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

When Vicki Ferrini was recently named the Marie Tharp Senior Research Scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, which is part of the Columbia Climate School, it was an emotional moment. “When I heard the news, I definitely got teary,” Ferrini says. “The fact that Marie Tharp’s work continues to resonate with so many people is incredibly inspiring.”

Ferrini is the first Lamont research scientist to hold the appointment, which honors the pioneering geologist and cartographer whose maps of the seafloor transformed our understanding of plate tectonics. For Ferrini, the title also represents a direct connection between Tharp’s groundbreaking work and today’s global effort to create the first complete map of the ocean floor.

As head of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans Regional Center for the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project, Ferrini leads international efforts to integrate seafloor mapping data from around the world into a freely available global map. Her work also focuses on building scientific partnerships, open data infrastructure and the collaborative community needed to make this ambitious international effort possible, while mentoring the next generation of ocean scientists. 

To mark Tharp’s birthday on July 30, State of the Planet spoke with Ferrini about her new appointment, the enduring importance of open ocean data and the curiosity that first drew her to the sea. 

Congratulations on your recent appointment! How do you feel about being named the Marie Tharp Senior Research Scientist?

It’s an incredible honor. Marie Tharp fundamentally changed the way we understand our planet, and to be entrusted with carrying forward a position that bears her name is both deeply meaningful and humbling.

I’m also honored to be the first Lamont research scientist to hold the appointment. I’ve been deeply touched by the kind words from colleagues, but more than anything, I see this as an opportunity—and a responsibility—to continue advancing the kind of work Marie championed: bringing together data, people and ideas to deepen our understanding of the ocean and make that knowledge accessible to everyone.

How does your work build on Tharp’s legacy?

A few years ago, during Marie Tharp’s centennial, I gave a talk at the European Geoscience Union tracing the thread from her work to what we do today. What struck me is that there really is a direct lineage. Marie transformed scattered depth measurements into a coherent picture of the seafloor. Today, we’re carrying that vision forward on a global scale by bringing together millions of individual measurements collected by researchers around the world into a single, openly accessible map of the ocean floor. 

Lamont has been central to that effort. The work evolved from early seafloor mapping and the 1977 World Ocean Floor map through the Ridge Multi-Beam Synthesis, and eventually the Global Multi-Resolution Topography (GMRT) synthesis, which our team has curated for over 20 years. GMRT is one of Lamont’s most significant contributions to modern global ocean mapping, and serves as a major source of data for the Seabed 2030 initiative and the international GEBCO grid.

There’s another connection that feels especially meaningful to me. Marie’s work began in the Atlantic and expanded to the Indian Ocean, ultimately encompassing the globe. Today, the Seabed 2030 center at Lamont focuses on those same two oceans, continuing that legacy of exploration and discovery.

What is Seabed 2030, and how much progress has been made in mapping the seafloor? 

Seabed 2030 is an international effort to create the first complete map of Earth’s ocean floor. People are often surprised to learn that, although we’ve mapped the land surface in extraordinary detail, much of the seafloor remains unmapped. A better map of the seafloor helps us understand how our planet works. It supports everything from navigation and tsunami hazard assessment to ocean and climate research, offshore infrastructure, resource management and our understanding of marine ecosystems.

When the project began in 2017, only about 6% of the ocean floor had been mapped to modern standards. Today, that figure has grown to nearly 29%. Much of the remaining challenge isn’t simply collecting new data—it’s finding, processing and integrating data that already exist. We know there are valuable datasets held by research institutions, governments and industry that have not yet been shared or incorporated into the global synthesis. The percentage we report reflects what has been integrated into the international GEBCO grid—not necessarily everything that has been mapped. A map locked away on someone’s hard drive doesn’t advance science. The real value comes from bringing data together and making them openly available so researchers, educators, governments and industry can all build on one another’s work.

Why is collaboration so important to that effort?

No single organization—or even country—can map the global ocean alone. That’s what makes collaboration so essential. The ocean connects us all, and the only way to create a complete map is by bringing together data collected by many different communities. Those contributions come from academic research vessels, government agencies, industry, philanthropic organizations and even recreational mariners through crowdsourced bathymetry.

We advocate for open data whenever possible because sharing information maximizes its scientific and societal value. At the same time, we recognize that every organization and every country has different policies and priorities. Our role is to build partnerships, foster trust and make it as easy as possible to contribute what can be shared. Every contribution helps improve the global map and benefits everyone who relies on the ocean.

How is AI impacting ocean mapping?

AI has tremendous potential to accelerate ocean mapping, particularly by helping process, verify and integrate the rapidly growing volume of bathymetric data being collected around the world. Those activities remain major bottlenecks to completing the global map, making AI an exciting opportunity to accelerate progress.

My work also includes leading the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS), which focuses on making marine geoscience data easier to discover, access and integrate. The better organized, documented and connected these data are, the more effectively they can be used—not only by scientists, but increasingly by AI tools that are poised to accelerate scientific discovery.

You’re also helping train the next generation through the Making Waves program. Could you talk a bit about that initiative?

Making Waves is designed to give students a meaningful introduction to ocean mapping while showing them the many different career paths available in ocean science and technology. Over the course of a week, participants learn why ocean mapping matters, work directly with marine geoscience data and mapping tools, hear from scientists and engineers about their career journeys, and even connect live with researchers at sea through a ship-to-shore event.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the program is that the students aren’t just learning—they’re making a real scientific contribution. They process multibeam bathymetric data that become part of the global ocean mapping effort, so they leave knowing they’ve helped advance our understanding of the seafloor.

I also really value the multi-generational exchange the program creates. Bringing together students with scientists and professionals at different stages of their careers fosters conversations that benefit everyone. More than anything, I hope participants leave with the understanding that there are many ways to contribute to ocean science. Whether they’re interested in research, technology, data science, engineering, communications or education, there’s a place for them, and they can begin making an impact much earlier than they might imagine

What first drew you to this work?

The connection to the ocean really began with growing up at the beach. I was fortunate to have that as my backdrop, and I’ve always been fascinated by maps and by observing the world around me. Ocean mapping turned out to be the perfect intersection of those interests.

Spending time at sea deepened that connection. When you’re hundreds of miles from land on a research cruise, you gain an entirely new appreciation for how vast the ocean is—and how little we still know about it. It’s both humbling and inspiring. At the same time, you realize how difficult and expensive it is to collect these data. Every expedition represents an enormous investment of people, technology, time and resources, which makes preserving, sharing and building upon those observations just as important as collecting them in the first place. That philosophy of stewardship has long been a hallmark of Lamont, and it’s something that continues to inspire my work today.