Opportunities for Ocean Bathymetry Training

The World Ocean Council (WOC), through its SMART Ocean-SMART Industries program, is working to scale up the role of industry vessels in collecting and sharing ocean data, including bathymetric data.

WOC is an accredited observer to the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), and is engaged with IHO, General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) and the Seabed 2030 initiative on addressing the needs for improved bathymetric data.

GEBCO has been supported by the Nippon Foundation to train a new generation of scientists and hydrographers in ocean bathymetry.

Applications sought for entry into the Nippon Foundation - GEBCO Training Program in 2019. The twelve-month course, leading to a Postgraduate Certificate in Ocean Bathymetry (PCOB), is held at the University of New Hampshire, USA.

The closing date for applications is 31 March 2019. Further details and information on how to apply can be found here.

Bathymetry contributes substantially to addressing ocean challenges and improving ocean management in support of responsible ocean economic activity. For example, accurate and up-to-date bathymetric charts and gridded data sets assist with oceanographic modelling to predict ocean circulation and its impact on climate, improve modeling that predicts tides and tsunami propagation, support the evaluation of fisheries resources and habitats, and facilitate the understanding of pollution transport.