From Marie Tharp to Seabed 2030: Marine Geophysicist Vicki Ferrini on Mapping the Ocean Floor – State of the Planet

Nature & Climate Perspective

**Comprehensive ocean floor mapping via initiatives like Seabed 2030 establishes foundational spatial data required to accurately quantify Blue Carbon stocks and safeguard deep-sea biodiversity. **

• High-resolution bathymetric data improves ecological baseline modeling for marine protected areas and fragile deep-sea benthic habitats.
• Enhanced seafloor cartography enables precise spatial tracking of oceanic sediment carbon sinks, supporting accurate long-term sequestration assessments.
• Accurate topographical insight reduces ecological risk from invasive seafloor exploration, maintaining fundamental marine food web stability.

Market & Policy Outlook

**Standardized seabed cartography acts as crucial Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) infrastructure to align emerging marine offset projects with ICVCM Core Carbon Principles. **

• Definitive seafloor datasets facilitate regulatory oversight under Article 6.2 and Article 6.4 for transboundary marine and coastal carbon credit mechanisms.
• Transparent spatial mapping lowers verification costs and non-additionality risks, unlocking institutional capital for Blue Carbon finance.
• Corporations leveraging ocean-based carbon removals within their SBTi targets secure robust, auditable spatial proof of carbon durability and project permanence.