Overview   Seabed Habitats

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 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.

Join the CS-MACH1 project on 3–4 February 2026 for a workshop that brings together marine citizen science communities, data managers, developers and researchers to strengthen data flows, address common challenges and explore practical solutions for the Marine Citizen Science Data Network. The event will include project insights, live demonstrations and opportunities for participants to present their own activities and needs. Register before 15 December.

Mark your calendars for European Maritime Day (EMD) 2026, taking place on 21-22 May 2026 in Limassol, Cyprus. This annual two-day event is the flagship gathering of Europe’s maritime community, bringing together policymakers, stakeholders, and ocean advocates to discuss sustainable blue economy priorities and future marine policy. EMODnet will be there. See you in Cyprus?

The Digital Ocean Forum (DOF) 2025 brought together the marine data and digital ocean community in Brussels for two days of inspiring discussions, demonstrations, and collaboration on the European Digital Twin Ocean. EMODnet is an active and core contributor to the DOF event series, not least as the in situ marine data component of the European Digital Twin Ocean. Held back-to-back with the EMODnet Open Conference 2025 as part of EU Marine Knowledge Week, the event showcased Europe’s progress toward a connected, data-driven, and digitally enabled ocean. You can now revisit the event’s key moments through the Photo gallery, Replays and PDF presentations and Use case testimonies!

EMODnet's Seabed Habitat Consortium recently started a 2-year extension to Phase 5 which will run until mid- 2027. This phase builds on the existing data libraries and products hosted on the EMODnet Portal and will also see the latest launch of the EUSeaMap (2025 version of the long-standing broad-scale habitat map for all European sea basins) which has been further improved during Phase 5 (2023-2025) with new and revised input data.

On 24 November 2025, the EMODnet Partner network — comprising 133 organisations from 33 countries — gathered in Brussels for the EMODnet Partner Jamboree meeting, ahead of the EMODnet Open Conference 2025. This community event brought together experts from EMODnet’s seven thematics — Biology, Bathymetry, Geology, Seabed Habitats, Chemistry, Physics, Human Activities — EMODnet Data Ingestion, Central Portal and Secretariat. The partner meetings included kick-off meeting of some thematics’ new workplans, cross-thematic exchanges and dedicated discussions. The full partnership came together for a dinner reception that evening, with speeches from EC DG MARE and the EMODnet Secretariat, also recognizing the collective inputs of the Secretariat, EMODnet Coordinators, partners, associated partners and wider experts to the EMODnet Vision 2035.

EMODnet is delighted to share further highlights from its recent Open Conference (OC) 2025, held on 25–26 November 2025 in Brussels, Belgium, including plenary recordings, presentations, photos and more. The OC brought together more than 450 participants from 33 countries on-site and online. As the European Union’s in situ marine data service, EMODnet showcased its essential role in delivering actionable marine data and knowledge for the European Ocean Pact the EU Ocean Observation Initiative and the European Digital Twin Ocean. The event also launched the EMODnet Vision 2035, a community roadmap for EMODnet’s service evolution over the next decade.

On 24 November 2025, the EMODnet Partner network — comprising 133 organisations from 33 countries — gathered in Brussels for the EMODnet Partner Jamboree meeting, ahead of the EMODnet Open Conference 2025. This biennial community event brought together experts from all of EMODnet’s seven thematics — Biology, Bathymetry, Geology, Seabed Habitats, Chemistry, Physics, Human Activities — and EMODnet’s Data Ingestion service, that included the kick-off meeting of some thematics’ new workplans, cross-thematic exchanges and dedicated discussions. The full partnership came together for a partner dinner reception that evening, with speeches from EC DG MARE and the EMODnet Secretariat, also recognizing the EMODnet Coordinators’, Associated Partners and wider expert inputs to the EMODnet Vision 2035, spearheaded by the Vision Drafting Group.

EMODnet's contribution to the global ocean data ecosystem is a pillar of its community Vision 2035. This was further exemplified at the EMODnet Open Conference 2025 where Joanna Post (GOOS and IODE, IOC/UNESCO) and Adam Leadbetter (UN Ocean Decade Coordination Office for Ocean Data Sharing) both spoke about the ongoing contribution of EMODnet to the UN Ocean Decade and global ocean data initiatives, and the opportunity to increase and scale its global contributions and partnerships. EMODnet is also featured in the book Ocean for Life with the EMODnet article produced by the Secretariat, along with contributions from global stakeholders.

The Digital Ocean Forum 2025 showcased the latest EDITO long-term infrastructure of the European Digital Twin Ocean, co-delivered by EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service. It brought together experts from these two European Union marine data services, the European Commission DG MARE, DEFIS, RTD, ENV, CONNECT and INTPA, European marine projects and the wider community to dive into what EDITO has to offer, and to onboard and expand the development of the European Digital Twin Ocean, together.

