Abstract:The seafloor observation network is a new platform for human observation of the ocean. It enables all-weather, in-situ, long-term, continuous, real-time, high-resolution and high-precision observation of the ocean from the sea floor to the sea surface, which plays an important role in supporting the development of marine science. With the first-mover advantage in the marine field, the United States, Canada, Japan, and European countries have invested heavily in building submarine observation networks and have already successfully operated them. Driven by new technologies such as modern sensors, underwater robots, seafloor fiber optic cables, Internet of Things (IoT), and big data, the submarine observation network presents a trend of comprehensive stereoscopic observation, deep mining of ocean data, and comprehensive cross-fusion of multiple observation plans.