diff --git a/cms/config/sync/admin-role.strapi-super-admin.json b/cms/config/sync/admin-role.strapi-super-admin.json
index 5b3a8e32..753c5772 100644
--- a/cms/config/sync/admin-role.strapi-super-admin.json
+++ b/cms/config/sync/admin-role.strapi-super-admin.json
@@ -879,7 +879,8 @@
           "legend_config.items.icon",
           "legend_config.items.color",
           "legend_config.items.value",
-          "legend_config.items.description"
+          "legend_config.items.description",
+          "default"
         ],
         "locales": [
           "en",
@@ -937,7 +938,8 @@
           "legend_config.items.icon",
           "legend_config.items.color",
           "legend_config.items.value",
-          "legend_config.items.description"
+          "legend_config.items.description",
+          "default"
         ],
         "locales": [
           "en",
@@ -969,7 +971,8 @@
           "legend_config.items.icon",
           "legend_config.items.color",
           "legend_config.items.value",
-          "legend_config.items.description"
+          "legend_config.items.description",
+          "default"
         ],
         "locales": [
           "en",
diff --git a/cms/config/sync/core-store.plugin_content_manager_configuration_content_types##api##layer.layer.json b/cms/config/sync/core-store.plugin_content_manager_configuration_content_types##api##layer.layer.json
index 568c63a1..9295fa2e 100644
--- a/cms/config/sync/core-store.plugin_content_manager_configuration_content_types##api##layer.layer.json
+++ b/cms/config/sync/core-store.plugin_content_manager_configuration_content_types##api##layer.layer.json
@@ -76,20 +76,6 @@
           "sortable": false
         }
       },
-      "legend_config": {
-        "edit": {
-          "label": "legend_config",
-          "description": "",
-          "placeholder": "",
-          "visible": true,
-          "editable": true
-        },
-        "list": {
-          "label": "legend_config",
-          "searchable": false,
-          "sortable": false
-        }
-      },
       "interaction_config": {
         "edit": {
           "label": "interaction_config",
@@ -133,6 +119,34 @@
           "sortable": true
         }
       },
+      "legend_config": {
+        "edit": {
+          "label": "legend_config",
+          "description": "",
+          "placeholder": "",
+          "visible": true,
+          "editable": true
+        },
+        "list": {
+          "label": "legend_config",
+          "searchable": false,
+          "sortable": false
+        }
+      },
+      "default": {
+        "edit": {
+          "label": "default",
+          "description": "Whether the layer is shown by default on the map",
+          "placeholder": "",
+          "visible": true,
+          "editable": true
+        },
+        "list": {
+          "label": "default",
+          "searchable": true,
+          "sortable": true
+        }
+      },
       "createdAt": {
         "edit": {
           "label": "createdAt",
@@ -193,12 +207,6 @@
       }
     },
     "layouts": {
-      "list": [
-        "id",
-        "title",
-        "type",
-        "metadata"
-      ],
       "edit": [
         [
           {
@@ -210,6 +218,16 @@
             "size": 6
           }
         ],
+        [
+          {
+            "name": "dataset",
+            "size": 6
+          },
+          {
+            "name": "default",
+            "size": 4
+          }
+        ],
         [
           {
             "name": "config",
@@ -239,13 +257,13 @@
             "name": "metadata",
             "size": 12
           }
-        ],
-        [
-          {
-            "name": "dataset",
-            "size": 6
-          }
         ]
+      ],
+      "list": [
+        "id",
+        "title",
+        "type",
+        "metadata"
       ]
     }
   },
diff --git a/cms/src/api/layer/content-types/layer/schema.json b/cms/src/api/layer/content-types/layer/schema.json
index 31adacd9..eb15b6ae 100644
--- a/cms/src/api/layer/content-types/layer/schema.json
+++ b/cms/src/api/layer/content-types/layer/schema.json
@@ -89,6 +89,15 @@
         }
       },
       "component": "legend.legend"
+    },
+    "default": {
+      "pluginOptions": {
+        "i18n": {
+          "localized": false
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "boolean",
+      "default": false
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/cms/types/generated/contentTypes.d.ts b/cms/types/generated/contentTypes.d.ts
index 277c7c98..c5cfc2b0 100644
--- a/cms/types/generated/contentTypes.d.ts
+++ b/cms/types/generated/contentTypes.d.ts
@@ -1447,6 +1447,13 @@ export interface ApiLayerLayer extends Schema.CollectionType {
           localized: true;
         };
       }>;
+    default: Attribute.Boolean &
+      Attribute.SetPluginOptions<{
+        i18n: {
+          localized: false;
+        };
+      }> &
+      Attribute.DefaultTo<false>;
     createdAt: Attribute.DateTime;
     updatedAt: Attribute.DateTime;
     publishedAt: Attribute.DateTime;
diff --git a/frontend/src/containers/map/content/map/index.tsx b/frontend/src/containers/map/content/map/index.tsx
index 5d76cb40..07ba765b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/containers/map/content/map/index.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/containers/map/content/map/index.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import EEZLayerPopup from '@/containers/map/content/map/popup/eez';
 import GenericPopup from '@/containers/map/content/map/popup/generic';
 import ProtectedAreaPopup from '@/containers/map/content/map/popup/protected-area';
 import RegionsPopup from '@/containers/map/content/map/popup/regions';
-import { useSyncMapSettings } from '@/containers/map/content/map/sync-settings';
+import { useSyncMapLayers, useSyncMapSettings } from '@/containers/map/content/map/sync-settings';
 import { sidebarAtom } from '@/containers/map/store';
 import {
   bboxLocation,
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ const MainMap: FCWithMessages = () => {
   const locale = useLocale();
 
