The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and two of Australia’s leading science agencies have agreed to work together to advance Pacific Ocean exploration and mapping.
This collaboration will directly support the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development by contributing to the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project with the goal of mapping the world ocean floor by 2030 and providing the data to all.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad along with Geoscience Australia Chief Executive Officer James Johnson and Toni Moate, director of national collections and marine infrastructure for Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO).
The MOU expands upon a long-standing relationship between the two maritime countries and will help facilitate the sharing of scientific resources, personnel, technical data and products and knowledge to support ocean exploration in the Pacific.
During the signing ceremony, Spinrad highlighted how collaboration with Australia will support NOAA’s mission to serve US science and stewardship priorities:
“We cannot fully understand our ocean without international collaboration. Working together with our Australian partners will help accelerate our important shared goals of understanding and mapping the ocean to advance weather prediction, ocean health, climate solutions, and commerce.”
Australia’s Johnson added:
“The MOU will give all three of our organizations the opportunity to work towards shared goals and to find new and innovative solutions to common challenges in ocean exploration and mapping. When we work together, we can achieve truly outstanding science, and I am looking forward to seeing the wonderful work that will come from this MOU with NOAA and CSIRO.”
