Archive · 19 May 2025
Vast Majority of Deep Seafloor Remains Unexplored, Study Finds
Scientists looked at how much of the deep ocean floor they have seen.
They found that we've only explored a tiny bit, less than 0.001%.
The deep ocean is the biggest place on Earth, but we know very little about it.
Most of the exploring has been done by just a few countries, like the US and Japan.
The study suggests we need to find new ways to explore the deep sea.
A new study assessed the extent of deep seafloor observation.
Visual observations have covered a minuscule portion of the deep seafloor.
Data analysis included records from 34 institutions across 14 countries.
Over 97% of dives were conducted by only five countries.
Study highlights a need for a fundamental change in deep-sea exploration.
- Who
- Researchers from the U.S.
- What
- A study estimating the visual coverage of the deep seafloor.
- When
- Data collected from various periods over 66 years.
- Where
- Deep ocean, covering 120 exclusive economic zones and high seas.
- Why
- To quantify how much of the deep seafloor humans have observed visually.
- Deep Seafloor Unexplored
- 99.999%
- Total Visual Coverage
- At least 1,259 sq. km; at most 2,130 sq. km
- Coverage Over 66 Years
- 3,823 sq. km
- Dives by 5 Countries
- Over 97% (US, Japan, New Zealand, France, Germany)
- Study Published In
- Science Advances