Overview   Data

IMDIS 2026 will take place in Split, Croatia, from 30 November to 3 December 2026, organised by the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (IOF) in collaboration with SeaDataNet AISBL, IFREMER, MARIS, NOC and INGV, many of whom are long-standing EMODnet partners. The conference will bring together experts from across the marine data community to showcase advances in data infrastructures, interoperable systems, tools and platforms, and the transformation of marine data into knowledge and decision-support products.

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.

Ireland plays an important role in strengthening Europe's marine knowledge base through EMODnet. Long-standing partners Geological Survey Ireland and the Marine Institute contribute expertise and data across multiple EMODnet thematic areas, alongside a wider network of Irish organisations supporting open access to marine data.

National Oceanographic Data Centres (NODCs) from around the world, including EMODnet partners, gathered online for the 29th session of the International Ocean Data and Information Exchange (IODE) of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). The meeting provided updates on key international ocean data initiatives, including the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), the IOC Data Architecture and the Ocean Teacher Global Academy (OTGA). These initiatives contribute to strengthening global ocean data management, interoperability and capacity development, supporting the wider objectives of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. EMODnet's engagement with the international ocean data community reflects the importance of cooperation between European and global marine data infrastructures.

The first EDITO Projects Forum Days brought together 23 European and international projects at the InnovOcean Campus in Ostend, Belgium, on 21–22 October, strengthening collaboration around the European Digital Twin Ocean. Organised and hosted by VLIZ, the event offered opportunities for projects to exchange knowledge, explore synergies and gain hands-on experience with the EDITO platform, including publishing and accessing data. For projects generating marine in situ data, EMODnet provides an established pathway to make these data openly accessible and reusable, including through their integration into the EDITO Data Lake. The programme also welcomed projects selected under EDITO's first Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) call, with technical sessions delivered by Mercator Ocean International, VLIZ and Seascape Belgium.

How can Europe's maritime capabilities contribute to greater resilience and security by 2035? This was among the questions discussed at the DiploInnova Canarias forum on Maritime Innovation, Strategic Resilience and European Partnerships, held on 15 October at CSIC headquarters in Brussels. EMODnet Technical Coordinator Conor Delaney contributed to the panel on strategic capabilities for a more resilient Europe, alongside representatives from European institutions, research organisations and the blue economy. Discussions explored maritime innovation, strategic partnerships and future European priorities ahead of the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework.

The EMODnet Secretariat participated in the Atlantic Summit Galway 2026, held on 8–9 October at the University of Galway, Ireland. Organised as an Associated Event of Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Summit brought together policymakers, researchers, ocean strategists and innovators to discuss priorities for Atlantic Ocean research, innovation and skills. EMODnet's participation reflected the importance of accessible, interoperable marine data in supporting ocean knowledge, European cooperation and evidence-based decision-making.

How can marine habitat data help assess the environmental impacts of bottom trawling? Researchers used the EMODnet Seabed Habitats EUSeaMap 2021 dataset to assess the sensitivity of benthic ecosystems to bottom trawling in the eastern Mediterranean. The predictive habitat maps helped address gaps in seabed information and provided an important basis for evaluating the potential impacts of fishing activities. The study highlights the value of harmonised European seabed habitat data in supporting environmental assessments, sustainable fisheries management and marine conservation planning.

EMODnet welcomes Universal Plastics as a new Associated Partner, strengthening collaboration with organisations working to address marine plastic pollution. Universal Plastics is a science-driven technology company supporting governments, institutions and businesses in monitoring and reducing marine plastic pollution through environmental data and evidence-based approaches. Through its association with EMODnet, Universal Plastics will explore opportunities to contribute marine litter data and make use of EMODnet's FAIR marine data resources, supporting improved data accessibility and reuse for research, environmental management and informed decision-making.

On 19 October, EMODnet joined forces with the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) and JPI Oceans for a dedicated online workshop on making marine data more accessible and reusable. Through practical demonstrations and guidance from EMODnet thematic and Data Ingestion experts, participants explored how funded projects and Communities of Practice can share their data through EMODnet, improve the visibility of research outputs and support their wider reuse. The workshop also highlighted EMODnet Vision 2035 and the role of streamlined marine data flows in supporting the European Digital Twin Ocean (EDITO). Missed the workshop?

Watch the recording.

A new version of the OceanTeacher Global Academy course “Contributing datasets to EMODnet Biology” is now open. The content was fully reviewed and brought up to date with current EMODnet Biology workflows and standards. Two new chapters were added: one on DNA-derived (omics) data and one on absence data. The section on seabed habitat data was also improved. The course is free, self-paced and aimed at anyone who wants to publish marine biodiversity data through EMODnet Biology.

In September 2026, the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), Lead Partner of the Interreg Italy–Slovenia BioTiles (Safeguarding and Enhancing the Resilience of Lagoon Ecosystems to Climate Change) project, organised a training session on marine data management and curation, promoting EMODnet Biology approaches and standards. The event highlighted cooperation between EU-funded initiatives working to improve access to biodiversity data and support cross-border lagoon…

Who is behind EMODnet Chemistry? Who enables data users to access standardised, aggregated and harmonised data collections from countless measurements, obtained with multiple methods and instruments, from hundreds of data providers? A recent case study conducted by OGS, the coordinator of EMODnet Chemistry, highlights the fundamental importance of the data stewards, core staff of National Oceanographic Data Centres and research and monitoring institutes, to the daily work of EMODnet Chemistry.

As marine data volumes, technologies and applications continue to evolve, FAIR principles — Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable — become particularly important. The objective is straightforward but technically demanding. For EMODnet, this is an ongoing process, which means continuing to strengthen metadata, standards-based access, interoperability and machine-to-machine services across its diverse marine data offer.

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.

The call for challenges for Ocean Hackathon® 2026 is now open, inviting innovators, researchers, and organisations to shape the future of the blue economy. EMODnet Secretariat's Angeliki Karampourouni and Matteo Mikos co-presented EMODnet's service offer at the online warm-up sessions in April ahead of the event taking place from 16–18 October 2026 across multiple locations worldwide. The hackathon will bring together multidisciplinary teams to transform marine data into practical, prototype solutions addressing ocean sustainability and real-world needs. Submit your challenge before 30 May.

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.

Blue Tech Europe 2026, held on 21–22 April at Sorbonne Université in Paris, focused on Marine Observing Technologies and strengthening Europe’s autonomy in sensor and marine technology development, while addressing gaps in ocean observation coverage. Following the conference, EMBRC and participating organisations — including MARCO-BOLO, TRICUSO, OBAMA-NEXT, BioGeoSea, SOOP, EMODnet and the European Commission — developed five policy recommendations for strengthening marine observation and technological innovation in Europe, published on 15 September. Read the policy recommendations:

https://www.embrc.eu/documents-and-resources/ 

On 8 September 2026, EMODnet’s Head of Secretariat joined EMODnet Geology partners at the EuroGeoSurveys Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA) workshop in Brussels. Bringing together geological experts, policymakers and Geological Service for Europe project stakeholders, the workshop discussed future priorities for its Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda. The discussions included the role of geoscience data and information to inform research, innovation and policy implementation in the areas of climate resilience, risk mitigation and adaptation, and the need for interoperable geoscience data and information, interconnected with EU services including EMODnet and EDITO.