Overview   Biology

The World Conference on Marine Biodiversity (WCMB) 2026 will take place from 17–20 November 2026 in Bruges, Belgium, with organisation led by the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ). This flagship global event will gather scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore the latest research, innovations, and solutions for marine biodiversity observations, data, conservation and sustainable ocean management. The Call for Abstracts is open until 17 March 2026 (23:59 CET), and registration is now available via the WCMB 2026 registration portal, with early-bird rates valid until 18 June 2026. Find all submission details and updates on the WCMB 2026 website.

The 7th edition of the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity (WCMB 2026) takes place in Bruges, Belgium, from 17 to 20 November 2026, organised by the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ). Held roughly midway through the UN Ocean Decade, the conference brings together scientists, policymakers and stakeholders to discuss the state of marine biodiversity and identify what still needs to be tackled by the end of the Decade.

EMODnet Biology will organise a three-day Data Management training workshop for Black Sea data providers from 28 to 30 October 2026 in Constanța, Romania. The course will focus on preparing and standardising marine biological datasets using Darwin Core, supporting their publication in EMODnet Biology. Researchers and data managers are invited to bring their own datasets and contribute to improving data availability for the Black Sea region.

On the morning of 5 and 6 October 2026, EMODnet Biology will host a workshop to help EU-funded biodiversity projects ensure their outputs become available via EMODnet Biology. The sessions will provide guidance on biodiversity data standards and product creation, and discuss how project outputs can feed into the EMODnet Biology service.

Explore new projections using the Size Spectrum Dynamic Bioclimate Envelope Model (SS-DBEM) of relative biomass change for 18 fish species across the North Atlantic under a high-emissions future (RCP 8.5) and sustainable fishing pressure (F/Fmsy = 1.0). Combining outputs from three biogeochemical models, this dataset reveals where species may gain or lose biomass between 2030 and 2100, offering a long-term perspective on climate-driven spatial shifts in marine ecosystems and fisheries resources.

A new dataset provides a decade of phytoplankton observations from Romanian Black Sea waters, collected between 2006 and 2015 by the National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” (NIMRD). The dataset includes more than 24,000 occurrence records and 170,000 associated measurements and is now available through the interconnected EMODnet Biology, EurOBIS and OBIS services.

ECSA 61: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy in Estuarine and Coastal Marine Biodiversity: The Way Forward, took place in Brussels from 24–27 August. Both EMODnet Seabed Habitats and Biology presented a poster showcasing ‘EMODnet as a Resource for Marine Biodiversity Research and Policy: Data, Products and Benefits for the Scientific Community’.

Recorded during the EMODnet Biology Annual Meeting hosted by IHCantabria in Santander, this short video features EMODnet Biology Coordinator Joana Beja and IHCantabria colleague Elvira Ramos. Joana explains the mission of EMODnet Biology, the importance of making marine biodiversity data openly available, and how shared data supports research, conservation, ecosystem restoration and evidence-based policy across Europe and beyond. See the video here.

The EMODnet Biology data management team frequently receives questions about the data flow and the connection to EurOBIS and OBIS. This article provides a simple overview of the data flows and explains how data become available across these interconnected services.

EMODnet Biology will organise a three-day Data Management training workshop for Black Sea data providers from 28 to 30 October 2026 in Constanța, Romania. The course will focus on preparing and standardising marine biological datasets using Darwin Core, supporting their publication in EMODnet Biology. Researchers and data managers are invited to bring their own datasets and contribute to improving data availability for the Black Sea region.

A new suite of four R tutorials helps users access and analyse EMODnet geospatial data. Built around the EMODnet R packages, the tutorials guide users through data discovery, retrieval and integration workflows using OGC Web Feature Services (WFS) and Web Coverage Services (WCS) for both vector and raster data. Practical examples show how EMODnet datasets can be combined with external sources, while an introductory tutorial explains key geospatial concepts and supports reproducible workflows.

