Can Argo floats help bathymetry?

Currently, less than 24% of the global ocean floor has been well mapped (Seabed 2030 Project, 2022), with less than 11% constrained by shipboard soundings (Tozer et al., 2019). Accurately mapping the topography of the ocean basins is critical not only for marine scientists but also for stakeholders in industries as diverse as shipping, fisheries, resource exploration, marine engineering and infrastructure, ecotourism and conservation. Several high-level initiatives have highlighted the importance of improving bathymetry including the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project and the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). High priority regions for improved bathymetric data are remote regions that are difficult, time-consuming, or expensive to access with survey vessels. There are many gaps that remain to be filled, including those in the deep oceans, polar regions, coastal waters shallower than 200m depth and the sparsely observed sectors of the major ocean basins.