Seabed 2030 Project: Map the Ocean by 2030 with SeaKeepers

Project Overview:

The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project is a collaborative project which aims to map the seafloor of our entire global Ocean by 2030. Seabed 2030 is formally endorsed as a United Nations Decade Action Program under which SeaKeepers’ Seabed2030 initiative is registered as its own UN Decade Action Project. Launched at the United Nations Ocean Conference in 2017, the overarching Seabed2030 program coordinates and oversees the sourcing and compilation of bathymetric data through its five data centers into the freely-available GEBCO Grid, to produce the definitive map of the world ocean floor. So far, over 28% of our seafloor has been mapped, and SeaKeepers is responsible for 7% of the data contributing to these maps! Through this project, communities are mapping their own waterways, new habitats are being discovered and protected, and small island nations are collecting data from their most remote islands. Contribute to this growing GEBCO map today!

Program Partners

  • The Nippon Foundation and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO)
  • International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
  • Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)

Location

  • Global Ocean

Expected Time Frame

  • Flexible

Citizen Science activity parameters listed above are flexible and negotiable.

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Background:

Crowdsourced Bathymetry (CSB) is the collection of depth measurements from vessels, using standard navigational instruments, while engaged in routine maritime operations. CSB can be used to supplement the more rigorous and scientific bathymetric coverage done by hydrographic offices, industry, and researchers around the world. This information can help fill in spaces on charts where data is outdated or missing entirely and highlight regions where further surveying may be necessary. It can also help to power environmental causes such as identifying potentially sensitive habitat or rocky reef structures. Some examples of this work can be seen below.

How to Participate:

To participate in this project, submit a DY APPLICATION, indicating your interest in Seabed2030. You will then be asked to submit a further questionnaire with information about your vessel’s navigational setup (such as the make/model of your equipment, and the depth at which your transducer is mounted below the waterline. You will then be shipped a small data logger which connects to your NMEA2000 or NMEA0183 backbone. This device is designed to listen to the NMEA network for three specific pieces of information: Depth, Time, and GPS location. To get an idea of our fleet of loggers available to you, please see the logger menu below.

WIBL Installation & Data Guide
YDVR Installation & Data Guide

Seabed 2030 Current Activity:

Browse our Seabed 2030 page to view all the activity and participating vessels who have submitted data.

Program Partners:

Seabed 2030 is a collaborative project between The Nippon Foundation and GEBCO. GEBCO is a joint program of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and is the only organization with a mandate to map the entire ocean floor.

The IHO’s Data Center accepts CSB data contributions through organizations, companies or universities that serve as data aggregators and/or liaisons between mariners and the DCDB. Visit seabed2030.org or https://iho.int/en/communication-material to learn more about the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 project, which aims to bring together all available Bathymetric data to produce the definitive map of the world ocean floor by 2030.

Project Maps and Case Studies:

AkulaTrack page
Akula is one of SeaKeepers' most active vessels contributing to the Seabed 2030 UN Ocean Decade Action Project. This vessel traversed thousands of nautical miles across 2025 and 2026, traveling from the UK to Iceland, Greenland, and North America before heading through the Caribbean. Along the way, it collected more than 10 million depth soundings, becoming our single largest contributor of all time. Even on such a grand scale, areas where the vessel neared small ports and coastal towns became hotspots for valuable data. One highlight features a fjord in remote southern Greenland, showing water that remains incredibly deep even immediately adjacent to land—a sharp contrast to the shallow shorelines and banks of the United States’ eastern seaboard.
Iceland page
In extreme sports, a select few push the boundaries of human capability, and Ross Edgley is one of them. Through our partnership with SKIRR Adventures, the SeaKeepers Seabed 2030 UN Ocean Decade Action Project collected seafloor data alongside Ross’s record-breaking swim. As Ross completed a full circumnavigation of Iceland, a SKIRR Adventures support vessel followed to provide food, water, and emergency support. As the vessel progressed around the island and into remote fjords, the collected data was contributed to the global Seabed 2030 map.
Marco Topobasemap page
Marco Island is a small community within the Ten Thousand Islands group off southwest Florida. This region is known for its highly mobile seafloor, shaped by unique sediment types, seasonal oceanographic currents, and heavy storm influence. The community consists of a series of canals used by homeowners to access the open water. Unfortunately, official hydrographic surveying for canals of this size is often cumbersome and cost-prohibitive. Through the SeaKeepers Seabed 2030 UN Ocean Decade Action Project, we partnered with public and private boat owners in Marco Island to map these systems using community-sourced data. We have identified gaps in official hydrographic products that this data can fill; consequently, we are submitting these findings to NOAA to support safer navigation and better-informed management.
Yeva 2025 page
This DISCOVERY Vessel, captained by Ella Hibbert, is attempting to go where no woman has gone before: the first female-led solo circumnavigation of the Arctic. This incredible feat is paired with impactful science through the SeaKeepers Seabed 2030 UN Ocean Decade Action Project. Ella has taken a data logger onboard to record the depths beneath her vessel as she traverses seldom-traveled parts of the Arctic. She experienced the perils of these remote waters firsthand when Yeva ran aground on unmapped seafloor features. This map highlights regions in northern Canada where known bathymetry is largely isolated to shipping channels. You can view Ella’s 2025 data here; stay tuned for her 2026 season, where she will endeavor to complete her circumnavigation.

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