99.999% of the Ocean Floor Remains Uncharted by Humans

A groundbreaking analysis of deep-sea exploration indicates that humans have directly observed only a minuscule fraction of the Earth’s deep seabed (under 0.001%), leaving vast areas hidden from our view.

Covering 71% of the Earth’s total surface, oceans possess around 93% of their area deep within the seabed, specifically below 200 meters. While satellite and ship-mounted sonar help in mapping much of this marine territory, direct observations remain exceedingly rare.