The compilation of ocean-wide digital bathymetric models requires specific features of the bathymatric data storage and great flexibility of data processing chain. In this article a solution based upon a spatial relational database management system and a Geographical Information System front end is introduced, which will eventually serve the compilation of a new DBM of the North Atlantic Ocean. As shown in a preliminary case study, the abundance of sounding data - both single beam and multibeam-available in the area to date bears and extremely high potential to derive a DBM with much greater accuracy and resolution than DBMs commonly used today.