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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!

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.

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 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!

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.

The UN Ocean Decade corporate data group has released new guidelines on marine megafauna data sharing, aimed at companies working in the marine environment who collect data on large marine animals (megafauna). This follows a previous guideline on Bathymetry data guidelines with more to come.

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.

The 18th EMODnet Technical Working Group meeting took place on 14–15 October, chaired by the EMODnet Secretariat and supported by the EMODnet Portal Technical Team. The TWG gathered technical experts from across EMODnet’s seven thematics and Data Ingestion, together with EC DG MARE and CINEA, to discuss the latest developments in EMODnet’s core services, thematic offer and data ingestion, including cross-cutting topics such as metadata harmonisation and EMODnet’s collective contribution to EDITO. The meeting was chaired by EMODnet Secretariat and EC DG MARE.

The stage is set for the EMODnet Open Conference 2025, taking place on 25–26 November in Brussels with the launch of the full programme online. The event titled “EMODnet: an essential marine data service for the European Ocean Pact” will bring together EMODnet partners and wider marine data experts, policymakers, scientists, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and more to explore how EMODnet is a cornerstone of EU Marine Knowledge central to delivering the European Ocean Pact, and how EMODnet can further evolve to meet emerging EU policy, Blue Economy and wider user needs.

Register now for the EMODnet Open Conference 2025, 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.

We kindly invite you to register to attend and share the invitation throughout your network.

We look forward to seeing you at OC2025!

The European Atlas of the Seas is now available on mobile, making it easier than ever to explore over 270 interactive map layers from anywhere. EMODnet provides over half of the map layers in the Atlas, ensuring high-quality, in situ marine data are available to support ocean literacy and decision-making. Whether you're at the coast, in the classroom, or simply curious about the marine environment, the mobile version allows you to dive into topics like coastline change, beach litter, marine biodiversity, and underwater depth—all from your phone. Visit www.european-atlas-of-the-seas.eu on your mobile browser and start exploring the ocean at your fingertips. Explore the new mobile version on your mobile device today!

Join us online on 18 September 2025, 15:00–16:30 CEST for the official launch of EMODnet Vision 2035 – a forward-looking communication developed by the EMODnet community on opportunities and priority areas for EMODnet service evolution over the next decade. Discover EMODnet’s core assets and key pillars, explore how EMODnet is already making a difference to support policy, science, the Blue Economy and society, and hear directly from the EMODnet Vision Drafting Group representing the EMOD-network and key actors across the EMODnet value chain.

The latest EMODnet technical blog co-led by VLIZ and the EMODnet Secretariat explains recent improvements to the EMODnet Catalogue, thanks to updates to the backend GeoNetwork catalogue application. The EMODnet Catalogue serves as the central metadata repository for EMODnet, offering standardised (e.g., ISO) information describing EMODnet’s vast offer of marine environmental and human activities data. At its core, the EMODnet Catalogue functions as a comprehensive discovery platform that enables researchers, policy makers, industry professionals, the public, and machine-to-machine searches to locate and access EMODnet’s marine data and data products. This is achieved, thanks to EMODnet using European (e.g., INSPIRE) and international standards to transform data and metadata into Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) data, harmonised at European scale.

On 15 July 2025 EMODnet met with EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis to showcase EMODnet’s flagship Marine Knowledge service. From supporting EU policy implementation to powering the European Digital Twin Ocean, EMODnet is a Marine Knowledge solution across all priority areas of the European Ocean Pact. These include assessing and restoring ocean health to boosting competitiveness in the blue economy, driving maritime innovation and underpinning ocean diplomacy and governance.

In 2024, EMODnet reinforced its status as a trusted European resource for marine data and knowledge. Following the successful launch of its upgraded portal in January 2023, EMODnet attracted over 120,000 annual visitors who benefited from streamlined access to extensive cross-thematic datasets. The newly published EMODnet 2024 Annual Report offers a detailed overview of the year's key achievements, user metrics, and essential facts and figures. It includes updates on thematic services, expanded geographic and temporal coverage, new parameters and data products, EMODnet's contributions to the European Digital Twin Ocean, broader EU and global partnerships, EMODnet's pivotal role in the European Atlas of the Seas communication tool, and much more. Read the full report.