Science and Research

2023 was a milestone year for EMODnet with the unification of thematic services, the OSL 3.0 Hackathon, the EMODnet Open Conference 2023 and much more! Learn more in the EMODnet Annual Report 2023, now published. This provides a comprehensive overview of the EMODnet service’s main achievements in 2023, user metrics and key facts and figures, thematic offer updates including new data products, new coverage for the Caribbean Sea and Caspian Sea, EMODnet data ingestion, EMODnet for the European Digital Twin Ocean, wider EU and global partnerships and EMODnet’s key role in the EC communication tool European Atlas of the Seas, etc.

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 Seabed Habitat experts played a key role in a new European Marine Board Future Science Brief No. 11 which will be launched at an event on 17th June 2024 in Brussels, Belgium. This publication was written by the EMB Working Group 'Marine Habitat Mapping, which included multiple EMODnet experts as members. The resulting publication showcases the unique off of the EMODnet EUSeaMap, a pan-European broad-scale seabed habitat map, and the key role that EMODnet has played as a data aggregator, standardising and harmonising data from diverse sources to produce an interoperable data product and data layers for Europe. There is still time to register to join in-person or online and learn how marine habitat mapping can best support key European and international commitments on marine biodiversity, conservation, restoration and management.

The “Ecopath 40 years – The Ecosystem Continuum: From knowledge to decisions” conference, will take place in Ostend, Belgium from June 3-5, 2024. The event will celebrate four decades of progress in utilizing the 'Ecopath with Ecosim' (EwE) modelling software approach across various fields such as fisheries management, marine conservation, ecosystem dynamics, climate impacts, and ecosystem-based management (EBM). The conference will also introduce new facilities for the EwE approach, offering an international scientific gathering for ecosystem modelers utilizing the EwE framework and software. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a milestone event in ecosystem modeling. Visit http://www.ecopath.org/ for more information.

The virtual Copernicus Marine Service #OceanHack4EU hackathon will be held online from 3-7 June, gathering participants to tackle one of the many challenges the ocean faces. Teams will be invited to create innovative and impact-driven ocean solutions using marine earth-observation data, to contribute to protecting and restoring the health of our ocean. Data from EMODnet and EUMETSAT will also be made available during the hackathon.

Register now!

EMODnet teamed up with a number of European services and key stakeholders at EMD2024 held on 30-31 May 2024 in Svendborg, Denmark. EMODnet co-organised a workshop on diverse data for the Blue Economy and EU Policy with the European Blue Economy Observatory and the European Environment Agency (EEA). This included presentations by EMODnet Human Activities and the Secretariat. The EMODnet EC marine data service booth was visited by diverse stakeholders ranging from policy makers and the research community to the private sector, non-governmental agencies and citizen science initiatives. This year’s booth was held in partnership with the International Hydrographic Office (IHO) and Seabed 2030, enabling the dialogue on how EMODnet Bathymetry contributes to global seabed mapping initiatives. EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service also co-organised a booth on the EU Digital Twin Ocean showcasing EU marine data services supporting EU Green priorities. Read the newly published article on the ongoing is co-operation between these two EC marine data services here.

The EMODnet Secretariat presented EMODnet’s diverse marine data service at the Hydrospatial Infrastructure and Blue Economy Summit, part of the Geophysical World Forum 2024 which took place between 13-16 May 2024. EMODnet joined a session on integrated ocean knowledge, together with Seabed 2030, Hub Ocean and the Danish Geodata Agency, among others. EMODnet partners and data contributors from national hydrographic offices were also present, speaking in related sessions together with EMODnet Associated Partner Fugro. Presentations and further information are available at: https://geospatialworldforum.org/  

EMODnet turned out in force for the International Conference on Marine Data and Information Systems (IMDIS) which took place between 27-30 May 2024 in Bergen, Norway, with multiple oral and poster presentations from EMODnet Data Ingestion, EMODnet thematics Biology, Chemistry, Bathymetry and others, together with the Central Portal technical team and Secretariat, together with other key actors in the marine data management community including SeaDataNet who also co-organised the event. More information is available here: https://imdis.seadatanet.org/ 

Mark your calendars! Final planning is underway for the “EU marine data services Ocean Decade Data” Webinar kicking off on 19 June. This webinar is co-organized by EUMETSAT, Copernicus Marine Service, EMODnet and the ECOP Programme, in collaboration with the UN Ocean Decade Coordination Office for Ocean Data Sharing (ODS). The webinar will showcase European marine data services and how these already contribute to the UN Ocean Decade and global initiatives. This series is designed for international audiences from diverse backgrounds and aims to foster a user-driven approach to marine data utilization. You can find more information on participation here!

