Oil spill spanning hundreds of km² at the coast of Oman: Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB) reveals the critical shallow-water area to support a safe salvage operation of the grounded tanker.

Oil from a “dark” vessel endangers marine ecosystem

On 11 June, the last AIS signal from the tanker ‘Caroline Bezengi’ was recorded off the coast of Yemen. According to media reports (gCaptain, Reuters, Al Jazeera Media Network,…) the vessel had loaded almost 1 million barrels of Russian crude oil at Novorossiysk (Black Sea) and was en route to Asia.

Later in June, the vessel – disabled and unmanned – ran aground on rocks southwest of Al Qibliyyah, Oman. The uninhabited island is part of the Al Hallaniyat archipelago, within a marine protected area. Nearly all of the vessel’s cargo tanks were breached.

Satellite Data Delivers Critical Shallow-Water Intelligence

Using very high resolution (VHR) satellite imagery from Vantor, EOMAP delivered SDB to Amaza Surveys on behalf of Mubarak Bridge Maritime (Mubarak Group, Dubai), which had offered to lead the salvage of the wrecked tanker. This is exactly the kind of intelligence salvage teams need to plan operations safely, particularly in insufficiently charted shallow waters.

With the spill now spreading across more than 600 km² (Greenpeace currently estimates even 1.000 km²), we can only hope this data reaches the right hands soon.

Satellite-derived intelligence for safe navigation and maritime surveillance

In brief: At EOMAP, we use SDB not only to provide robust, up-to-date data on critical coastal areas. It also helps us track “dark vessels”, even when AIS data is suppressed or unavailable.

Contact

• Email Kim Knauer and our coastal team to learn more about how SDB supports maritime safety and salvage planning.
• Send us your inquiry to boost your project performance.

Milestone #6 worth celebrating: The year we became UKHO’s highest-ranked Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB) provider.

First choice – twice

The UKHO stands at the forefront of global hydrography, enabling safer seas, stronger trade and better ocean stewardship. In 2015, UKHO selected EOMAP as their top-ranked SDB framework provider for the first time – a milestone that put our satellite analytics on British ADMIRALTY Navigational Chart 2066 of Southern Antigua.

Seven years later, in 2022, UKHO once again ranked us first, a position that remains in effect today.

Some further years later now, other hydrographic offices use our SDB solutions for nautical charting purposes. Meanwhile, EOMAP SDB has been integrated into about 50 nautical charts globally.

SDB for modern hydrography

Traditional vessel-based surveys struggle with shallow, remote, or ecologically sensitive areas. SDB bridges that gap – cost-effectively, non-intrusively, and at scale.

As Knut Hartmann, EO Service Line Manager at EOMAP, a company, puts it: “For us, this contract and the sound competitive evaluation procedure is a proof of trust in the quality of our satellite analytics. Moreover, it shows that our SDB technology is a must-have in the toolbox of modern hydrographers and surveyors, when it comes to mapping shallow waters.”

Beyond hydrography, these shallow water grids serve coastal zone managers, planners, and engineers around the world.

Learn More

• Read more about our collaboration in 2022.
• Follow along on the “20-years-EOMAP” page and share your memories in the comments!

Milestone #5 in EOMAP’s 20 years history: Mapping what was once considered ‘unmappable’ – the Great Barrier Reef.

These world-first digital maps of thousands of coral reefs were a key step towards identifying, managing and essentially preserving this global marine icon.

Bathymetry maps covering 350.000 km²

Back in 2013, we were part of a true breakthrough. In collaboration with leading German and Australian scientists, we delivered high-resolution, satellite-derived bathymetry maps covering the entire Great Barrier Reef.

For the first time, this ecosystem covering ~350,000 km² and thousands of individual reefs, was mapped consistently from space.

The challenge: Mapping shallow and remote waters

In general, traditional approaches using vessels or airborne surveys were (and still are) limited by cost, logistics, and accessibility. Especially in shallow or remote reef areas, these methods can be challenging.

For decades, nearly half of the Great Barrier Reef’s shallow-water reef areas had remained unmapped due to remoteness and navigational challenges.

Large-scale reef mapping from space

However, EOMAP helped change this. Without any vessel or aircraft support, this world-first dataset with 30-m-resolution provided a complete 3D picture of the planet’s largest coral reef ecosystem. It enabled more effective environmental management. This included water quality modelling to predicting climate change impacts, such as sea level rise and cyclone activity.

