EMODnet made a significant impact at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly (EGU 2024) in Vienna, with presentations from EMODnet experts spanning the Chemistry and Geology thematics, among others. At the event, EMODnet Chemistry highlighted its collaboration with NOAA and UNESCO, focusing on accurate, detailed open-access data on ocean acidification. This is crucial for monitoring and reporting on progress towards specific ocean acidification targets under the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Simultaneously, EMODnet Geology presented its comprehensive range of products, including the innovative seabed erosion index database. This showcase reflected the work of a robust consortium of 40 partners and subcontractors, committed to delivering harmonized marine geological data products.
Global
As part of the AdriaClim project, researchers from the University of Bologna and the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change in Italy utilized EMODnet Chemistry data to create a detailed 3D biogeochemical model for the Adriatic Sea. Their analysis yielded insights into future biogeochemical changes driven by climate change, affecting marine ecosystems and key economic sectors like fisheries.
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 National Oceanographic Data Centre of the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophisics (OGS) coordinate EMODnet Chemistry. As OGS celebrates its twentieth anniversary it also reached an important achievement: UNESCO certification of OGS as a UNESCO-accredited data centre, confirming the quality of the work done by the OGS NODC Italy team.
This year colleagues from NIMRD, Romania hosted the EMODnet Biology annual meeting. The meeting took place over two days, on April 16th and 17th and had 20 colleagues joining on-site and 16 others online. Back-to-back EMODnet Biology organised a workshop with Regional Sea Conventions.
This year, the EGI federation of computing and storage resource providers are holding their annual EGI conference in Lecce, Italy, in collaboration with the CMCC Foundation from 30th September until 4th October 2024. Different contribution types are accepted (short and long talks, posters, and demonstrations) across a variety of topics. Deadline: 24th April, 2024.
On April 18th, EMODnet Biology will host a half-day workshop that is aimed at the Regional Sea Conventions. The workshop will represent an important opportunity of interaction, and of collection of feedback and of gaps and needs by RSCs. in terms of data, products and/or tools required for marine ecosystem status assessment.
The Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership has announced its second joint transnational call, offering support to research and innovation projects lasting 36 months. This call, co-branded as part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, focuses on four priority areas: Digital Twins of the Ocean, Blue economy sectors and marine multi-use infrastructures, Planning and managing sea-uses at the regional level, and Blue Bioresources. Applicants have until April 10, 2024 (15H00 CEST) to submit their pre-proposals, with a deadline for full proposals expected in November 2024
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.
EMOD-PACE (The EMODnet Partnership for China and Europe) between the National Marine Data and Information Service of China (NMDIS) and EMODnet has produced an article published in the Friends of Europe magazine. The article highlights the importance of EMODnet global partnerships and ocean data sharing collaborations at global level to tackle global challenges. You can read the full article here.
The EMODnet Secretariat attended the Equinox Summit "European Climate change Science Summit" on 26th March 2024 in Brussels, co-organised by JPI Climate and European project MAGICA and held under the auspices of the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union. The event was attended by many National representatives from Ministries and public authorities, EU policy makers, JPI Climate, JPI Oceans, European projects and wider stakeholders. The event highlighted the value and crucial role of high-quality ocean and climate data, information and science to understand Climate Change and to inform mitigation and adaptation solutions. The EMODnet offer of marine environmental and human activities data spans Ocean and Climate, including Sea Level Rise data products, relevant for the first European Assessment Report on Sea Level Rise coordinated by JPI Oceans and JPI Climate, which will be launched in late Spring 2024.
EMODnet experts from the Human Activities and Secretariat presented EMODnet and provided technical advice at the Technical Expert Group (TEG) on Data for Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) workshop “MSP Data tools and Guidance” which was held as a hybrid event on 13th March 2024.
BLOG #1 (March 2024): EMODnet’s technical state-of-the-art as a unified Portal. The EMODnet EC in situ marine data service is enabled by a large expert community of technical experts in thematic data, data and web services, data ingestion and more. One year on from the launch of EMODnet’s unified Portal, EMODnet launches a technical blog that brings the technical developments and achievements of the EMOD-network to the forefront, championed by EMODnet’s Technical Coordinator, Conor Delaney. The blog is intended for wider stakeholders who use and/or contribute to EMODnet and would like to know more about the latest state-of-the-art in EMODnet services. The technical blog will be released quarterly.
EMODnet was well represented at the Oceanology International 2024 and European Ocean Observing System (EOOS) Technology Forum that took place back-to-back in mid-March 2024 in London, UK. EMODnet Physics, Chemistry, Data Ingestion and wider experts were on-site, complementing a pan-EMODnet feature article in the Hydro International magazine that accompanied the OI 2024 event.
EMODnet demonstrated its cross-disciplinary services alongside EMODnet Biology and EDITO-Infra at an exhibition at VLIZ Marine Science Day 2024. The event took place at De Grote Post in Ostend on Wednesday, 6th March 2024 and attracted over 450 researchers, many from higher education and early career professionals.
The EMODnet Biology/EurOBIS team presents an invaluable training course designed to empower data providers in understanding the EMODnet Biology project and its connections with international initiatives like OBIS and GBIF.
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, represented by EMODnet Biology Coordinator Joana Beja, VLIZ, Belgium, presented EDITO-Infra and EMODnet’s contribution in a webinar hosted the European project Iliad titled ‘Digital Twins of the Ocean and Biodiversity’.
The Digital Ocean Forum (DOF) 2024 takes place on 13th June 2024, from 10:00 to 16:30 CET at the Palace of the Academies in Brussels. This high-level gathering will be hybrid and open to the public and will feature the prototype of the European Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO), powered by EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service via EDITO. The DOF 2024 Forum will showcase the capabilities of the EU DTO as a Commission public service, building on existing EU marine data service capability and demonstrating the European DTO's role as an additional asset to drive applications and solutions for ocean resource management, ocean and climate change and a green transition and sustainable operations for the Blue Economy. Discover how the EU DTO aligns with the Green Deal and the UN Decade of Science for Sustainable Development.