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 5th International Forum on Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (FBAS 2025) will take place from 6 to 8 September 2025 in Beijing, bringing together global experts, policymakers, and innovators to explore how big data can drive progress towards the SDGs. The forum will showcase cutting-edge data solutions, foster cross-sector collaboration, and promote the use of science-based evidence in decision-making for a more sustainable future.

Follow the link for more information.

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

Join Europe's maritime community at European Maritime Day (EMD) 2025, taking place from 21–23 May 2025 in Cork, Ireland. This annual event brings together professionals from businesses, governments, public institutions, NGOs, and academia to network, discuss, and outline joint actions on maritime affairs and the sustainable blue economy. Don't miss this opportunity to meet EMODnet and European Digital Twin Ocean experts face-to-face and engage with countless more marine and maritime experts throughout the programme, workshops, exhibitions, and numerous networking opportunities.

Follow the link to register today.

The EMODnet service is proud to announce that its Data Ingestion service is now centralised on the EMODnet Portal. The migration of this final EMODnet component to the Europa domain is a major milestone for EMODnet, building on the extensive centralisation of all seven thematics in 2023. The core EMODnet Data Ingestion service remains the same, with the shift to a centralised service making it even easier to share data with EMODnet.

This final step in EMODnet centralisation consolidates the remaining component (Data Ingestion) into the EMODnet Portal which is already a single, user-friendly gateway for accessing, visualising, downloading and now also submitting marine data. The integration of EMODnet Data Ingestion reinforces EMODnet's commitment to deliver the EU Open Data Directive, INSPIRE Directive and to support in situ ocean observation and monitoring communities to share primary data with EMODnet, which is then transformed into Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) data to make integrated marine knowledge at European scale, upon which thousands of stakeholders depend to support EU policy implementation, boost competitiveness in the Blue Economy and drive Research and Innovation.  120,000 stakeholders depend on sharing, enabling a seamless experience for both users and data providers.

EMODnet’s public Data Ingestion service plays a crucial role in European data sharing, identifying and supporting organisations from across research, public, and private sectors that manage valuable marine datasets to share these with EMODnet to make these data FAIR and have greater impact through EMODnet in situ marine data service.

Explore the EMODnet Portal and Wake up your marine data — share it with EMODnet!

For more information visit: https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/data-ingestion 

EMODnet was well-represented at European Ocean Days 2025 a high-level, week-long event from 3-7 March 2025 in Brussels that brought together stakeholders from across Europe's Ocean community. Marine Knowledge was a central theme to the multiple events covering ocean literacy, Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters, sustainable fisheries, the blue economy, and more. And EMODnet was visible as a key EU asset for marine knowledge at the session "Marine Knowledge for the Ocean Pact", which included interventions by EC DG MARE and EMODnet Chemistry Coordinator OGS. EMODnet's key role as the in situ component to the European Digital Twin Ocean was also highlighted.

Many EMODnet experts attended the International Ocean Data Conference (IODC III), held on 10–11 March 2025 in Santa Marta, Colombia, co-organised by IODE of IOC-UNESCO and INVEMAR in the context of the UN Ocean Decade. This event brought together global marine data actors to advance open, FAIR, and interoperable ocean data systems with thematic session on marine biodiversity data, capacity building and the global ocean data ecosystem. Check out the EMODnet posters, presentations and highlights on the IODC III website and EMODnet Portal!

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.

A recent study, conducted as part of a master’s thesis at the Faculty of Maritime Studies Kotor, University of Montenegro, showcases how EMODnet geospatial data can support advanced route planning for Unmanned Sea Vehicles (USVs). By integrating EMODnet data with third-party systems, the researchers developed a methodology for filtering, mapping, and exporting marine data to improve the operational efficiency of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs).

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.

The publication of data, which was completed in March 2025, increased the EMODnet biodiversity data holdings by approximately half a million new occurrence records. The data originates from a total of 42 datasets, comprising 24 newly published and 19 updated datasets, spanning a historical timeframe from 1892 to 2024. These datasets collectively provide broad temporal and spatial coverage, with geographical focus areas including the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Mediterranean, Black, and North Seas.

EMODnet continues to expand its coastal service offer, in collaboration with stakeholders. One key example is the European Horizon Europe LandSeaLot (LSL) project, developing a common observation strategy for land-sea interface areas such as deltas and estuaries, combining cross-community scientific expertise and stakeholder engagement. A key focus is on expanding the number of in situ observations by harnessing cost-effective observation technologies and citizen science, as well as by creating pathways for the ingestion of the resulting data into EMODnet to make it accessible, reusable and interoperable for public use and benefit. By linking citizen science and expert knowledge with the help of emerging technologies, LSL is contributing to richer and more inclusive marine data landscape enhancing EMODnet's capacity to support science-based policies, and the sustainable management of important land-sea interface areas.

From 11 to 13 March 2025, the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics-OGS, which coordinates EMODnet Chemistry, was in Monaco to represent the consortium at the workshop on Harmonization of Monitoring and Assessment of Plastic Pollution of the Global Partnership on Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter (GPML) Community of Practise (CoP). At the meeting, participants faced the challenging task of considering and bringing together different communities concerned with plastics in the economy and/or the environment, for example, as well as their best practices and terminologies.

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!

EMODnet is proud to release an updated EMODnet Bathymetry Digital Terrain Model (DTM) based on 2024 bathymetry data. This open access data product has been a key EMODnet data product for some years and is already hugely popular with users. This latest release offers substantial enhancements, including the highest resolution harmonised seabed map of European sea regions to-date, made possible by the EMODnet Bathymetry Consortium and valuable input from EMODnet's broad network of collaborators, contributors, and experts.

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

In February 2025, Athanasia (Sissy) Iona, Head of the Hellenic National Oceanographic Data Centre and EMODnet Data Ingestion Scientific Coordinator presented the pollutant maps in the EMODnet Map Viewer to the EMODnet Chemistry Board of experts on the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). She highlighted the recent improvements and new visualisations. EMODnet Chemistry has been interacting with stakeholders involved in the Regional Seas Conventions and the MSFD since its launch in 2009. In 2017, this contact was formalised with the establishment of the Board of experts on the MSFD. The role of the panel is to advise the Consortium on the scope and definition of data products and services from the perspective of their use in the MSFD assessments. Find out more about the work of the MSFD board on the EMODnet Portal.

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.