It’s official! Save-the-date for the 4th EMODnet Open Conference on 25-26 November 2025 in Brussels. This edition will take place during a week of EU Marine Knowledge events, starting with a 0.5-day EMODnet partnership Jamboree on 24 November PM, then the EMODnet Open Conference 25-26 November, directly followed by the Digital Ocean Forum 2025 on 27 November. Stay tuned for more information!

The OCEANS 2025 Brest “Call for Abstracts” is now open, inviting experts and innovators to submit cutting-edge technical presentations focusing on Marine Energy, Environmental Marine Engineering, and a Digital Ocean. Abstracts and full technical papers must align with one of these key areas to be considered for inclusion in the conference, taking place from 16–19 June 2025 in Brest, France. Interested contributors can review the conference details and access the abstract submission guidelines here. Submission deadline is 20 December 2024!

Join EMODnet at the EMD 2025 in Cork, Ireland, from 21-23 May 2025 where EMODnet and EU DTO will be exhibiting, together with other key actors in the European marine and maritime landscape, engaging also in stakeholder workshops and plenary sessions, including continuing the Oceans and Fisheries dialogues that are shaping the European Ocean Pact. Apply now to secure your spot: https://maritime-forum.ec.europa.eu/theme/governance/european-maritime-day_en

Join Europe's maritime community at European Maritime Day (EMD) 2025, taking place from 21–23 May 2025 in Cork, Ireland. This annual event brings together professionals from businesses, governments, public institutions, NGOs, and academia to network, discuss, and outline joint actions on maritime affairs and the sustainable blue economy. Don't miss this opportunity to meet EMODnet and European Digital Twin Ocean experts face-to-face and engage with countless more marine and maritime experts throughout the programme, workshops, exhibitions, and numerous networking opportunities.

Follow the link to register today.

The EGU25 General Assembly is your chance to influence the dialogue on emerging challenges and innovations in the geosciences. Contribute to the scientific program by submitting an abstract before 15 January 2025, and seize the opportunity to shape community priorities by proposing a Townhall session before 22 January 2025. Join fellow researchers, experts, and stakeholders, and become part of the conversation defining the future of Earth, planetary, and space science research. For more information on submission guidelines and session details, visit https://www.egu25.eu/.

EMODnet was well-represented at European Ocean Days 2025 a high-level, week-long event from 3-7 March 2025 in Brussels that brought together stakeholders from across Europe's Ocean community. Marine Knowledge was a central theme to the multiple events covering ocean literacy, Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters, sustainable fisheries, the blue economy, and more. And EMODnet was visible as a key EU asset for marine knowledge at the session "Marine Knowledge for the Ocean Pact", which included interventions by EC DG MARE and EMODnet Chemistry Coordinator OGS. EMODnet's key role as the in situ component to the European Digital Twin Ocean was also highlighted.

At the Mission Ocean and Waters Forum during EU Ocean Days 2025 in Brussels, the European Digital Twin Ocean (EU DTO) booth drew strong interest from across the marine community. As the in situ component of the EU DTO, and a co-developer of the EDITO-Infra initiative, EMODnet was at the forefront, engaging visitors with insights into how its harmonised marine data underpins the European Digital Twin Ocean and supports dynamic, scenario-based tools for sustainable ocean management.

A recent study, conducted as part of a master’s thesis at the Faculty of Maritime Studies Kotor, University of Montenegro, showcases how EMODnet geospatial data can support advanced route planning for Unmanned Sea Vehicles (USVs). By integrating EMODnet data with third-party systems, the researchers developed a methodology for filtering, mapping, and exporting marine data to improve the operational efficiency of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs).

EMODnet Human Activities data on the occurrence and distribution of maritime activities—such as offshore platforms—was used to investigate the regulations and protection levels within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the European Union. This PhD research, supported by CCMAR, CNRS, and INRAE, highlights major data gaps in MPA management and serves as a benchmark for monitoring and future policy evaluation.

On 25–27 March 2025, over 400 people joined the EMODnet Open Sea Lab 4.0 online, bringing together marine data users, data scientists, developers, and innovators from across Europe and beyond. Their mission: to co-create solutions to real-world ocean and coastal challenges using the EMODnet service and other open-source data. For this edition, participants were also given exclusive access to the full EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service data collections via the European Digital Twin Ocean cloud-based service, which also offers state-of-the-art analytical tools and modelling capabilities. The two top winning teams will pitch their solutions at European Maritime Day 2025 in Cork, Ireland! This flagship event ended a bumper Marine Knowledge Month following EU Ocean Days 2025 (see news articles below for more information).

