Seabed 2030 Project Launches a New Website to Give Fresh Momentum to Ocean Mapping Efforts
The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project has launched a dynamic new website to give fresh momentum to the mapping of the world’s ocean floor in its entirety by the end of the decade.
This significant milestone reinforces Seabed 2030’s commitment to advancing scientific understanding of the Earth’s seafloor and promoting international collaboration toward a complete map of the seabed.
The launch of the website came about a month after Prince Albert II of Monaco released the latest GEBCO Grid figure, showing 24.9% of the world’s entire seabed has now been mapped. This represents an increase of 5.4 million square kilometers of new bathymetric data from last year, which equates to an area twice the size of Argentina.
The redesigned website offers a platform for researchers, industry, governments, and supporters from around the world to explore the latest developments in seafloor mapping and contribute to this vital initiative. It enables users to access information on research opportunities, ongoing projects and partnerships, facilitating international cooperation and knowledge sharing.
Mr. Jamie McMichael-Phillips, Seabed 2030 Project Director, commented:
“We are excited to have a new and enhanced resource as part of our endeavor to map the entire ocean floor by 2030.”
“We hope the new website will serve as a valuable hub for connecting individuals and organizations working towards the essential goal of mapping the world’s seafloor,” he added.
Seabed 2030 is a collaborative project between The Nippon Foundation and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) to inspire the complete mapping of the world's ocean by 2030, and to compile all bathymetric data into the freely available GEBCO Ocean Map. GEBCO is a joint program of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), and is the only initiative with a mandate to map the entire ocean floor.
When the initiative was launched in 2017, only 6% of the world’s ocean floor had been mapped in high resolution. In the same year, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the Ocean Decade 2021-2030 to promote ocean science and knowledge generation, with a key challenge to develop a comprehensive map of the ocean to ensure more sustainable management of the marine environment and its resources. Seabed 2030 is a flagship program of the Ocean Decade.
The project has since been joined by a total of 250 supporters that have signed on to Seabed 2030 from across government, industry, research institutions, academia, philanthropy and NPOs in more than 50 countries.
In six years, a total of 90 million square kilometers of bathymetric data has been acquired by virtue of global partnerships, data mobilization and advances in technological innovation.
We remain aware, however, that 75% of the world’s seabed remains to be mapped.
In addition to launching a new website, Seabed 2030 has also refreshed its visual identity, including a new logo and color scheme.
Whether you’re an ocean enthusiast, scientist or simply someone who wants to make a difference, the new Seabed 2030 website contains a range of resources that will enable you to play a part in helping to map the entire seafloor by the end of the decade.
The redesigned Seabed 2030 website is accessible at SEABED2030.