The EMODnet Open Conference 2025 highlighted the strong engagement of EMODnet’s Associated Partners, who play a crucial role in enriching EMODnet’s services with diverse data and expertise. This year, several Associated Partners were featured prominently in the plenary panels, including Voice of the Ocean Foundation, Van Oord and Fugro. Each organization shared valuable insights on how EMODnet supports their operations and business models, while emphasizing the importance of open marine data for innovation and sustainability.

The European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) community is proud to announce the publication of its VISION 2035, a common roadmap for EMODnet’s service evolution over the next decade. This includes a Summary for policy makers with the full VISION including extended recommendations for EMODnet’s service evolution to 2035.

More than 300 stakeholders gathered in Brussels for the EMODnet Open Conference on 25-26 November 2025 which showcased EMODnet’s role as an essential marine data service of the European Ocean Pact. This fourth edition attended by partners, Associated Partners including the private sector, the European Commission DG MARE, RTD, ENV, DEFIS, INTPA, JRC and more, launched the EMODnet community Vision 2035 with an ambitious – yet pragmatic and necessary - roadmap for strengthened investment into EMODnet’s service evolution over the next decade, to meet the emerging and expanding marine data needs of the Ocean Pact, the EU Ocean Observation Initiative and EMODnet as the in situ component of the European Digital Twin Ocean. The event kicked off a Marine Knowledge week, highlighting EMODnet as a cornerstone of EU marine knowledge. Stay tuned for full Highlights! Read more: EMODnet Open Conference 2025 and Vision 2035.

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!

Save the Date for the fourth EMODnet Open Conference, taking place on 25–26 November 2025 in Brussels, Belgium that will showcase EMODnet as an essential marine data service for the European Ocean Pact, EU Ocean Observation Initiative, European Digital Twin Ocean (EU DTO) and global digital ocean data ecosystem. The Conference will also present the EMODnet community Vision 2035 and will include dialogues on EMODnet's future service evolution. The EMODnet Conference is held back-to-back with the Digital Ocean Forum 2025, as part of a European Marine Knowledge Week.

The European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) community is proud to announce the publication of its VISION 2035, a common roadmap for EMODnet’s service evolution over the next decade.

The EMODnet Vision 2035 is a necessary document at a time when the urgency and societal demand for marine knowledge to meet societal challenges has never been higher. It is the EMOD-network’s response to the European Ocean Pact, providing tangible recommendations for how EMODnet as the European Union’s in situ marine data service can – and must – scale and expand, to realise its full potential as a cornerstone of European marine knowledge, serving the Ocean Pact and the EU Ocean Observation Initiative, delivering the in situ component of the European Digital Twin Ocean, boosting competitiveness in the Blue Economy, and as a world-class regional data service seamlessly connected to the global ocean digital ecosystem. The Vision showcases EMODnet, from its people to its digital services, and from its service offer to its value creation for policy, research and innovation, the Blue Economy and beyond. Concrete recommendations are presented across four-dimensions of the EMODnet value chain. In the Vision 2035 roadmap the community calls for at least a doubling in EMODnet's funding across the next multi-annual financial framework (MFF) to make this Vision a reality. This includes an expansion of the EMODnet partnership to all relevant in situ ocean observation and marine data actors, to maximise EMODnet’s potential to serve the EU Ocean Observation Initiative, the European Digital Twin Ocean, the wider Ocean Pact and the global ocean digital ecosystem.

Join us online on 13 November 2025 (15:00–16:30 CET) for the official launch of the EMODnet Vision 2035 — a forward-looking strategy outlining the next decade of Europe’s marine data services. Discover EMODnet’s core assets and strategic pillars, explore how its services are driving progress in policy, science, the Blue Economy, and society, and hear directly from members of the EMODnet Vision Drafting Group, representing partners and stakeholders across the marine data value chain. Register today and join the discussion.

At the Living Data 2025 conference, which took place 21–24 October 2025 in Bogotá, Colombia, EMODnet Biology showcased its diverse work through several presentations, highlighting the consortium’s broad activities and its connections to other European and global marine-data initiatives.

The Digital Ocean Forum 2025 (DOF) will take place on 27–28 November in Brussels, marking an important milestone in the co-development of the European Digital Twin Ocean (EDITO). As the in situ marine data component, EMODnet plays a key role in EDITO and is co-organising the DOF with EMODnet experts also contributing to high-level discussions, demonstrations, and technical sessions shaping Europe’s digital ocean future. The event will unveil Phase 2 of EDITO which includes wider onboarding of stakeholders.