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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.

Dear EMODnet partners, associated partners, wider stakeholders,

2026 is well underway, and (as in previous years) has started at a fast pace. In this New Year’s (NY) letter we look back at the collective accomplishments and milestones of EMODnet in 2025. And we look forward to what’s ahead for EMODnet in 2026 and beyond!

2025 was the busiest yet, with EMODnet making waves as the European in situ marine data service. Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis recognised EMODnet as an invaluable cornerstone for the successful implementation of the Ocean Pact. Through consultations, flagship events and key partnerships – from data sharing to user engagement – 2025 was a year when EMODnet demonstrated its value, exemplifying how the service is making a real difference, from simplifying the marine knowledge value chain and saving costs for stakeholders to its provision of foundational, trusted and actionable marine data and data products.

The EMODnet expert network of 133 partners across 33 countries – from the Secretariat, Central Portal, thematic and data ingestion – continued to deliver new data integration, updated services, expert advice, guidance and leadership on standards and good practices. And visibility and our user-base grew, using EMODnet to support EU (and global) ocean-related policy implementation, drive competitiveness in the Blue Economy, underpin Research and Innovation, and beyond.

2025 was also the first year that EMODnet’s full offer was tested on the cloud, with EMODnet OSL 4.0 Hackathon participants gaining exclusive access to EMODnet on the European Digital Twin Ocean infrastructure platform (EDITO), leveraging the power of data, computing power and models to drive solutions and applications to ocean and coastal challenges.

Later in 2025, EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service showcased EDITO at the UN Ocean Conference 2025 Digital Ocean Pavilion, to President of the EC Ursula von der Leyen and thousands more stakeholders.

The year culminated in a full week of Marine Knowledge at the EMODnet Open Conference 2025, which brought EMODnet’s diverse stakeholder community together for the launch of the EMODnet community Vision 2035. This sets out clear recommendations for EMODnet’s service evolution over the next decade with an overarching ambitious – yet necessary – call to action for EMODnet’s annual funding to be (at least) doubled in the next Multi-annual Financial Framework (2028–2034).

In the shorter-term, EMODnet will consolidate, evolve and prepare to scale, expanding its data sharing partnerships, service provision, user engagement, its contribution to the UN Ocean Decade and more.

Let’s seize the year and turn EMODnet’s Vision into reality, together!

EMODnet Chemistry has completed phase five and started the new phase. The Coordinator, OGS, Italy, notes they are honoured by the EMODnet (Chemistry) community’s steadfast support, which have made the exciting 2025 highlights and over 15 years of work possible. Since 2009, the core network of EMODnet Chemistry has improved the wealth of EMODnet services for accessing data on eutrophication, ocean acidification, contaminants, and marine litter. Over the years, the volume of data from various providers, including universities, research institutes, and citizen science initiatives, has increased, as has the number of users, mainly scientists and policymakers who require big, reliable data to determine how best to address the environmental crisis. Find out more about the cornerstone achievements of EMODnet’s Chemistry thematic in 2025 and the plans ahead.

On 20 January 2026, the ASTRA project team held an online working meeting to coordinate upcoming actions towards delivering new Black Sea biodiversity data to EMODnet Biology. Discussions focused on aligning data workflows and harmonisation steps to support the integration and publication of these datasets soon.

In 2026, EMODnet will continue producing technical blogs each quarter, building on the topics of Portal services, data and data product development, and more. If you have a burning (technical EMODnet) question or topics you would like to address, let us know via the EMODnet Helpdesk (helpdesk[at]emodnet.ec.europa.eu).

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 Biology partner ICATMAR (ICM-CSIC) has launched MEDITS-AUT25, the autumn edition of the Mediterranean International Trawl Survey (MEDITS) and its first oceanographic campaign to assess the status of fishery resources in the western Mediterranean during autumn. Conducted aboard the Vizconde de Eza, the 24-day survey will cover GSA 6, from Catalonia to Murcia, following the MEDITS protocol to collect complementary data to spring campaigns. This campaign will fill data gaps and will enhance understanding of seasonal changes, with the resulting datasets soon to be made available through EMODnet Biology.

In March 2017, EMODnet was mandated to create vessel density maps of EU waters showing the average number of vessels of certain type (cargo, passenger, fishing etc.) for a given period within a grid cell. This was a direct result of user demand, following a survey carried out in 2016 by EMODnet Human Activities where vessel density maps were, by far, the most requested geospatial data product. Dive into EMODnet’s Human Activities’ Vessel Density maps to see where ships travel in EU waters and how intensively they use different areas of the sea.

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.

In March 2017, EMODnet was mandated to create vessel density maps of EU waters showing the average number of vessels of certain type (cargo, passenger, fishing etc.) for a given period within a grid cell. This was a direct result of user demand, following a survey carried out in 2016 by EMODnet Human Activities where vessel density maps were, by far, the most requested geospatial data product. Dive into EMODnet’s Human Activities’ Vessel Density maps to see where ships travel in EU waters and how intensively they use different areas of the sea.

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.

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.

EMODnet is pleased to announce that Cousteau Divers has joined our network as an Associated Partner. Founded in 2009 by Pierre-Yves Cousteau, son of the legendary ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Cousteau Divers is a French non-profit organization dedicated to ocean conservation and citizen science. Cousteau Divers empowers recreational divers worldwide to contribute to marine research by collecting valuable environmental data during their dives. Through its innovative approach, the organization raises awareness of critical environmental issues and advocates for the creation of Marine Protected Areas.

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.

As part of the Northern European Sea Basins project (NESBp), EMODnet launched a survey to identify the data needs of Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) practitioners and to gather feedback on the fit-for-use of EMODnet in their work related to MSP. Help us gaining a deeper understanding of MSP data needs and identifying opportunities for improvement of EMODnet. The survey is open until 20 December 2025.

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.