Beyond science, the project bridged a crucial gap: It offered both detailed local insights and a comprehensive system-wide view to governments, researchers, and industry alike. Back then, partner Stuart Phinn from the University of Queensland stated: “This information is regarded as essential for any government or company involved with managing the reef environment.”

Apart from the University of Queensland, EOMAP partnered with James Cook University and the Australia Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information in this project.

Until today, we continue providing non-invasive, cost-effective technology to protect irreplaceable ecosystems.

Learn More

Read more about this and other reef mapping project here:

• Launch of the Great Barrier Reef Bathymetry in 2013
• Mapping Ningaloo Reef
• See more milestones of EOMAP’s 20 year journey.

Contact

Reach out to Emily Twiggs in Australia or us at the HQ for any mapping solution you might need.

Bathymetric data is key for navies and hydrographic offices. They must navigate rising operational demands while maintaining the highest standards of safety and precision. At the same time, the need for fast, data‑driven insights is growing, calling for efficient and robust methods.

With WATCOR‑X, authorities can derive shallow‑water bathymetry accurately, securely, and on demand. It empowers users to generate high‑resolution bathymetric grids anywhere on the globe, without the need for site‑specific calibration data.

The new WATCOR-X subpage offers a detailed overview of the capabilities, including key features, processing insights, and real‑world advantages for operational users. Moreover, it includes a testimonial from a leading Australian hydrographer.

For a closer look at WATCOR‑X in action, we also provide a series of explanatory tutorials on YouTube. These step‑by‑step videos demonstrate key functions, workflows, and use cases – helping new users quickly understand what the software can do.

Contact shallowwater@eomap.com for further details.

How accurate is your SDB data? – This is a question we are often asked. SDB Update No.9 provides some information on the complex topic of uncertainties.

50% of the stakeholders identified mapping inaccessible locations as the main reason to apply Satellite-Derived Bathymetry. (Innovation project ‘4S’)

For our clients and partners, the reliability of our SDB data is a fundamental prerequisite for integrating it into their shallow water surveys, models, or coastal planning and engineering.

In general, the ability to map the seabed depends on the environmental conditions at the time of satellite image recording, and so does the overall quality of these measurements. Therefore, we provide some facts and (simplified) details about horizontal and vertical accuracy of our SDB measurements and how we manage uncertainty.

What about horizontal accuracy?

The horizontal or geo-positioning of SDB depends on the spatial resolution of the satellite sensors and is up to 2m. We make sure to remove effects from water refraction or terrain bias to minimize positional uncertainties.

Vertical uncertainties

Depth or vertical uncertainties are of highest interest to bathymetric users. Basically, there are standard statistical methods to describe the uncertainties: The LE90 level indicating that 90% of all data fall within this category, and the root mean square error (RMSE). As the LE90 is more relevant for our users, we return information on this as standard feedback. Over the years, we have found that 0.5m plus a depth dependent factor of 10% gives a very good global approximation of the vertical LE90 uncertainties.

Is it that simple?

Of course not. In addition, seabed coverage, water turbidity, tidal uncertainties, and other effects impact uncertainty. For this reason, we provide pixel-specific uncertainties for each depth measurement.

What about client data?

Can we use client data to improve and verify SDB? Yes, we can and are happy to do so! For this purpose, a detailed validation report and statistics will be included. Furthermore, there is an interesting validation option, even if you don’t have any data: We leverage active green laser depth measurements to verify our results, and it comes with detailed statistics on how accurate it performs.

Validation studies

Although our physics-based image processing is based on 30 years of development and can be applied independently of in situ depth information, we continue conducting validation studies to further improve our algorithms and SDB apps. Here are two recent examples:

• A very comprehensive study of this sort was part of the “4S” project, in the framework of which we developed the web app SDB-Online. In this study, SDB results are validated at ten different sites, ranging from the higher latitudes of Canada to turbid UK waters to the Caribbean. SDB was validated against Lidar and MBES data. The project team published the details of this analysis in the peer reviewed ‘International Hydrographic Review’.

• Atmospheric correction (AC) for water bodies is key to ensure standardized and high-quality outputs. In 2024, 21 European scientists evaluated AC as the core of our “MIP” methodology in the framework of the EnMAP mission. In this intercomparison between three AC methods covering 17 water sites, our “MIP” showed superior results. Read more on the study published in “Optics Express”.

Contact

Scroll down to our FAQs for more on how we deal with uncertainties here.

Sign up to eoapp™ SDB-Online to test bathymetry from the comfort of your desk.

Or simply request a quote via our Enquiry portal.

