Dear EMODnet partners, colleagues and friends,

A very Happy New Year to you all!

The EMODnet New Year’s letter is an annual tradition that celebrates the collective achievements of the EMODnet community in 2024 and that looks ahead to EMODnet’s continued evolution and Vision to 2035. Click below to read the full article by Kate Larkin, Head of EMODnet Secretariat.

EMODnet showcased its partnership with Scuba Schools International and the German Foundation (GOF) at BOOT 2025, presenting the joint citizen science initiative which delivers ocean environmental data collected by scuba divers’ dive computers into EMODnet. The partnership was launched one year ago with EC DG MARE and EMODnet Physics, and already has thousands of data submitted to EMODnet, with the projection to include millions of ocean temperature data profiles alone! This year, the EMODnet Secretariat presented on the ‘Love your Ocean’ stage and had a stand together with GOF who also presented EMODnet during the week. BOOT is a world-leading boating and watersports exhibition, held in Düsseldorf, Germany, this year between 18-26 January 2025.

What do you get if you combine the EMODnet marine data service and the European Digital Twin Ocean (EDITO) platform in a Hackathon? A world-first opportunity to ideate and innovate using Europe’s most comprehensive  in situ  marine data and data products, on the cloud! From 25–27 March 2024, the fourth edition of the EMODnet Open Sea Lab (OSL 4.0) Hackathon will offer exactly that. And, as a free, online event, this hackathon is truly open to all. Registration is now open, just in time for the festive season! Don’t miss this chance to join a community of ocean innovators—register now and turn your data-driven vision into action! Winning teams will receive a variety of prizes. Terms and conditions apply.

Mark your calendars for the 4th edition of the EMODnet Open Sea Lab (OSL) Hackathon, happening online from 25 to 27 March 2025. The hackathon builds on the last 3 successful editions, with one key difference: In addition to using EMODnet services, participants will be given unparalleled access to the EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service offer via the European Digital Twin Ocean infrastructure (EDITO). This is a very exciting time for marine digital services, and we invite all interested stakeholders, from data scientists to IT specialists and from policy makers to researchers, students and the private sector to join EMODnet in this unique hackathon - Stay tuned for more details, coming soon!

EMODnet was presented during Marine User Days 2024, hosted by EUMETSAT in Lisbon, Portugal, on 6-7 November 2024, in collaboration with Copernicus Marine Service. Represented by EU MARE, EMODnet’s services were showcased in Plenary and at an exhibition stand that attracted marine data users from diverse sectors. The highly interactive event highlighted how EU marine data services, including EMODnet, address a wide range of user needs, supporting research, policy-making, and sustainable marine management.

On 22 October 2024, more than 70 experts gathered for an EMODnet online workshop titled “EMODnet Marine Data for Ports, Marinas, and Boating.” The event was co-designed with key stakeholder networks from these Blue Economy sectors, including the European Boating Industry, TransEurope Marinas and the European Sea Port Organisation, in collaboration with the EC DG MARE and CINEA.

EMODnet’s ongoing contribution of marine data for EU Policy and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) was presented at the 11th MSFD Technical Group (TG) Data meeting, including specific inputs from EMODnet Biology and Chemistry Coordinators. The meeting was attended by representatives of Member States, Regional Sea Conventions (RSCs), European Environment Agency (EEA), European Commission (DG ENV, MARE, JRC), among others. EMODnet experts also highlighted EMODnet's wealth of pan-European data spanning the marine environment and human activities data that could be very valuable to complement monitoring data for marine assessments.

In July 2024 EMODnet launched a 2-month public consultation for the EMODnet Vision 2035. The consultation is open to all EMODnet stakeholders and the broader community, both in Europe and globally. Whether you are responding as an individual, organization, network, project, or initiative, your input is valuable. Have your say before 11 September 2024 Midnight CEST!

The European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) is pleased to announce the launch of the EMODnet Vision 2035 public consultation!

The public consultation is open to all EMODnet stakeholders and the wider community in Europe and worldwide. You can reply as an individual, organization, network, project or initiative. This survey remains open until 11 September Midnight CEST.

The EMODnet Vision 2035 is a community output, focusing on service evolution. This builds on a EMODnet Call to Action (launched on 30 November 2023) and on EMODnet’s achievements to-date including the unification of EMODnet services in January 2023, and EMODnet’s ongoing partnership with Copernicus Marine Service to deliver the data infrastructure for the prototype European Digital Twin Ocean, launched in June 2024. The EMODnet Vision 2035 will deliver concrete and realistic goals for EMODnet’s digital services and service offer, to increasingly serve user needs, including directly supporting EU policy, the Blue Economy, Research and Innovation and wider stakeholders, and providing added value for the EU economic agenda and competitiveness, set in the global context.

Results from the survey will be summarized and considered by the EMODnet Vision 2035 Drafting Group of experts that was set up in Spring 2024 to jointly deliver the EMODnet 2035 Vision, with members representing the EMOD-network (partners, associated partners, sea-basin checkpoints) and wider stakeholders.

Thank you in advance for your feedback and please distribute this widely to your professional networks.

Questions relating to the EMODnet Vision 2035 public consultation can be sent to: megan.tijssens[at]emodnet.eu.

EMODnet had a key role at the Digital Ocean Forum (DOF) 2024 held on 12-13 June 2024, at the Palace of the Academies in Brussels. Organised within the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU, this milestone event unveiled the prototype of the European Digital Twin Ocean (EU DTO), namely the EDITO-Infra backbone infrastructure and data lake powered by EMODnet and the Copernicus Marine Service. The event was co-organised by Mercator Ocean International (MOi), Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Seascape Belgium and the European Commission, with coordination from DG MARE and DG RTD.

