A Global Ocean Map is Not an Ambition, But a Necessity to Support the Ocean Decade

Abstract

A B S T R A C T The Nippon Foundation-General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) Seabed 2030 Project is a collaboration between The Nippon Foundation, Japan’s larg-est private philanthropic organization, and the GEBCO, which has more than a century of experience in ocean-floor mapping and is jointly administered by the International Hydrographic Organization and UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Its mission is to create a comprehensive, publicly available map of the entire ocean floor by 2030, which will empower the world to make in-formed policy decisions, use the ocean sustainably, and undertake scientific research based on detailed bathymetric information. Knowing the shape of the seabed is critical to understanding ocean circulation patterns and their associated impact on climate and weather, wave action, tsunami wave propagation, improving species distribution models, supporting the management of fisheries and marine-protected areas, and identifying underwater geohazards. This knowledge is essential to achieving the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development societal outcomes. With only 8 years left to map the remaining 80% of the ocean, it can be achieved but will require the support and mobilization of the global community.