EMODnet will be well represented at the 3rd edition of the Digital Ocean Forum (DOF) in Brussels, Belgium (12-13 June 2024). As the key pillar for in situ marine data services, EMODnet is a key contributor to the public infrastructure backbone of the European Digital Twin Ocean (DTO) through the EDITO-Infra project, in collaboration with the Copernicus Marine Service. The high-level event will be web streamed, allowing you to follow all new European DTO developments live. Stay tuned for more information coming soon on our social media channels!

EMODnet Chemistry marine litter data has contributed to a marine litter assessment tool developed by the EUROqCHARM EU-funded H2020 project that lasted from 1 November 2020 – 31 October 2023. The project provided harmonised methodologies for the monitoring and assessment of marine plastics (macro-, micro- and nano-) in all environmental compartments: water, soil/sediment, air, and biota. Additionally, it released blueprints for standards of marine litter monitoring and data management and recommendations for policy and legislation.

The EU-funded H2020 project EOSC-Future ran from April 2021 to March 2024, implementing the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). It offered European researchers a virtual platform for sharing and accessing data across disciplines and borders. EOSC-Future developed key EOSC components. EMODnet Chemistry helped addresses the data integration challenges, enabling users to explore diverse environmental data.

Two ongoing EU Horizon Europe projects, MPA Europe and MARCO-BOLO, are working on producing species distribution models to support conservation action. The underlying species occurrence information is sourced from EMODnet Biology holdings available in OBIS through the European regional OBIS node (EurOBIS). MPA Europe and MARCO-BOLO are collaborating and exchanging experiences in distribution modeling. As a case study, models for the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) were developed and compared, showing that different approaches successfully capture the species' distribution.

On 7-8 May EMODnet Chemistry joined a hybrid workshop in Venice (Italy) and online which also brought together experts from ICOS, NOAA and UNESCO to discuss how to manage ocean carbon system data on a global scale. Monitoring and reporting ocean acidification data is an important prerequisite for minimising and combating the effects of ocean acidification, which is one of the targets of Goal 14 "Life Below Water" of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

As EMODnet Biology reaches the end of the first year of Phase V, the thematic provides an overview of activities and a forward look to the year ahead.

The EMODnet Geology partner meeting was held at the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) headquarters in Espoo, Finland, on 14-17 May 2024. About 50 project delegates gathered to discuss EMODnet Geology’s current activities, which included an exchange with the coordinator of Seabed Habitats to deepen collaboration between the two lots. EMODnet Geology partners also celebrated their long-time Coordinator Henry Vallius, who has excellently led the project for many years, as there will be a change in the coordination in June when Dr Vallius and the deputy coordinator Anu Kaskela change roles.

EMODnet Seabed Habitats participated in the recent GEOHAB 2024 Conference held in Arendal, Norway from 6-10 May 2024. This event was co-hosted by GRID-Arendal/University of Tasmania and the Geological Survey of Norway, in partnership with Ophelix Scandinavia AS.

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!

Secure your spot at European Maritime Day 2024, taking place in Svendborg, Denmark, on 30th-31st May 2024. EMODnet will be there with an exhibition booth and co-organising a joint workshop on 2 EC services ‘EMODnet and the Blue Economy Observatory’ to be held on-site on 31st May late morning.  All plenary sessions will be live-streamed, however on-site participation is recommended for full engagement with the hundreds of marine and maritime stakeholders attending. Register by 10th May 2024: Register now for the European Maritime Day 2024!The EC are also hosting the European Blue Forum on 30th May 2024 back-to-back with EMD 2024, with separate registration.

EMODnet will be active at the upcoming European Maritime Day (EMD) 2024, with an EMODnet booth, contributions to an EDITO (EU DTO) booth and with EMODnet co-organising a workshop on 31st May at 11:15am-12:45pm on diverse data for EU policy and the Blue Economy, together with the European Blue Economy Observatory and the European Environment Agency (EEA). Register by 10 May to secure your spot and stay tuned for more information. We look forward to seeing you there!