   const [{ bbox: URLBbox }, setMapSettings] = useSyncMapSettings();
+  const [, setMapLayers] = useSyncMapLayers();
   const { default: map } = useMap();
   const drawState = useAtomValue(drawStateAtom);
   const isSidebarOpen = useAtomValue(sidebarAtom);
@@ -92,6 +93,30 @@ const MainMap: FCWithMessages = () => {
     }
   );
 
+  const { data: defaultLayers } = useGetLayers(
+    {
+      locale,
+      fields: 'id',
+      filters: {
+        default: {
+          $eq: true,
+        },
+      },
+    },
+    {
+      query: {
+        select: ({ data }) => data.map(({ id }) => id),
+      },
+    }
+  );
+
+  // Once we have fetched from the CMS which layers are active by default, we set toggle them on
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (defaultLayers) {
+      setMapLayers(defaultLayers);
+    }
+  }, [setMapLayers, defaultLayers]);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     setLocationBbox(locationsQuery?.data?.bounds as CustomMapProps['bounds']['bbox']);
   }, [locationCode, locationsQuery, setLocationBbox]);
diff --git a/frontend/src/containers/map/content/map/sync-settings.ts b/frontend/src/containers/map/content/map/sync-settings.ts
index 36a326d5..b08be8ee 100644
--- a/frontend/src/containers/map/content/map/sync-settings.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/containers/map/content/map/sync-settings.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export const useSyncMapSettings = () => {
 };
 
 export const useSyncMapLayers = () => {
-  return useQueryState('layers', parseAsArrayOf(parseAsInteger).withDefault([6, 7]));
+  return useQueryState('layers', parseAsArrayOf(parseAsInteger).withDefault([]));
 };
 
 export const useSyncMapLayerSettings = () => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/types/generated/strapi.schemas.ts b/frontend/src/types/generated/strapi.schemas.ts
index b22451b9..485c4c3b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/types/generated/strapi.schemas.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/types/generated/strapi.schemas.ts
@@ -6695,6 +6695,7 @@ export interface Layer {
   metadata?: DocumentationMetadataComponent;
   dataset?: LayerDataset;
   legend_config?: LegendLegendComponent;
+  default?: boolean;
   createdAt?: string;
   updatedAt?: string;
   publishedAt?: string;
@@ -6756,6 +6757,7 @@ export type LayerDatasetDataAttributesLayersDataItemAttributes = {
   metadata?: LayerDatasetDataAttributesLayersDataItemAttributesMetadata;
   dataset?: LayerDatasetDataAttributesLayersDataItemAttributesDataset;
   legend_config?: LayerDatasetDataAttributesLayersDataItemAttributesLegendConfig;
+  default?: boolean;
   createdAt?: string;
   updatedAt?: string;
   publishedAt?: string;
@@ -7095,6 +7097,7 @@ export type LayerRequestData = {
   metadata?: DocumentationMetadataComponent;
   dataset?: LayerRequestDataDataset;
   legend_config?: LegendLegendComponent;
+  default?: boolean;
   locale?: string;
 };
 
@@ -7123,6 +7126,7 @@ export interface LayerLocalizationRequest {
   metadata?: DocumentationMetadataComponent;
   dataset?: LayerLocalizationRequestDataset;
   legend_config?: LegendLegendComponent;
+  default?: boolean;
   locale: string;
 }
 
@@ -9195,6 +9199,7 @@ export type DatasetLayersDataItemAttributes = {
   metadata?: DatasetLayersDataItemAttributesMetadata;
   dataset?: DatasetLayersDataItemAttributesDataset;
   legend_config?: DatasetLayersDataItemAttributesLegendConfig;
+  default?: boolean;
   createdAt?: string;
   updatedAt?: string;
   publishedAt?: string;