An ambitious project will be undertaken by two companies to map the the Earth’s ocean by 2030.
The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UK-based ARGANS Limited (ARGANS). The two parties will work together to map the Earth’s ocean, complementing the goals of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Seabed 2030 is a collaborative project between The Nippon Foundation and GEBCO to inspire the complete mapping of the world’s ocean by 2030, and to compile all bathymetric data into the freely available GEBCO Ocean Map. GEBCO is a joint project 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. Seabed 2030 is formally endorsed as a Decade Action of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
ARGANS specializes in satellite-based Earth Observation, remote-sensing applications and services, and geographical information systems used to map and monitor the marine, atmospheric and terrestrial environments. ARGANS offers satellite mission solutions across a range of services, including development of ground segment algorithms and applications, data quality assessment and validation while keeping a strong scientific expertise in remote sensing science.
“As a company that is dedicated to environmental operations which foster a sustainable future and lead to improvements in the communities with which we work, ARGANS is proud to support the Seabed 2030 Project with its aim of producing a complete map of the seafloor,” commented Francois-Regis Martin-Lauzer, CEO and Chairman of ARGANS.
“A complete map of the seabed will enable us to make informed decisions which can safeguard the future of our planet.” Seabed 2030 Project Director Jamie McMichael-Phillips said, “We very much look forward to working with ARGANS in pursuit of our goal. ARGANS has a wealth of experience working on key subjects, including coastal erosion, marine litter, and coastal mapping, all of which will no doubt greatly support the work we do.”
All data collected and shared with the Seabed 2030 Project is included in the GEBCO global grid, which is free and publicly available.
