, Ocean Discovery League's mission is to accelerate deep-ocean exploration by developing accessible systems to broaden the community of those who explore and understand the deep sea. ODL is developing a strategic approach to expand the area of the seafloor that is explored, mapped, and characterized while reducing expenses by creating lower-cost, easier-to-use tools, technology, and training. These actions, combined with a more targeted approach to selecting exploration locations, will expand deep-sea exploration to a broader community of researchers and explorers.
Media Contact
Susan Poulton, Vice President, Strategy and Communications
Email: susan@oceandiscoveryleague.org
Mobile: +1-703-568-6117
Bluesky & Instagram: @oceandiscleague
Facebook: Ocean Discovery League
URL: http://www.oceandiscoveryleague.org
Science Advances
Data/statistical analysis
Not applicable
The Global Deep Sea Exploration Goals: A Representative Approach to Visually Observing the Deep Seafloor
1-Apr-2026
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