London, 10 December 2025 – The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project has announced a new partnership with Deakin University, bringing together Seabed 2030’s role in convening and inspiring global ocean-mapping efforts with Deakin’s world-class expertise in marine and coastal science.
Deakin University is home to the Deakin Marine Research and Innovation Centre (MRIC), Victoria’s leading university-based marine research centre. The Centre’s work strengthens marine resilience, safeguards biodiversity and informs responses to climate and coastal change across Victoria’s oceans and waterways. Its research spans ecosystem restoration, sustainable seafood innovation, climate-impact studies on marine organisms, and extensive coastal monitoring programmes that contribute to national and state-level observing networks with campuses on Port Phillip Bay and Warrnambool on the iconic Great Ocean Road.
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.
Through this new partnership, Seabed 2030 and Deakin University will explore opportunities for collaboration that strengthen the scientific foundations of ocean-floor mapping. This includes advancing understanding of coastal and ocean processes, enhancing environmental data and observations, and contributing to efforts that support sustainable ocean management.
“Partnering with Deakin University brings essential research depth and innovation into our mission,” said Jamie McMichael-Phillips, Director of Seabed 2030. “The mapping of the seafloor is fundamental not only to ocean science, but to sustainable marine economies, climate resilience and the future of ocean stewardship.”
Professor Daniel Ierodiaconou of Deakin University added: “The Deakin Marine Mapping Group is committed to delivering real-world impact for the ocean and coastal communities. This includes supporting seabed mapping research for over 20 years. This partnership with Seabed 2030 provides the framework to align our marine and coastal science with global efforts to expand ocean knowledge and inform sustainable development.”
The collaboration aligns with the objectives of the Ocean Decade and reinforces the importance of innovation and international cooperation in achieving a sustainable ocean future.
All data collected and shared with the Seabed 2030 project is included in the free and publicly available GEBCO global grid.
ENDS
For media inquiries contact:
Pegah Souri
external.relations@seabed2030.
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