Delivering insights for effective ocean management
Partnership to support ocean management
A new partnership between the Nippon Foundation–GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project and ProtectedSeas will further initiatives to foster collaborative efforts to build a comprehensive picture of the ocean and seabed.
“Strengthening ocean knowledge requires collaboration across disciplines and sectors. ProtectedSeas’ work in documenting and monitoring marine protections complements the efforts of our ever-growing global network and adds valuable context to the picture we are building of our ocean. Together, we can ensure informed decisions that will help us manage and protect the marine environment,” said Seabed 2030 Project Director Jamie McMichael-Phillips, announcing the partnership yesterday.
Director of ProtectedSeas Virgil Zetterlind noted the benefits of joining Seabed 2030’s global network; “Joining Seabed 2030’s global network allows us to share our work with a broader community and contribute to a united effort to expand and apply ocean knowledge in support of conservation and sustainable use.”
Seabed 2030 is a collaborative project between The Nippon Foundation and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), which seeks to inspire the complete mapping of the world’s ocean by 2030, and to compile all the data into the freely available GEBCO Ocean Map. The Project is formally endorsed as a Decade Action of the UN Ocean Decade. GEBCO is a joint programme of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), and is the only organisation with a mandate to map the entire ocean floor.
All data collected and shared with the Seabed 2030 project is included in the free and publicly available GEBCO global grid.
By bringing together ProtectedSeas’ comprehensive marine protection mapping and monitoring capabilities with global bathymetric information, the partnership will help deliver richer insights to support effective ocean management.
Since its inception a decade ago, ProtectedSeas has created the most comprehensive resource of regulatory information on marine protected areas (MPAs) globally, alongside a unique marine monitoring system that enhances understanding and enforcement of ocean protections.
Its Navigator platform – which offers a global map of marine life protections – provides freely available, standardised information that allows comparisons across jurisdictions and delivers actionable insights on the state of conservation of the global ocean.
Currently deployed in over 25 locations worldwide, ProtectedSeas’ shore-based Marine Monitor (M2) provides continuous, 24/7 live tracking of vessel activity to monitor and protect the nearshore marine environment.
When paired with detailed seafloor mapping, ProtectedSeas’ regulatory data and autonomous monitoring system help inform marine management, spatial planning and biodiversity protection.
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