Humankind has been mapping the ocean since we first sailed the seas. Knowing the depth of the seabed helped mariners safely navigate often dangerous shores. But what else can be gained by mapping our blue planet? In 2017, The Nippon Foundation and General Bathymetry Chart of the Ocean (GEBCO) came together to look at how ocean mapping might support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 14: ‘to conserve and sustainably use the ocean, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.’ This was at a time when the need to map the 70% of Earth’s blue surface was growing increasingly more urgent – and at the time, only 6% had been mapped to an adequate resolution. The absence of detailed underwater topography, or bathymetric data, was hindering our capacity to manage marine resources sustainably and safeguard coastal communities worldwide. Recognising this, Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, launched the ambitious Seabed 2030 Project in partnership with GEBCO at the inaugural UN Ocean Conference in New York. Through Seabed 2030, the two organisations have committed to building the necessary technical, scientific, and management framework to compile all available seabed mapping information into a seamless digital map of the world’s ocean floor by 2030.