The GEBCO Sub-Committee on Undersea Feature Names (SCUFN) maintains and makes available a digital gazetteer of the names, generic feature type and geographic position of features on the seafloor.
- The role of SCUFN
- How to view and download data from the gazetteer hosted at the IHO DCDB
- Guidelines and nomenclature
- Undersea feature terms and definitions web search
- Submitting name proposals
- Reports of SCUFN meetings
Access SCUFN's Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedure from the IHO's web site.
A list of SCUFN contacts can be accessed from our Committees and Groups page.
The role of SCUFN
The setting up of SCUFN arose from the need for a uniform policy for the handling of geographical names and the standardisation of undersea feature names. This was done in order to achieve consistent naming on bathymetric maps and nautical charts.
The role of SCUFN is
- To define the nomenclature used for undersea features, e.g. canyon, plateau, fracture zone, etc., as well as naming guidelines
- To consider and decide on names that have been submitted to the Sub-Committee
All names selected by SCUFN are contained in the IHO-IOC GEBCO Gazetteer of Undersea Feature Names, IHO publication B-8.
The secretariat of SCUFN is provided by the Secretariat of the International Hydrographic Organization, Monaco, where the gazetteer database is maintained.
Find out about SCUFN's meetings.
Guidelines and nomenclature
Access the document B-6 on the Standardization of Undersea Feature Names (Guidelines, Proposal Form Terminology), available from the IHO's web site.
Undersea feature terms and definitions web search
Access the undersea feature terms and definitions web search. This includes imagery illustrating the feature types.
Names proposals
To submit a name proposal, download and return a name proposal submission form from the IHO's web site.
Meeting reports
SCUFN meets on a yearly basis. Access reports from past meetings (from the SCUFN pages at the International Hydrographic Organization's web site).
- 37th SCUFN Meeting, in-person, 24 - 28 June 2024, Jeju, Republic of Korea
- 36th SCUFN Meeting, in-person, November 2023, Wollongong, Australia
- 35th SCUFN Meetings(s), hybrid event, Paris, March 2022; in-person, Monaco, November 2022
- 34th SCUFN Meeting(s), held virtually, January, June and November 2021
- 33rd SCUFN Meeting, held as a virtual meeting, 9 - 10 November 2020
- 32nd SCUFN Meeting, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 5 - 9 August 2019
- 31st SCUFN Meeting, Wellington, New Zealand, 23-27 October 2018
- 30th SCUFN Meeting, Genoa, Italy, 2-6 October 2017
- 29th SCUFN Meeting, Boulder, Colorado, USA, 19-23 September 2016
- 28th SCUFN Meeting, Niteroi, Brazil, 12 - 16 October 2015
- 27th SCUFN Meeting, Monaco, 16 - 20 June 2014
- 26th SCUFN Meeting, Tokyo, Japan, 23-27 September 2013
- 25th SCUFN Meeting, Wellington, New Zealand, 23-27 October 2012
- 24th SCUFN Meeting, Beijing, China, 12-16 September 2011
- 23rd SCUFN Meeting, Lima, Peru, 11-14 September 2010
- 22nd SCUFN Meeting, Brest, France, 22-26 September 2009
- 21st SCUFN Meeting, Jeju Island, Republic of Korea, 19-22 May 2008
- 20th SCUFN Meeting, Monaco, 9-13 July 2007
- 19th SCUFN Meeting, Bremerhaven, Germany, 21-23 June 2006
- 18th SCUFN Meeting, Monaco, 3-6 October 2005
- 17th SCUFN Meeting, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, 8-11 June 2004
- 16th SCUFN Meeting, Monaco, 10-12 April 2003
- 15th SCUFN Meeting, Monaco, 7-10 October 2002
- 14th SCUFN Meeting, Tokyo, Japan 17-20 April 2001
- 14th SCUFN Meeting, Tokyo, Japan 17-20 April 2001, addendum to the report
- 13th SCUFN Meeting, Dartmouth, NS, Canada, June 1999
- 12th SCUFN Meeting, Taunton, UK, June 1997
- 11th SCUFN Meeting, Monaco, May 1995
- 10th SCUFN Meeting, La Jolla, CA, USA, May 1993
- 9th SCUFN Meeting, Leningrad, (now, St Petersburg), Soviet Union, (now, Russian Federation), June 1991
- 8th SCUFN Meeting, Monaco, May 1989
- 7th SCUFN Meeting, Monaco, April 1987
- 6th SCUFN Meeting, Monaco, April 1985
- 5th SCUFN Meeting, Ottawa, ON, Canada, April 1981
- 4th SCUFN Meeting, Monaco, October 1980
- 3rd SCUFN Meeting, Patricia Bay, BC, Canada, April 1978
- 2nd SCUFN Meeting, Ottawa, ON, Canada, February 1976
- 1st SCUFN Meeting, Dartmouth, NS, Canada, March 1975