The General Oceans Foundation is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Seabed 2030 Project, a collaborative initiative between The Nippon Foundation and the General Bathymetry Chart of the Ocean (GEBCO) that seeks to map the entire ocean floor by 2030.
The Seabed 2030 Project addresses one of the greatest data gaps in ocean science. Although the ocean covers more than 70% of our planet, only 27.3% of the seafloor has been mapped to modern standards. Understanding the shape of the ocean floor is essential for improving knowledge of ocean circulation, climate models, resource management, tsunami forecasting, environmental change, and safe marine operations. As a flagship programme of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, Seabed 2030 is driving international cooperation to close this critical knowledge gap and to make high quality bathymetric data openly accessible for all.
“Mapping the seabed is fundamental to understanding our planet,” said Dr Hayley Craig, Foundation Lead of the General Oceans Foundation. “Through this partnership, we are proud to support Seabed 2030 and its mission to create a produce a complete and freely accessible map of the world’s ocean floor.”
If you have bathymetric data that could help this global effort, visit the Seabed 2030 website to learn how you could get involved.
Hayley Craig, Foundation Lead at the General Oceans Foundation (left) and Seabed 2030 Director Jamie McMichael-Phillips (right) at the signing of the memorandum of understanding. (Image credit: Seabed 2030)