SDB update is a Linkedin post series on Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB) by EOMAP – a Fugro company. Enjoy news, facts, and figures on a bi-weekly basis!

Let’s take you on an animated journey to Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB) for this SDB Update No. 5*! – Discover the new storymap and learn about how SDB evolved, what “physics-based” SDB means, and see use cases that highlight the strengths of this technology.

In its final declaration, the recent UN Ocean Conference in Nice acknowledges the critical need for accounting and mapping of coastal and marine ecosystems, and of the ocean floor.

Smart mapping of marine ecosystems

When it comes to efficient technologies to achieve this goal, SDB is high up on the list. With many of our SDB projects, we contribute to global initiatives, such as Seabed 2030, EMODnet Bathymetry, or GEBCO – General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans.

Although SDB enjoys wide acknowledgement among ocean mapping experts, we still encounter knowledge gaps. Through the EOMAP storymap “Unveiling Depths – A Journey to SDB” we wish to support a deeper understanding of this innovative technology in an enjoyable way.

Scroll through the storymap to learn about

• The development of seafloor mapping
• Our highly sophisticated model providing shallow water depth without the need for any other survey or ground-truth data
• The 4 key benefits of physics-based SDB illustrated in use cases from Canada, Italy, the Maldives and Germany

Dive deeper into Satellite-Derived Bathymetry

If you wish to explore the innovative, yet established mapping technology even in more depth, here are two recommendations:

➡️ The peer-reviewed paper “Satellite-Derived Bathymetry Online” in the International Hydrographic Review. It reports on SDB validation results in ten focus areas with different tidal regimes, water clarity conditions, and latitudes. The paper also introduces a global map of water-clarity potential for the application of SDB.

➡️ The SDB Best Practice Guide by International Hydrographic Organization (IHO): The document of 2024 provides an overview of methods and factors to consider when applying SDB to map shallow coastal environments. In addition, it provides a framework for collecting, processing, analysing, interpreting, and sharing data.

Contact

Please mail to shallowwater@eomap.de for SDB services worldwide.
Or simply get quotes for your area via our enquiry platform.

*SDB Update is a Linkedin post series on Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB) by EOMAP – a Fugro company. Enjoy news, facts, and figures on a bi-weekly basis!

SDB Update No. 4 takes us to the high latitudes of Northern Canada, which we have now mapped in 100 m resolution. The longest national coastline worldwide is an impressive showcase for Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB). This post shows the value of SDB for such remote and extensive areas.

The coasts of North Canada are a challenge for traditional surveying

Canada’s coastline measures up to 243,000 km in length! Moreover, the Canadian coastal morphology is incredibly diverse owing to its vast size, glacial history, tectonic activity, and its interactions with multiple oceans including the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans. In the Northern part of the coast touching the Arctic Ocean, permafrost, sea ice, fjords, and deltas in low-lying tundra regions dominate the landscape. This also results in shallow lagoons and thousands of islands of various sizes .

Hence, these remote regions with tough environmental conditions and high tidal dynamics were among the last to be charted. You might recall the famous and tragic Franklin’s lost expedition, an attempt to collect ancillary navigation data across the last untraversed sections in the Canadian Arctic.

SDB Update North Canada

Mapping North Canada – an opportunity for satellite data

Thus, many of the Canadian Arctic Coastal regions – except for highly frequented navigation channels – are subject to navigation hazards. These include changing shallow water zones, shoals, and rocks.

This concern led to a fascinating use case under the Canadian Ocean Protection Plan: The Canadian Hydrographic Service engaged with indigenous coastal communities to bring more safety to their marine activities. Read about how our SDB data was used by the Inukjuak community for planning and de-risking a mapping project. For even more details on the technologies applied, read this paper in the International Hydrographic Review.

To derive the above mentioned 100-m bathymetry dataset on the entire Canadian Arctic Archipelago, we used optical Copernicus Sentinel-3 imagery. This is helpful for:

⚓ Gaining information on inaccessible locations
🔭 Reconnaissance for more detailed in-situ bathymetric surveys
🌊 Low-effort data collection for dynamic hydrography

Of course, we can also provide SDB products in very high resolution.

Contact

For other purposes, such as coastal engineering and planning we can increase the spatial resolution of SDB grids to sub-metre levels of detail. – Interested?

Please contact shallowwater@eomap.de for SDB services in Canada and worldwide.

SDB update is a Linkedin post series on Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB) by EOMAP – a Fugro company. Enjoy news, facts, and figures on a bi-weekly basis!

