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 call for abstracts is now open for the One Ocean Science Congress, scheduled to take place from 4-6 June 2025 in Nice, France. This congress is a special event of the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) and presents a unique opportunity for ocean science professionals to present their projects and contributions on a global platform. We encourage you to submit abstracts showcasing your research and initiatives. The submission deadline is 14 November at 13:00 CET. For detailed submission guidelines and additional information, please visit the congress website.

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

The European Commission is seeking public input on the design of future EU funding programmes for civil protection, crisis preparedness, and response, as part of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) beyond 2027. Contribute your views to help shape a more focused, impactful, and strategic EU budget aligned with future challenges. Go to consultation. Deadline to respond: 6 May 2025 (midnight Brussels time)

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.

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.

EMODnet Geology has published a new Story Map on Seafloor Mapping, which shows the long process of geological mapping of the seafloor, interpretation of its results and the compilation of detail and overview map data. Finding and compiling spatial data of seafloor geology remains a challenge, because data and information is largely scattered, rarely compatible and often usable only by insiders. The main reason for this situation is the inaccessibility of the ocean floor and the need to use and rely on mostly geophysical methods. EMODnet is a solution as a leading European resource for marine geological data and data products – check out this latest communication to learn more!

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

New maps for contaminants are accessible on the EMODnet Map Viewer. The main purpose of these visualisations is to show the spatial and temporal variability of the data in the water column, in biota and in sediment. Currently, maps are available for 12 contaminants in all European sea basins and beyond. These contaminants belong to the following groups of variables: Heavy metals, hydrocarbons, pesticides and biocides, and antifouling agents. To learn more about EMODnet Chemistry's maps and data collections, follow us on this guided tour to explore the features of the Map Viewer.

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.

EMODnet and the EU DTO will be showcased at European Ocean Days 2025, a week-long event organized by the European Commission for marine and maritime stakeholders to convene, exchange and advance marine knowledge, sustainability, and innovation. As part of this broader initiative, EMODnet and EU DTO (underpinned by the EDITO initiative) will be showcased during Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters Forum, taking place on 4 March 2025. EDITO will host an interactive booth, highlighting its critical role in digital ocean research and data accessibility. Multiple EMODnet Coordinators, Secretariat and wider experts will also represent EMODnet and EMODnet’s role in EU DTO at the Marine Knowledge for the Ocean Pact event on 7 March 2025.

Visit the EU Ocean Days 2025 website for more information: https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/events/upcoming-events/mission-ocean-and-waters-forum-and-related-events-2025-03-03_en 

A detailed map of the seabed and its associated habitats is essential for the sustainable management of our oceans. One of EMODnet Seabed Habitats main products is EUSeaMap, which is a broad-scale habitat map for all European sea basins, as well as the Caribbean. It represents a comprehensive, free and ready-to-use classified map of physical seabed habitats. There is an ongoing requirement to update this map with new and revised input data, in order to improve spatial coverage and resolution, thereby enhancing its usefulness. This storymap illustrates the different phases of EUSeaMap from the first iteration in 2012 to the most recently published version - EUSeaMap 2023.

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:

On 15 January 2025, EMODnet will highlight how its open and FAIR marine data and products support the UN Ocean Decade. The webinar will address three key challenges, namely 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. Join this event to discover how Earth observation,  in situ and modelled marine data can drive tangible solutions for a sustainable ocean future. >Learn more and register today!

EMODnet Seabed Habitats provides a single access point to European seabed habitat data and unique products like the EUSeaMap broad-scale seabed habitat map for Europe, with diverse uses from produces aiding marine spatial planning to supporting marine habitat assessments. EMODnet has recently updated a storymap which visually illustrates the data and data products available from EMODnet Seabed Habitats on the EMODnet Portal.

Mark your calendars for the 4th edition of the EMODnet Open Sea Lab (OSL) Hackathon, happening online from 25 to 27 March 2025. The hackathon builds on the last 3 successful editions, with one key difference: In addition to using EMODnet services, participants will be given unparalleled access to the EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service offer via the European Digital Twin Ocean infrastructure (EDITO). This is a very exciting time for marine digital services, and we invite all interested stakeholders, from data scientists to IT specialists and from policy makers to researchers, students and the private sector to join EMODnet in this unique hackathon - Stay tuned for more details, coming soon!

At the Ocean Best Practices Workshop VIII, held from October 14-18, 2024, EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service collaborated to present best practices for enhancing data and service interoperability within the European Digital Twin of the Ocean (EU DTO). During the session on 16 October 2024, EMODnet Biology Coordinator Joana Beja (VLIZ) presented on its conventions used, with wider discussions on critical standards for data integration, focusing on the EDITO-Infra project, which aims to create a robust EU infrastructure supporting the EU DTO.

Your Feedback Matters! EMODnet continues to evolve to better serve your needs. Our survey is designed to gather your valuable feedback on our services. Whether you have spotted a technical bug, or you visited to search for the latest data products or use cases, we want to hear from you! Your input is crucial in enhancing our website's user-friendliness and usability. Share your thoughts and help us improve your EMODnet experience by filling out our survey!

Between 7-9 October 2024, EMODnet Coordinators and wider experts convened in Brussels, Belgium, for a series of EMODnet governance meetings. The 21st EMODnet Steering Committee (SC) open session was attended by diverse representatives of the EC and EU agencies, including CINEA, EC DG MARE, DEFIS, ENV and RTD. Discussions included EMODnet for EU Policy, the EC Ocean Observation Initiative and the EMODnet Vision 2035. This was followed by the 16th EMODnet Technical Working Group, with representatives from the EMODnet Central Portal technical team, thematic and data ingestion experts, EC DG MARE and CINEA (featured in the group photo). The following day, EMODnet held a planning meeting for its upcoming 4th Open Sea Lab Hackathon which will take place in Spring 2025.