Join us on 22 October 2024 for the EMODent for Business online workshop "Marine data for ports, marinas and boating". The workshop will demonstrate the EMODnet service for the ports, marinas and boating industry sectors including how these Blue Economy sectors can further use and benefit from EMODnet, together with opportunities for data sharing.

The workshop is by invitation only. To express interest to attend, please contact: emodnet4business@emodnet.eu

Join us on 22 October 2024 for the EMODnet for Business online workshop "Marine data for ports, marinas and boating". The workshop will demonstrate the EMODnet service for the ports, marinas and boating industry sectors including how these Blue Economy sectors can further use and benefit from EMODnet, together with opportunities for data sharing. Participants will discover the potential of EMODnet services and will be able to engage in in cross-regional dialogue and exchanges with participants from all European sea basins. The workshop is by invitation only. To express interest to attend, please contact: emodnet4business@emodnet.eu

On 30th September AM the EMODnet Vision 2035 Drafting Group came together online for its 3rd meeting. High on the agenda was digesting the stakeholder responses to the public survey which took place mid July - mid September 2024, and targeted consultations with EMODnet Associated Partners and Sea-basin Checkpoints. The VDG also held interactive discussions to further define key priorities for EMODnet's service evolution according to key pillars spanning EMODnet digital services to EMODnet for Policy.

Register for the second webinar in the EU Ocean Data Series titled "Science and Solutions for a Clean, Healthy, and Resilient Ocean" co-organised by EUMETSAT, Copernicus Marine Service, EMODnet and ECOPs on 10 October 2024 at 14:30 Central Europe Time. This webinar will delve into how Earth observation, and modeled marine data are being used to support the UN Ocean Decade initiative. Key topics include understanding and combating marine pollution, protecting and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity, and unlocking ocean-based solutions to climate change. Join leading experts as they discuss innovative approaches to sustainable ocean management and explore how data is driving a healthier and more resilient ocean. More information and registration: https://eudata4oceandecade.eu/ 

Euronews met with representatives of the European Digital Twin of the Ocean (EDITO), travelling from Toulouse, France to Ostend, Belgium to capture the cutting-edge work behind this project. Their feature highlights how this revolutionary initiative uses advanced ocean simulations with EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service comprehensive datasets to tackle challenges like climate change and marine conservation. The Euronews story and accompanying video offer an exclusive look into the innovative work happening across Europe to enhance ocean governance and promote sustainability. Watch as EDITO brings the future of ocean monitoring to life, helping decision-makers across the globe protect our seas. Read the full story and watch the video here.

Over the past 20 years, EurOBIS has established strong alliances with key European initiatives, serving as a crucial infrastructure and network. Notable milestones include EurOBIS becoming the data backbone of the European Marine Observations and Data Network Biology (EMODnet Biology) in 2009 and joining LifeWatch’s central Species Information Backbone in 2014. EMODnet Biology is built on the foundation of EurOBIS, whose efforts over the last two decades have significantly increased data publication while driving technical advancements that enable diverse data types to reach a broader range of EMODnet stakeholders. To mark this 20th anniversary, the EurOBIS Data Management Team, in collaboration with EMODnet Biology, has gone the extra mile to offer users a remarkable collection of 100 newly available datasets.

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.

This summer has been a busy one for EMODnet Biology, with several significant milestones achieved. EMODnet Biology supported the biodiversity community by republishing essential data products, ensuring continued access to valuable information. New data, including fisheries survey data, was also published, enhancing the repository with vital insights. In addition, latest technical developments have improved the accessibility and usability of resources. Explore these updates to see how EMODnet Biology is advancing marine biodiversity knowledge!

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!

Join us on 22 October 2024 for the EMODent for Business online workshop "Marine data for ports, marinas and boating". The workshop will demonstrate the EMODnet service for the ports, marinas and boating industry sectors including how these Blue Economy sectors can further use and benefit from EMODnet, together with opportunities for data sharing. The workshop is by invitation only. To express interest to attend, please contact: emodnet4business@emodnet.eu

On 19 June 2024, EMODnet, Copernicus Marine Service, EUMETSAT and ECOPS delivered a joint webinar on Marine Data for the UN Ocean Decade: A European focus. Attracting > 300 registrations from ocean professionals spanning early to later career, and from many nations in Europe and beyond, the webinar showcased EU earth observation capacity, and EC marine data services that offer in situ and satellite marine data, open for all.

In early June 2024, the prototype European Digital Twin Ocean (DTO) EDITO-Infra platform was presented to the marine ecosystem modelling community by the EMODnet Technical Coordinator, Conor Delaney. The session “Data Lakes for Ecosystem Modelling” took place in the context of a wider Conference "Ecopath 40 Years – The Ecosystem Continuum: From Knowledge to Decisions", organized by the European Marine Board, held in Ostend, Belgium, from 3-8 June 2024.

Two global biodiversity data networks, Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) and Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), have agreed to a joint strategy and action plan that will deepen their collaboration, improve the flows and services of high-quality data about marine and coastal biodiversity, and support research and decision-making on the world's oceans. This agreement will have positive implications for EMODnet Biology as data curation and management will become more streamlined and we expect a better and strengthened collaboration we have been developing over the years.

Your Feedback Matters! EMODnet continues to evolve to better serve your needs. Our survey is designed to gather your valuable feedback on our services. Whether you have spotted a technical bug, or you visited to search for the latest data products or use cases, we want to hear from you! Your input is crucial in enhancing our website's user-friendliness and usability. Share your thoughts and help us improve your EMODnet experience by filling out our survey. 

EMODnet has published the presentations and minutes of the EMODnet 20th Steering Committee (SC), now available on the EC Maritime Forum. The event took place online on 29-30 April 2024. The open session included the EMODnet SC, Technical Working Group (TWG), and representatives from the EC (multiple DGs) and EU agencies. Key discussions focused on EMODnet’s service evolution, and EMODnet for EU Policy, with a session chaired by Rémy Denos, EC DG MARE and involving DG DEFIS, DG ENV, JRC and EEA, among others. Updates on thematic data, user uptake, and portal developments were presented. The closed session covered the EMODnet communication strategy, use cases, partnerships, and planning for Open Sea Lab 4.0. 

In Spring 2024 EMODnet launched a technical blog, championed by the EMODnet Technical Coordinator Conor Delaney, to update EMODnet's diverse user community on latest service developments. This latest blog (#2 in the series) focuses on the EMODnet Map viewer, explaining how this key tool can be used to discover EMODnet's diverse offer of marine environmental and human activities data and data products and the latest features and functionalities, from map projections to visualisations. Dive in and discover EMODnet!

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 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.

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!