Center Role
The Data Center is hosted by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, Colorado on behalf of the IHO Member States. It is one of Seabed 2030's network of regional and global centers.
Center Overview
The International Hydrographic Organization Data Center for Digital Bathymetry (IHO-DCDB) was established in 1990 to steward the worldwide collection of bathymetric data. The Center archives and shares, freely and without restrictions, depth data acquired by hydrographic, oceanographic and other vessels during surveys or while on passage.
Data can be discovered and accessed from the IHO-DCDB Data Viewer.
The DCDB consists of over 30 terabytes of primarily unedited single and multibeam bathymetric data contributed by industry, government, academia, and crowdsourced efforts. These data holdings are routinely used for the production of improved and more comprehensive bathymetric maps and grids, particularly in support of the GEBCO Ocean Mapping Programme.
In addition to the four Seabed 2030 Regional Centers, which focus on discovering, gathering and assembling bathymetric data in their areas to produce regional datasets and products, and the Global Center, which produces the GEBCO Grid, the DCDB acts as the central repository for all raw bathymetric data and all data compiled by Seabed 2030. The DCDB cooperates closely with Seabed 2030 and engages with international maritime, industry and intergovernmental organizations involved in ocean mapping and crowdsourcing initiatives to coordinate a global approach.