On 20 March 2025, Kate Larkin, Head of the EMODnet Secretariat, will present EMODnet in a plenary presentation at the EU Open Data Days 2025 event, organized by the Publications Office of the European Union, taking place on 19-20 March 2025 at the European Convention Centre in Luxembourg (ECCL) and online. This event is cross-domain and will showcase success stories in open data, such as EMODnet for the marine domain. To find out more information and join online visit: https://data.europa.eu/en/euopendatadays?utm_source=chatgpt.com

The “International Ocean Data Conference – III” is currently accepting abstracts for its upcoming event, scheduled for 10–11 March 2025 in Santa Marta, Colombia. Abstracts should align with the themes listed on the conference website and adhere to the provided submission guidelines. All content must be in English. Presenters will be required to submit a prerecorded video and participate in the Q&A session associated with their presentation, either in person or virtually. Limited financial support is available for presenters from developing countries with accepted papers; individuals should indicate any funding needs during the abstract submission process. All abstracts must be submitted electronically by 24 January 2025 (midnight CET). Additional details can be found at: https://oceandataconference.org

Just over two years ago, in January 2023, EMODnet took a bold step by transforming from seven distinct Thematic Portals—covering Bathymetry, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Human Activities, Physics, and Seabed Habitats—into a single, unified web portal. Spearheaded by the EMODnet Central Portal Technical Team and thematic coordinators, this transition consolidated marine data access, simplifying user experience and enhancing efficiency.

A new data set containing over 67,000 charted, uncharted, wrecks from around the world is now available on EMODnet. The data set is maintained by the UK Hydrographic Office and receives regular quarterly updates.

As a key EU pillar for Marine Knowledge and in situ marine data service of the European Commission (EC), DG MARE, EMODnet welcomes the European Ocean Pact and submitted an EMODnet response to the recent call for evidence which closed on 17 February 2025. The resulting EMODnet response is a collective response by the EMODnet Steering Committee, including the Secretariat, Central Portal and thematic and data ingestion coordinators and SC representatives. EMODnet was also a co-author to a response submitted by the European Ocean Observing System (EOOS) Steering Group.

The European Commission is inviting stakeholders to provide input on the European Oceans Pact, a new initiative designed to strengthen ocean governance across all sectors. This is a key opportunity to help shape the future of Europe’s ocean policies by sharing insights on priorities, challenges, and opportunities for sustainable ocean management. Your feedback will play an essential role in ensuring coordinated, science-based, and impactful ocean governance that supports both environmental and economic goals. The consultation is open to marine and maritime professionals, policymakers, researchers, industry representatives, and civil society members. The survey is open until 17 February (Midnight Brussels time) offering a chance to contribute to the development of a robust and forward-looking approach to ocean management. Make your voice heard and participate today! Access the survey here:

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.

EMODnet’s key work for EDITO will continue to strengthen in 2025, with the completion of the first phase of EDITO which delivered a common data lake between EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service, and a prototype EDITO platform, launched at the Digital Ocean Forum 2024. In 2025, the engagement with the EMODnet partners as well as wider stakeholders will increase, and we encourage you to watch this space for updates and announcements on how to get involved. And, in the meantime, you can get access to the EMODnet and CMEMS offer on the EDITO platform by signing up for the public, free Open Sea Lab 4.0 an EMODnet Hackathon series, which for this 2025 edition (online, 25-27 March 2025) sees a direct partnership with EDITO, in collaboration with Mercator Ocean International and Copernicus Marine Service.

The EMODnet Secretariat presented highlights of an EMODnet for ports, marinas and boating sectors workshop at BOOT 2025, the international watersports show in Düsseldorf, Germany. The workshop, co-organised with the European Boating Industry, TransEurope marinas and the European Sea Ports Organisation produced a report in December 2024, with key outcomes presented directly to stakeholders from these Blue Economy sectors as part of the Blue Innovation Dock at BOOT 2025. Click below to read the full report.

On 15 January 2025, EMODnet will showcase how its open and FAIR marine data and products contribute to the UN Ocean Decade initiative. The webinar will focus on: Challenge 3: Sustainably feed the global population, Challenge 4: Develop a sustainable, resilient, and equitable ocean economy and Challenge 6: Increase community resilience to ocean hazards. This is a unique opportunity to explore how Earth observation, in situ, and modelled marine data drive solutions for a sustainable ocean future. Learn more and register today!