Shared Soundings | Map the Gaps

Your boat, global science.

Data from the
Deep to the Cloud

Be part of the last great exploration on earth with your own depth data. Map the ocean while you sail. Join Shared Soundings and let your boat do the science.

"If it floats and has a sounder, you qualify."

Join Shared Soundings How It Works

Explore

What is Shared Soundings?

Your vessel. Your data.
A global legacy.

75%

of the ocean floor unmapped

The ocean and lakes hold secrets that have never been seen, not because we can't reach them, but because we haven't mapped them yet. Shared Soundings changes that.

Make a charitable donation to Map the Gaps and receive a Mussel Kit hub provided by Orange Force Marine that integrates into your existing navigation network. From that moment on, every mile you travel contributes real depth data to a global scientific database.

Your data flows automatically to the cloud, is processed and validated, and feeds into the GEBCO world chart, the most authoritative public bathymetric dataset on Earth, used by Seabed 2030 and scientific institutions worldwide.

No new equipment to learn. No disruption to your voyage. Just exploration, passively and perpetually.

Simple by Design

Set it. Sail it. Map it.

The Mussel Kit is built for boaters who want to make a difference without changing how they operate. Once installed, your job is done.

Donate & Receive

Make your charitable donation. Your Mussel Kit ships directly to you, courtesy of Orange Force Marine.

Install & Connect

Plug into your NMEA 2000 or NMEA 0183 network. Works with your existing depth sounder — no new hardware.

Sail Normally

Go about your voyages as usual. The hub silently captures depth readings with GPS coordinates in real time.

Data reaches science

Depth data is automatically transmitted to the cloud and submitted to the GEBCO global database via Seabed 2030.

Your Impact

Funding Exploration & Conservation

Every dollar you contribute goes directly to two essential missions: mapping the unknown and protecting what’s there.

Boater Donor

Your Donation

A tax-deductible gift to Map the Gaps — and you receive a Mussel Kit hub in return.

Map the Gaps · 501(c)3

Receives & Deploys

Ships your Mussel Kit and manages the data pipeline to Seabed 2030.

Ocean & Lake Exploration

New Mapping Expeditions

Funds expeditions into uncharted territories, expanding the global depth dataset for science and navigation.

Marine Conservation

Protecting What’s There

Supports local and regional groups protecting marine life, reefs, and natural features.

The Data Journey

From Your Boat to the
Last Great Exploration on Earth

Every depth reading you capture travels automatically from your vessel into a freely accessible public database — available to scientists, researchers, and navigators worldwide.

Your Vessel

Depth sounder + Mussel Kit

Transmitted

WiFi, Starlink or cellular

Cloud Processing

Validated & formatted

Public Database

Freely accessible

The Public

Scientists & navigators

Meet the
Mussel Kit

The Mussel Kit hub is a purpose-built depth data transmitter that lives quietly in your nav network. It's the most hands-off contribution to ocean science you'll ever make.

Plug-and-play installation

Connects to your existing NMEA 2000 or NMEA 0183 network in minutes.

Automatic cloud transmission

Sends depth + GPS data via WiFi, Starlink, or cellular. Set it and forget it.

Secure & Reliable

Encrypted and submitted through Map the Gaps’ validated pipeline to Seabed 2030.

No boat? No sounder? No problem.

The ocean floor belongs to everyone, and so does the mission to map it. Adopt a hexagon of the ocean floor and become part of the last great exploration on earth.

Adopt your hex at Hexplorer.org →

Choose Your Level

Join Shared Soundings

Two ways to participate. One mission. Every sounding counts.

Sounding Pioneer

The complete one-time commitment

$2,950 USD

One-time charitable donation · This may be Tax-deductible depending on your tax filing

Full Mussel Kit hub in Pelican case with all cabling
Hexplorer Gear — recognition of your citizen science
Lifetime Shared Soundings membership
A 5 sq km Ocean Hex Tile of your choosing
Your name included on the Global Ocean Hex Tile Registry
Annual expedition report and impact summary
Map the Gaps Pioneer patch and certificate
Sticker pack to share your contribution
Charitable tax donation receipt (501c3)

Donate & Become a Pioneer

Secure payment via Stripe · Tax receipt issued by Map the Gaps

Sounding Steward

Ongoing support for the mission

$500 USD/yr

An on-going annual donation, This may be Tax-deductible depending on your tax filing

Full Mussel Kit hub in Pelican case with all cabling
Hexplorer Gear — recognition of your citizen science
Annual Shared Soundings membership
A 5 sq km Ocean Hex Tile of your choosing
Your name included on the Global Ocean Hex Tile Registry
Annual expedition report and impact summary
Map the Gaps Steward patch
Sticker pack to share your contribution
Charitable tax donation receipt (501c3)

Donate & Become a Steward

Annual recurring donation · Cancel anytime · Tax receipt each year

What You Need

Vessel Requirements

"If it floats and has a sounder, you qualify."

A Boat

Any vessel with a navigation suite, sail or power

Depth Sounder

Your existing echo sounder, no replacement needed

Navigation Suite

NMEA 2000 or NMEA 0183 network on board

Internet Connectivity

WiFi, Starlink, or personal cellular hotspot

Our Partners

Backed by the World's Best

Approved partner of the UN Sustainable Development Goals Partnerships program, advancing SDG 14: Life Below Water.

One of over 70 partners, data contributors and supporters of the Nippon Foundation GEBCO-Seabed 2030 Project.

Part of the Esri nonprofit program.

Registered Trusted Node within the International Hydrographic Organization Crowdsourced Bathymetry Program.

Strategic Shared Soundings Partner and Mussel Kit Hub Provider.

Strategic Marketing and Outreach Partner.

Data from theDeep to the Cloud

Your vessel. Your data.A global legacy.