UK organizations join new center for seabed mapping

Initiative aims to increase the global coverage, quality and accessibility of seabed mapping data through collaboration and the creation of a more integrated marine geospatial sector

Durdle Door on the beach in Dorset County, United Kingdom. (Photo: Fonrimso/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is inviting UK government organizations involved in seabed mapping who share common interests in optimizing the UK’s national maritime assets to become members of the newly unveiled UK Centre for Seabed Mapping (UK CSM).

UK CSM is administered by the UKHO, and was submitted as a UK Government Voluntary Commitment to the United Nations at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 27.

The UK CSM has a remit to increase the coverage, quality and access of seabed mapping data collected using public funds, as well as to better promote it as a critical component of national infrastructure.

Working groups established

Created to spearhead a coordinated approach to the collection, management and access of seabed mapping data – and to champion a more integrated marine geospatial sector in the UK – the UK CSM has established three working groups: National Data Collaboration, International Data Collaboration, and Data Collection Standards.

These working groups will further the discussion and coordination of data accessibility, collection and collaboration, as well as progress work on data standards, by creating the conditions and developing infrastructure to enable the diverse community of marine geospatial stakeholders to come together to deliver significant, sustained and strategic benefits to the UK – particularly in the context of the integrated review and the UK’s Global Britain vision.

So far, 22 government agencies are involved in the inaugural management group meeting of the UK CSM and volunteered to participate on the working groups.

The UK CSM will develop specifications that support UK and international standards for the collection of marine geospatial data.