University of Dar es Salaam Partners with Seabed 2030 to Advance Global Marine Research

27 May 2025

Stakeholders at the WIOBathy Tanzania In-Country Workshop. The WIOBathy project—led by alumni from the Western Indian Ocean region trained through the Nippon Foundation/GEBCO Training Program—aims to produce the first authoritative bathymetric map of the region. (Image credit: University of Dar es Salaam)

The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project has announced a new partnership with the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This collaboration will support efforts to expand ocean knowledge and improve our understanding of the seafloor.

Renowned for its scholarly excellence 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), has established itself as a regional hub for oceanographic research, hydrography, and environmental stewardship.

The University’s multidisciplinary approach and longstanding expertise—strengthened by years of dedicated research and training—make a significant contribution to marine science, conservation, and capacity-building initiatives across the Western Indian Ocean region and beyond.

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 oceans 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 program of the IHO and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and is the only organization with a mandate to map the entire ocean floor.

Seabed 2030 Project Director Jamie McMichael-Phillips commented: “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.”

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.