Our planet is more than 70% ocean, yet much of the seafloor remains a mystery. The international Seabed 2030 Project, an initiative of The Nippon Foundation and GEBCO, is determined to change that. Its goal: by 2030, to deliver a complete, freely accessible map of the entire ocean floor. This is more than a scientific dream; a detailed seafloor map is vital for applications such as improved tsunami early-warning systems, safe installation of undersea cables, and the discovery of biodiversity hotspots.
When the project started in 2017, only 6% of the seabed had been mapped to modern standards. Today that figure has grown to 27.3%, with millions of square kilometers added each year.
VLIZ plays a key role in this mission. Through research vessels, sensors, and autonomous robotics, VLIZ helps fill critical data gaps. Its Marine Data Centre manages and shares this information via international platforms such as EMODnet, while also providing expertise in global marine place names and boundary systems.
With the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), VLIZ strengthens its contribution to Seabed 2030—not only by sharing data, but also by promoting methods, best practices, and innovative solutions. In doing so, VLIZ helps close one of the largest knowledge gaps in science: a complete map of the seafloor.
