Seabed 2030 Project

Explanation :

• Seabed 2030 is a collaborative project between the Nippon Foundation of Japan and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO).
• It aims to bring together all available bathymetric data to produce the definitive map of the world ocean floor by 2030 and make it available to all.
• The project was launched at the United Nations (UN) Ocean Conference in June 2017 and is aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goal-14 to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.

Need

• Despite many years of effort, less than 20 percent of the world ocean’s seafloor has been mapped.
• A co-ordinated international effort is needed to bring together all existing data sets and to identify areas for future surveys - to help us 'map the gaps'.
• Further, knowing the depth and shape of the seafloor (bathymetry) is fundamental for understanding ocean circulation, tides, tsunami forecasting, fishing resources, sediment transport, environmental change, underwater geo-hazards, cable and pipeline routing, mineral extraction, oil and gas exploration and development, infrastructure construction and maintenance and much more.

General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO)

• GEBCO is an international group of mapping experts developing a range of bathymetric data sets and data products.
• It operates under the joint auspices of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).