During the Monaco Yacht Show, the International SeaKeepers Society and the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) formalised a strategic partnership by signing a ‘Letter of Cooperation’ on Friday, 25th September, at the IHO Secretariat.
The agreement brings together industry partners, maritime supporters, and international stakeholders to advance global ocean mapping, promote crowd-sourced bathymetric data collection, and mobilise the yachting community to expand knowledge of the seabed.
The collaboration focuses on supporting the IHO’s Crowdsourced Bathymetry (CSB) initiative alongside the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) project. By involving private yachts and research vessels from SeaKeepers’ network, the partnership aims to gather more ocean depth data worldwide. This effort helps improve navigation safety and supports global projects like ‘Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030’, which wants to create a complete map of the world’s ocean floors by 2030.
“Understanding the ocean begins with knowing its depth,” said Rear Admiral Luigi Sinapi, Secretary-General of the International Hydrographic Organisation. “Through this cooperation with SeaKeepers, we are making the global yachting community an active partner in enriching our knowledge of the ocean. Every voyage can contribute to science, safer navigation, and the shared ambition of mapping the world’s seabed. Together, we are transforming opportunities at sea into knowledge, for the benefit of all.”
Bridging yachting and hydrographic science
Highlighting the urgency of the initiative, only 28.7% of the world’s oceans had been mapped to modern precision standards by 2026, leaving extensive underwater ecosystems, trenches, and seamounts undiscovered. Accurate depth data remains essential not only for safe maritime navigation but also for informing climate change mitigation, pollution management, and the sustainable growth of the blue economy.
Mark E. Luther, PhD, President of the International SeaKeepers Society, concluded by emphasising the broader significance of the alliance:
“Our partnership with the International Hydrographic Organisation reflects SeaKeepers’ commitment to bringing the global yachting community closer to scientific research and ensuring that the ocean knowledge we gather today helps shape a safer, better-informed, and more sustainable future for our oceans.”
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Photo Credit: Stéphane Danna, Government Communications Department