University of Dar es Salaam collaborates with Seabed 2030 on seafloor research
The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project has announced a new partnership with the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The collaboration aims to advance ocean knowledge and improve understanding of the seafloor.
Recognized for its academic leadership in marine science, the University of Dar es Salaam – through its Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) and School of Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Technology (SOAF) – serves as a regional centre for oceanographic research, hydrography and environmental stewardship.
With a multidisciplinary approach and a track record of research and training, the university plays a central role in promoting marine science, conservation and capacity development across the Western Indian Ocean and beyond.
Commenting on the partnership, Seabed 2030 project director Jamie McMichael-Phillips said: “We are delighted to welcome the University of Dar es Salaam to the global Seabed 2030 network. Tanzania’s extensive and ecologically diverse marine territory offers significant potential to contribute to our shared vision of a fully mapped seafloor.
“The university’s expertise and leadership in marine sciences are vital assets in accelerating our mission,” McMichael-Phillips added.
Professor William A. L. Anangisye, vice chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to advancing ocean sustainability: “This collaboration with Seabed 2030 reflects the University of Dar es Salaam’s enduring dedication to advancing scientific research in support of ocean sustainability. Through the work of our Institute of Marine Sciences and hydrographic research teams, we reinforce Tanzania’s contribution to global ocean mapping efforts and generate insights essential for marine conservation, policy development and responsible resource management.”
All data collected and shared with the Seabed 2030 project is included in the free and publicly available GEBCO global grid.
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 IHO and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), and is the only organization with a mandate to map the entire ocean floor.