The multiple events in Cyprus in May 2026 enabled closer dialogue with National Cypriot stakeholders. These included the three Cypriot partner organisations CMMI, Cyprus Geological Survey and ORION, and extending stakeholder engagement, including with the Blue Economy and ocean observation technology companies. CMMI is currently a partner in EMODnet Biology. Cyprus Geological Survey Department is a partner in bathymetry, providing crucial National bathymetry data into the European bathymetry data layer, digital terrain model etc.

On 18–19 March 2026, the EMODnet Technical Working Group (TWG) held its 19th meeting online, alongside the inaugural meeting of the EMODnet Task Force. Thematic coordinators presented the latest updates from their respective thematic areas, with agenda items including updates on the EMODnet Map Viewer, OGC Service Monitoring, progress monitoring, and metadata developments. The first meeting of the newly established EMODnet Task Force also took place during this session, marking an important step in the evolving governance structure of EMODnet.

The minutes and presentations of the 19th EMODnet TWG and 1st Task Force meeting are published on the EC Maritime Forum.

May 2026 marked an impactful month for EMODnet, with active participation in multiple marine and maritime events in Cyprus marking the nation’s presidency of the Council of the European Union. These included the Riding the Wave event, co-organised by EMODnet partner CMMI on  the European Ocean Research and Innovation Agenda, the EuroGOOS 11th International Conference and European Maritime Days 2026 where EMODnet held dialogues with Commissioner Costas Kadis, highlighting EMODnet’s role for EDITO, OceanEye and the Ocean Act, and engaged with stakeholders from research, policy and the Blue Economy, including  ocean observation technology companies.

The European Maritime Day 2026 will take place 21-22 May in Limassol, Cyprus, bringing together Europe’s maritime community to highlight the breadth of sea-related activities and the vital role oceans play in our daily lives. Organised by the European Commission and Cypriot partners, the event offers a vibrant platform for Ocean leaders in private, policy, academic and society sectors to connect, share insights and shape joint action for sustainable Blue Economy.

Joana Beja, Senior Scientific Data Officer at VLIZ and Coordinator of EMODnet Biology, has joined the External Expert Advisory Board of the Biodiversity Meets Data (BMD) project. Her expertise in marine biodiversity data and the European data landscape will support the development of the Biodiversity Explorer—a centralised platform combining advanced monitoring, AI-driven taxonomic identification, and integrated environmental data. This collaboration reinforces synergies across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine domains, helping turn biodiversity data into actionable insights for policy and conservation.

The third edition of the European Ocean Days will take place on 2–6 March 2026, bringing together Europe’s ocean community to explore ocean literacy, blue skills, innovation, investment and the latest progress under the EU Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters. Guided by the European Ocean Pact, the week will feature thematic sessions, stakeholder consultations and opportunities to help shape future ocean and water resilience strategies. Stay tuned for registration opening in December.

A diverse delegation of EMODnet experts attended the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026 between 23-27 February in Glasgow, with presentations and inputs spanning the Central Portal, thematics, data ingestion, and the Secretariat. Topics spanned ocean observations to data and users, from EMODnet's central role as a regional (European) ocean data service for the UN Ocean Decade to the latest thematic innovations in marine data and data products and EMODnet's pivotal role in shaping a resilient, interoperable and operational European and global ocean data ecosystem.

EMODnet’s Biology experts, in collaboration with MedOBIS, have advanced open data and actionable information on seafloor (benthic) biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea. The dataset and related publication focus on “Bathymetric distribution and temporal trends of macrobenthic communities of the continental shelf of Heraklion Bay (Crete-Greece)”, filling crucial gaps in existing knowledge for the Mediterranean Sea which is characterised as a hot spot of biodiversity and climate change impacts on its biota.

EMODnet thematic Coordinators from Syke, Finalnd (Seabed Habitats) and VLIZ, Belgium (Biology) are directly contributing to a new European Biodiversity Observation Coordination Centre (EBOCC) project which officially launched on 1 January 2026, holding its kick-off meeting on 11 February 2026. In the project, EMODnet will build on existing collaborations with the (marine and coastal) biodiversity observation and data actors, towards strengthened coordination also across domains, including beyond marine.