SDB Update No. 3 takes us to the lowest-lying country*) in the world: The Maldives. Only recently, we have mapped Asia’s smallest country in a resolution of 100 m! – This post shows how Satellite-Derived Bathymetry can benefit such widely uncharted shallow waters.

*) in average elevation

1,200 islands slightly above sea level

The Maldives archipelago consists of about 1,200 small coral islands or sandbanks, clustered in 26 atolls of volcanic origin. None of these islands in the Indian Ocean rises to more than 1.8 metres above sea level.

Like the Bahamas (see SDB Update 2), the Maldives is highly attractive to tourists, welcoming 1.5 million people per year. Yet, the inhabitants of the Maldives are not only aware of the beauty of their islands, but also of their vulnerability.

In this context, the Maldives spearheads a group of small islands and low-lying coastal countries that face unique environmental challenges, especially related to climate change: the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and Small Islands Development States (SIDS). Their concerns will be addressed at the UN Ocean Conference 2025 in France, where our colleague Mona Reithmeier will join a panel about “Powering Progress: Data, Skills, and Technology for the Ocean” on 11 June.

Largely unmapped with ideal conditions for SDB

In fact, 99% of the Maldives Republic’s territory is made up of the sea. However, most of the shallow waters there have not been mapped so far. The turquoise ponds around the often tiny islands offer high water clarity and ideal conditions for SDB.

SDB is a sound basis for understanding the Maldives’ shallow waters. It supports

• the understanding of coastal dynamics, human impact and vulnerability
• hydrodynamic modelling and resilience measures
• protecting this unique island ecosystem and sustainably managing near-shore activities

More EOMAP activities in the Maldives

>> Coastal resilience: The Maldives are one of the pilot regions of the COASTS project. In collaboration with Maldives Space Research Organisation (MSRO), Fugro, and Submaris we create an online solution for coastal stakeholders.

>> Sea level rise: The Maldives app, which we developed for the World Bank in the framework of an ESA project on the impacts of sea level rise.

> Coastal protection, free navigable channels: In 2018, Van Oord used our SDB data to manage dredging activities in a protected area of the Maldives.

Contact

For other purposes – especially in coastal engineering and planning – we can increase the spatial resolution of SDB grids to submeter levels of detail. – Interested?

Please contact shallowwater@eomap.de for SDB services in the Maldives and worldwide.

SDB update is a Linkedin post series on Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB) by EOMAP. Enjoy news, facts, and figures on a bi-weekly basis!

“Towards Coastal Digital Twins” is our motto for the annual Hydrographic Conference from 5 – 7 November. This annual get together of the hydrographic community will be hosted in Rostock-Warnemünde, Germany.

Meet EOMAP at HYDRO 2024 in Rostock Warnemünde

Meet our experts on satellite-derived bathymetry and monitoring of coastal dynamics on occasion of the THE hydrography event. Hosted by the German Hydrographic Society (DHyG) and co-sponsored by EOMAP, HYDRO 2024 will provide new trends, challenges and technology for the hydrographic industry. Access the full conference programme here.

Feel welcome to talk to our team in Rostock to learn more, how we bridge the gap between science and market-ready solutions! – Let’s dive into these topics:

Technology, Innovations and Use Cases

📍State-of-the-art Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB)
📍Understanding coastal morphology, dynamics, unveiling shoals
📍Demo tour of cloud processing solutions: SDB-Online and eoapp AQUA
📍Use cases from across the oceans and our contributions to EmoDnet Bathymetry or Seabed2030.
📍Solutions for coastal monitoring and impact assessment of natural hazards.

Meet our colleagues at

• Mona Reithmeier’s conference talk about “Mapping and monitoring the global coast” on 5th November (13:55), Auditorium A
• Fugro’s Session on “Multi-Scale Hydrographic and Ecosystem Mapping: Scaling Up the ISPRA Mediterranean Ecosystem Restoration (MER) Project”. Next to co-presenters from ISPRA, Fugro and PlanBlue, Kim Knauer will showcase, how satellite data on bathymetry and seagrass habitats plays into the integrated mapping solutions of this project – on 6 November at 10:45 am.
  
• Kim Knauer’s conference talk about “Satellites, the autonomous surveyors – rapid assessment of storm-induced impacts to coastlines” on 7th November (09:00), Auditorium A
• or visit the EOMAP booth #22 from 5 – 7 November!

Mona, Kim and Knut will gladly outline how satellite-based information on water depth, coastal changes, and water quality can enhance your work.

Contact

For further questions, please contact our coastal team via e-mail.