Fugro Expands Geotechnical Fleet Participation in Global Seabed Mapping & UN Ocean Decade

Fugro has announced a significantly expanded commitment to the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 project by integrating its geotechnical survey fleet into its global ocean-floor data collection program.

The announcement, made during Oceanology International in London, marks a strategic shift as the United Nations Ocean Decade reaches its halfway point. While Fugro’s geophysical fleet has been providing data for some time, the company is now deploying its largest geotechnical vessels to collect seafloor information during transits. This expansion includes the Fugro Zephyr, Fugro Quest, Fugro Voyager, Fugro Revelation, Fugro Zenith, and Fugro Synergy.

This dual-technology approach utilizes both Multibeam Echosounder (MBES) and Single Beam Echo Sounder (SBES) bathymetry. Since November 2025, the geotechnical vessels alone have acquired more than 3,000 line kilometers of SBES in-transit data. This complements a massive existing effort; Fugro’s total MBES seafloor mapping data for Seabed 2030 now spans over 3,000,000 square kilometers, an area nearly the size of India.

The initiative addresses a critical gap in maritime knowledge, as only 27.3% of the seafloor has been mapped to modern standards in the 2025 GEBCO grid. Comprehensive seafloor data is considered foundational for safe navigation, climate change modeling, protecting marine ecosystems, and supporting a sustainable ocean economy.

Mark Heine, Fugro CEO, said, “We have been committed to leading the private sector in this initiative for years and will continue to do so. The fastest way to the world’s first complete ocean map is to turn every safe voyage into a mapping opportunity. By adding our geotechnical fleet to Fugro’s in-transit mapping programme, we’re scaling coverage where it matters most, efficiently, safely and sustainably.”

The data collection is designed to be “remote-by-design,” utilizing Fugro’s Geo-data Factory for secure, automated transfers. This process is supported by Remote Operations Centres, including a facility in Aberdeen, which eliminates the need for dedicated survey crews on every transit, thereby reducing both operational costs and environmental impact.

Seabed 2030 Director Jamie McMichael-Phillips added, “Industry collaboration is essential to achieving Seabed 2030’s mission of delivering a complete map of the world’s ocean floor, and Fugro has been a longstanding and valued partner in this global effort. The expansion of bathymetric data collection across its fleet is welcome news and demonstrates how operational vessels can contribute valuable data during transits. Contributions like these play a vital role in accelerating seabed mapping.”