We know very little about the deep ocean floor. As of today, approximately 20% of it is currently mapped. We know the topography of the Moon and Mars better than we know our own planet.

The shape of the seabed is critical to understanding ocean circulation patterns – affecting climate and weather patterns, tides, wave action, sediment transport, tsunami wave propagation and underwater geo-hazards. By 2030, the goal is to have the entire ocean floor mapped.

Cassie Bongiovanni is considered a “mapping prodigy.” She is part of the team leading the charge to map the world’s oceans, one data point at a time.