Fugro has announced further commitment to The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 project, a flagship program of the United Nations Ocean Decade.As the Ocean Decade reaches its halfway point, Fugro is expanding the
Fugro has announced further commitment to The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 project, a flagship program of the United Nations Ocean Decade.
As the Ocean Decade reaches its halfway point, Fugro is expanding the group of vessels actively contributing to the Seabed 2030 project. Fugro’s largest vessels, working on geotechnical surveys, are now also contributing to the collection of ocean-floor data alongside the original and ongoing geophysical fleet.
The UN Ocean Decade aims to generate “the science we need for the ocean we want.” Achieving this vision depends heavily on data, especially seafloor data. This is foundational for understanding ocean health, facilitating safe navigation, supporting the development of a sustainable ocean economy, modelling climate change, and protecting marine ecosystems. Despite oceans covering more than 70% of the planet, only 27.3% of the seafloor has been mapped to modern standards in the 2025 GEBCO grid, underscoring the urgency of global collaboration.
Under the new commitment, Fugro has begun collecting Single Beam Echo Sounder (SBES) bathymetry data from its geotechnical fleet during vessel transits. This higher number of vessels broadens the scope and cadence of ocean-floor data collected and contributed to Seabed 2030. The expansion complements Fugro’s existing in-transit multibeam echosounder (MBES) program on
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