Swim4theOcean Supporting Seabed2030 Mapping

On February 13th, SeaKeepers South Pacific installed a Seabed2030 logger aboard the StabiX support vessel for Jono Riddler’s Swim4theOcean campaign during a stopover at Tirohanga Beach in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. The logger will collect continuous bathymetric data throughout the journey, contributing to The Nippon Foundation–GEBCO Seabed2030 Project, a global initiative working to map the entire ocean floor by 2030. Significant portions of our ocean remain unmapped, and vessels of opportunity like this are essential in helping fill critical data gaps, particularly in regional and coastal waters.

Swim4theOcean is Jono’s call to action to end bottom trawling — a destructive fishing practice that damages seafloor habitats and impacts marine ecosystems. His endurance swim is designed to raise awareness about the impacts of bottom trawling and encourage stronger protections for ocean habitats. By integrating Seabed2030 mapping into the support vessel, this initiative connects advocacy with action. As Jono swims to protect the seafloor, the vessel alongside him is actively contributing to understanding it, ensuring that every mile travelled supports both ocean awareness and meaningful ocean data collection.