Seabed 2030 and Baltic Sea Hydrographic Commission Partner to Advance Global Ocean Mapping
26 October 2026
The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project and the Baltic Sea Hydrographic Commission (BSHC) have formalised a new partnership to strengthen regional cooperation and advance global ocean mapping efforts.
The collaboration was established through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during the 31st BSHC Conference, held in Klaipėda, Lithuania, in September 2026.
The agreement builds on decades of hydrographic cooperation among Baltic Sea countries and aims to enhance coordination between national hydrographic offices, facilitate the exchange of bathymetric data and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the ocean floor.
Established in 1983, the BSHC is a Regional Hydrographic Commission of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), supporting cooperation in hydrographic surveying, nautical charting and maritime information exchange across the Baltic Sea region.
The Seabed 2030 Project, a collaborative initiative between The Nippon Foundation and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), aims to achieve a complete map of the global ocean floor by 2030. Endorsed as an official action of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, the project brings together international partners to collect, compile and make bathymetric data freely accessible through the GEBCO global grid.
The new partnership will support the wider sharing of bathymetric information and strengthen the contribution of regional hydrographic expertise to global mapping initiatives. All data shared with Seabed 2030 will be incorporated into the freely available GEBCO global grid, supporting ocean research, sustainable marine management and informed decision-making.
Jamie McMichael-Phillips, Director of Seabed 2030, welcomed the collaboration, highlighting the Baltic Sea region's longstanding tradition of hydrographic cooperation and its potential to contribute valuable data to a more complete picture of the ocean floor.
Mindaugas Zakarauskas, Chair of the BSHC, emphasised the importance of extending regional cooperation to international initiatives and reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to supporting Seabed 2030's mission.
The agreement represents another step towards strengthening international collaboration, improving access to ocean data and advancing the global effort to map and understand the ocean floor.
More information: Seabed 2030 Project
Image credits: The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project.