Imagine you need to know what the ocean floor looks like — its depth, what lives there, how it's changing — but sending ships with sonar is slow and expensive. This project built an online tool that reads satellite images (plus optional drone footage) and uses AI to figure out what's happening underwater. Think of it like Google Maps for the seabed, powered by space data instead of survey boats. The software is live and available through a web browser, so anyone from an offshore wind developer to a marine biologist can get seabed maps on demand.
Companies working offshore and along coastlines — wind farm developers, port authorities, dredging firms, environmental consultancies — need accurate, up-to-date maps of the seabed. Today, that means chartering survey vessels with sonar equipment: slow, expensive, and impossible to repeat frequently. Meanwhile, EU maritime directives demand regular environmental reporting on seabed habitats and changes, creating a compliance burden on top of operational costs.
A cloud-based online software platform (4S Suite) that generates seabed maps — depth, habitat type, morphology, and change over time — from satellite imagery. The platform is live at sdb-online.eoapp.de, includes APIs for integration into existing hydrographic workflows, and fuses Copernicus satellite data with optional drone and on-site measurements using AI and sensor fusion algorithms.
If you are an offshore wind developer dealing with expensive and time-consuming ship-based seabed surveys before construction — this project built a cloud-based software suite that generates bathymetry and seabed habitat maps from satellite data. It was validated across 7 use cases in 4 countries plus the Caribbean, cutting the need for costly vessel campaigns during early site assessment.
If you are a coastal engineering firm or port authority that needs regular seabed monitoring for navigation safety and sediment change — this project developed an online platform with APIs that plug directly into your hydrographic software. With 8 consortium partners from 7 countries contributing to validation, the tool delivers up-to-date depth and morphology data without mobilizing survey vessels.
If you are an environmental consultancy preparing habitat assessments for EU maritime directives — this project created a satellite-based tool that maps benthic habitats and tracks seabed changes over time. The software fuses Copernicus satellite data with optional drone imagery, giving you the spatial evidence you need for EC reporting at a fraction of traditional survey costs.
The project does not disclose specific pricing. However, the core value proposition is replacing expensive ship-based sonar campaigns with satellite-derived data processed through a cloud platform. The software is accessible online at sdb-online.eoapp.de, suggesting a subscription or per-use model. Contact the coordinator for commercial terms.
Yes. The system was designed for global coverage, validated across 7 use cases spanning 4 countries and the Caribbean plus additional sites worldwide. It harnesses Copernicus satellite data (free, global coverage) combined with US satellite lidar, making large-area mapping feasible without deploying vessels.
The coordinator is EOMAP GmbH & Co KG, a German SME that led the project. With industry partners contributing 52% of the workload, the commercial exploitation is industry-driven. Based on available project data, licensing details are not publicly disclosed — contact the coordinator directly.
The project was explicitly designed to help users respond to EC maritime directives and environmental impact studies. The satellite-derived seabed data covers depth, benthic habitat, morphology, and change detection — all relevant to EU environmental compliance reporting.
The 4S Suite includes APIs specifically built to integrate into existing hydrographic software and user workflows. This was co-designed and demonstrated with end users, some of whom were consortium members. The platform is cloud-based, accessible through a web browser.
The project website at sdb-online.eoapp.de remains active. Since the coordinator EOMAP is a commercial SME and industry partners drove 52% of the work, the platform was designed for long-term commercial operation beyond the project's end in October 2023.
The platform uses freely available Copernicus satellite data and US satellite lidar data as its base. Optionally, you can integrate your own airborne drone imagery and on-site measurements for higher accuracy through sensor fusion. No proprietary data purchase is required to get started.
The 4S consortium is strongly industry-oriented: 4 out of 8 partners are from industry (50%), and they contributed 52% of the total workload — unusual for an EU project and a clear signal this was built for market, not just for papers. The coordinator EOMAP GmbH is a German SME specializing in Earth observation, meaning the commercial entity owns the product roadmap. With 3 research organizations providing scientific muscle and partners spanning 7 countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Jamaica, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden), the consortium covers both European and Caribbean markets. The absence of universities suggests this was an engineering and deployment project, not an academic exercise.
EOMAP GmbH & Co KG (Germany) — commercial SME, likely reachable through their company website or the 4S platform
Want an introduction to the 4S team or a tailored briefing on how satellite-derived bathymetry fits your offshore operations? Contact SciTransfer — we connect businesses with EU research teams.
