Abyssal Claims — Ocean & Land Environmental Transparency Map

An independent platform mapping 30+ environmental data layers across ocean and land on an interactive 3D globe. Track deep-sea mining concessions, global mining footprints, deforestation, active fires, air quality, biodiversity hotspots, and more — helping researchers, journalists, policymakers, and the public understand the full environmental picture.

Ocean Data Layers

• Mining Concessions — All active ISA exploration and exploitation contracts with contractor details, expiry dates, and environmental risk assessments.
• Hydrothermal Vents — 721 vent fields from the InterRidge Database v3.4, including active, inactive, and extinct sites with depth data.
• Biodiversity Hotspots — Deep-sea species observations from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), including endangered species flagging.
• Seamounts — 19,617 underwater mountains from Yesson et al. 2011, primary targets for cobalt-crust mining.
• Argo Floats — Real-time ocean monitoring with 90-day drift trails, depth profiles, temperature, salinity, oxygen, and pH measurements.
• Plume Tracing — Copernicus Marine ocean current backtracking to estimate sediment plume origins from mining activity.
• EEZ Boundaries — Exclusive Economic Zones from MarineRegions.org World EEZ v12.
• Protected Areas — ISA Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEIs) and UNESCO World Heritage Marine Sites.
• Submarine Cables — Undersea telecommunications infrastructure from EMODnet.
• OceanSITES & ONC — Long-term ocean monitoring stations and observatories.

Land Data Layers

• Global Mining Footprints — 74,548 mine polygons (pits, tailings, waste dumps, processing sites) from Sentinel-2 at 10m resolution — Maus et al. 2022/2023.
• Key Biodiversity Areas — 16,000+ sites identified as the most important places on Earth for species and ecosystems — BirdLife / KBA Partnership.
• Protected Areas (WDPA) — 270,000+ protected areas globally — UNEP-WCMC / IUCN.
• Tree Cover Loss — Annual deforestation at 30m resolution (2001–2024) with weekly GLAD/RADD alerts — University of Maryland / WRI.
• Active Fires (FIRMS) — Near-real-time fire detection from MODIS & VIIRS — NASA LANCE, updated within 3 hours.
• Air Quality Stations — Real-time PM2.5, SO₂, NO₂, O₃, CO from government stations worldwide — OpenAQ.
• Tailings Dams — 1,800+ mine tailings dams with risk classification — GRID-Arendal / UNEP.
• Landslide Catalog — Rainfall-triggered landslides since 2007 — NASA COOLR / Goddard Space Flight Center.
• Global Surface Water — Surface water occurrence and change 1984–2021 at 30m — JRC / European Commission.
• Global Dams — 41,145 river barriers + 35,295 reservoir polygons — Global Dam Watch.
• Forest Carbon Flux — CO₂ emissions and removals per hectare at 30m — WRI / Global Forest Watch.
• Soil Organic Carbon — Global soil carbon stocks (top 30cm) at ~1km — FAO GSOCmap v1.5.

Why This Matters

Environmental destruction happens across both ocean and land — deep-sea mining threatens hydrothermal vents hosting species found nowhere else, while deforestation, industrial mining, and pollution reshape terrestrial ecosystems daily. This tool connects the data so researchers, journalists, and the public can see the full picture: where extraction happens, what ecosystems are at risk, and what is changing.

Data Sources

• International Seabed Authority (ISA) — Deep-sea mining contracts and boundaries
• InterRidge Database v3.4 via PANGAEA — Hydrothermal vent locations
• Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) — Marine species observations
• Argo Programme — Autonomous ocean profiling floats
• Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS) — Ocean currents for plume analysis
• MarineRegions.org — EEZ and UNESCO marine boundaries
• Maus et al. 2022/2023 — Global mining footprints from Sentinel-2
• BirdLife / KBA Partnership — Key Biodiversity Areas
• UNEP-WCMC / IUCN — World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)
• University of Maryland / WRI — Global Forest Watch deforestation
• NASA LANCE FIRMS — Near-real-time fire detection
• OpenAQ — Global air quality monitoring stations
• GRID-Arendal / UNEP — Mine tailings dams
• NASA COOLR — Global landslide catalog
• JRC / European Commission — Global surface water
• Global Dam Watch — River barriers and reservoirs
• FAO — Global soil organic carbon map