EMODnet made waves in May at a number of key European and International Conferences. EMODnet’s engagement with the industry-led Geospatial World Forum 2024 in Rotterdam, Netherlands in mid-May featured dialogues with Hydrographic offices and EMODnet Associated Partner Fugro. This was followed by a large delegation of EMODnet experts at the International Conference on Marine Data and Information Systems, held in Bergen, Norway. The same week EMODnet attended the European Maritime Days 2024 in Svendborg, Denmark, where EMODnet co-organised a workshop with the EU Blue Economy Observatory and European Environment Agency and celebrated with EC DG MARE and CINEA 10 years of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF, formerly EMFF). EMODnet also had an exhibition booth, in partnership with Seabed 2030 and the International Hydrographic Offices (IHO). EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service also co-organised a booth for the EU Digital Twin Ocean. June 2024 is also set to bring EMODnet’s key partnerships to the forefront with EMODnet speaking at the Copernicus Marine Service General Assembly and Digital Ocean Forum, providing expert mentors to the OceanHack2024 and running a joint webinar on EU marine data services for the UN Ocean Decade. See below and stay tuned for more information!

EMODnet experts from the Secretariat and wider partnership represented EMODnet at the first United Nations Ocean Decade (UN OD) Conference 2024, held in Barcelona from 10-12 April. EMODnet contributed to the Ocean Prediction booth and to number of sessions and week-long side events spanning Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPS) for the European Digital Twin Ocean (DTO), CoastPredict and the JPI Knowledge Hub on Sea Level Rise, the UN OD Challenge 8 digital representation of the ocean, and invited presentations at European project side events.

EMODnet is pleased to announce and welcome 3 new associated partners in Spring 2024: Renewable Grid Initiative (RGI), Voice of the Ocean (VOTO) and Oceano VOX. Each new member brings unique expertise and a strong commitment to advancing collaboration with EMODnet in the areas of data sharing, best practices in marine data, information technology and data services, and expanding the users of EMODnet, including for the Blue Economy.

The Thalassa 2024 Marine Sciences Conference, organised by EMODnet Associated Partner the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI), will take place on 28th-29th May 2024 in Larnaca, Cyprus. Registration is open until 15th April here.

The Decade Coordination Office (DCO) for Ocean Data Sharing has prepared a survey to solicit feedback from all Decade Actions to better understand the needs and challenges you face to find, use, manage and share ocean data and information. Your responses would greatly help the DCO to identify where and how they can best support your Action(s). The survey will remain open until Friday 5th of April. The EMODnet secretariat is preparing a submission, and wider partners and stakeholders are encouraged to also submit. Visit the DCO-ODS website and complete the Ocean Data Sharing Survey!

EMODnet was presented at the European Ocean Days 2024, which took place in Brussels between 4th-8th March. EMODnet experts joined multiple events across the week-long activities, including the EU Mission: Restore Our Ocean and Waters Forum and related European Parliament event, the 'Where Next for Europe's Seas' event and BlueInvest Day. EMODnet and the EU Atlas of the Seas were also exhibited at the Ocean Literacy in Action Day, highlighting the power of the EMODnet EC marine data service and EU Atlas EC web mapping communication tool for providing open and free access to marine data, information and knowledge for professional users and society.

On 28th February 2024, EMODnet hosted a webinar titled “EMODnet for Horizon Europe and EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters.” This invitation-only webinar was attended by over 95 participants representing at least 45 EU projects. Organised by the EMODnet Secretariat, Data Ingestion and thematics, in collaboration with DG MARE and CINEA, the webinar focused on how EMODnet can support European Research and Innovation (R&I) projects, including the use of EMODnet’s marine knowledge in EU R&I, demonstrations of the EMDOnet Data Ingestion workflow, and guidance on how R&I projects can optimize the collection, curation and submission of FAIR data and metadata to EMODnet services, and its large userbase.

Dear EMODnet partners, associated partners, colleagues and wider stakeholders,

A very Happy New Year to you all! 

The EMODnet New Year’s letter is something of a tradition, written by the Head of the EMODnet Secretariat. In 2024, the baton passes to me, Kate Larkin, as I took on the role of Head of Secretariat in Spring 2023. On behalf of the EMOD-network I wish the previous Head, Jan-Bart Calewaert, well in his new activities in the global ocean data domain, whilst he remains a trusted advisor to EMODnet. As we end the first month of the New Year it is time to take stock of EMODnet’s landmark achievements in 2023, and to look forward to 2024 – a year which is set to be an extremely exciting and impactful one! Stay tuned for more information on all of these activities and get ready to have your say in shaping EMODnet’s future!

On 1 December 2023, the EMODnet Steering Committee met in Brussels to exchange on EMODnet operations, strategic partnerships and plan upcoming events and activities in 2024, ranging from the EMODnet webinar for EU Mission and Horizon Europe on 28th February 2024 to EMODnet’s contribution to the UN Ocean Decade Conference 2024 and Digital Ocean Forum 2024. The meeting took place directly after the EMODnet Open Conference and Jamboree 2023.

EMODnet Biology continuously provides free and open access to marine biodiversity data. The last data publication of 2023 has been completed and EMODnet Biology looks forward to continue collaborations with existing European research infrastructures e.g., EMBRC, LifeWatch, networks, Horizon Europe projects working on the marine biodiversity data pipeline e.g., DTO-Bioflow and MARCO-BOLO and initiatives to make more existing and historical marine biodiversity data available into the future.