"EMODnet News Digest" Newsletter Issues

Centralisation of EMODnet data discovery, access and visualisation services high on the agenda at Spring Steering Committee and Technical Working Group meetings (29/04/2022)

The EMODnet partnership held its 16th EMODnet Steering Committee and 11th Technical Working Group meetings between 26-28th April 2022. The hybrid meetings brought together more than 40 experts with representatives from the EMODnet secretariat, Central Portal, Data Ingestion and EC convening in Ostend - where the EMODnet Secretariat offices are based – together with a large online participation of EMODnet Coordinators and Technical experts from across Europe.

EMOD-network pledges to #MakeEUBlue! (29/04/2022)

The EMOD-network has embraced the ongoing #MakeEUBlue campaign of the EU4Ocean European Ocean Literacy Coalition, with pledges from each of the seven thematics, data ingestion, the EMODnet Secretariat and European Atlas of the Seas. The full pledges are being promoted during April and May 2022 via @EMODnet on Twitter, in the weeks leading up to the EU4Ocean Summit on 20 May in Ravenna, Italy, as part of European Maritime Day 2022. Read all the pledges already on the EMODnet website and find out how to become a EU4Ocean Platform member.

Video demonstrating the concept "Fishing for Data" (29/04/2022)

Fishing for Data allows commercial fisheries to collect valuable oceanographic data, without any interruptions in the normal fishing activity.
The data are valuable for fisheries and for ocean scientists, modellers and forecasters and are available in EMODnet Physics via collaboration with Berring Data Collective.

EMODnet Seabed Habitats Story Map (29/04/2022)

EMODnet Seabed Habitats have published a story map describing the extensive suite of habitat mapping products currently available to view and download from the EMODnet Seabed Habitats map viewer.

EMODnet Chemistry at the Master in Sustainable Blue Growth (29/04/2022)

On March 23, 2022, during the Advanced Master in Sustainable Blue Growth, EMODnet Chemistry was proposed by the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), coordinating EMODnet Chemistry, as a key example to explain why sharing data, information and best practices is so crucial for making long-term effective decisions to fight against marine pollution.

Getting closer to 30 million biodiversity occurrence records (29/04/2022)

The last harvest of EMODnet Biology resulted in the addition of 14.5 thousand occurrences, pushing the total number of available data to 29.7 million.

Start of the 3rd EMODnet Data Ingestion phase (29/04/2022)

In April 2022 the EMODnet Data Ingestion Service entered its phase 3 for an initial period of two years. This initiative is the result of unprecedented teamwork of 43 organizations working across Europe with hundreds of data collectors and providers to streamline the data ingestion process and make higher volumes of data from more diverse sources available through EMODnet. This phase is coordinated by the Mariene Informatie Service B.V. (MARIS) with the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) as scientific coordinator.

Distribution of reef-building benthos in the North Sea (29/04/2022)

In a collaboration between EMODnet Biology partner Deltares and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the distribution of four reef-building species in the Dutch EEZ was charted, in order to estimate the probability for restoring populations of these species in the same area. The study made use of the EMODnet Biology data product on presence/absence of microbenthic species in the Greater North Sea, and EMODnet bathymetry data and derived bathymetric position index variables. Use of the EMODnet data allowed the organisations to input original results from the hydrodynamic model and connect them to the most complete database of biological observations possible.

Digital Ocean Forum, Paris, France (29/04/2022)

On 20-21 April 2022, over 70 experts from the marine, maritime, and wider domains convened in Paris for the first Digital Ocean Forum, organised by Mercator Ocean International with the support from the European Commission. Many EMODnet experts from the Secretariat, Central Portal, Data Ingestion and thematics e.g,. Biology, were invited to join expert Working Groups, to further define a collective community vision for a user-driven Digital Twin Ocean.

OceanChallenge4Africa Hackathon (29/04/2022)

The weekend of 8 and 9 April, EMODnet joined the #OceanChallenge4Africa online hackathon, organised by Mercator Ocean International, IOC Africa and Garage48; and supported by Segal Family Foundation and in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme GEMS Ocean, GEO Blue Planet and the African Group on Earth Observations (AfriGEO).

International Digital Twins of the Ocean Summit (04/05/2022)

The International Digital Twins of the Ocean Summit will take place on 4-5 May in London, UK. Places are limited, but the meeting will also be livestreamed for remote participation, with all participants being able to submit questions online through SliDO.

*New date* 11 May 2022: EMODnet – Copernicus Marine Service webinar (11/05/2022)

Following endorsement from the UN Ocean Decade, the webinar “EU marine data services for the Atlantic and Global Ocean Data Spaces” will now take place on 11 May 2022 15:00-17:00 CEST during the UN Ocean Decade laboratory “accessible Ocean” which starts on 10 May PM CEST and ends on 12 May PM CEST. This event is co-organised by EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service, in collaboration with the AANCHOR initiative, with support from the European Commission.

European Maritime Day 2022 (19/05/2022)

EMODnet is co-organising a stakeholder workshop on 19 May 2022 titled “Ocean Observation, Marine Data and Services for the EU Green Deal” in collaboration with the H2020 Blue-Cloud and EuroSea projects and the wider research community.

This year, EMD2022 will also host the first European Ocean Literacy Summit on 20 May, bringing together partners and wider practitioners from the marine and maritime community to showcase and celebrate achievements of the first two years of the EU4Ocean Coalition for Ocean Literacy with three key communities.

2022 IEEE International workshop on Metrology for the Sea (03/10/2022)

MetroSea is an international meeting place in the world of research in the field of metrology for marine environment involving national and international institutions and academia.

EMODnet Physics will be hosting a special session on data system networking and interoperability technology and methodology, at the 2022 IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for the Sea. 

2022 UN Ocean Conference (27/06/2022)

Counting down to the UN Ocean Conference, UN Member States have called for a new round of voluntary commitments in support of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 targets. The Ocean Conference, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, comes at a critical time as the world is seeking to address many of the deep-rooted problems of our societies laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic and which will require major structural transformations and common shared solutions that are anchored in the SDGs. To mobilize action, the Conference will seek to propel much needed science-based innovative solutions aimed at starting a new chapter of global ocean action.

Call for abstracts for the 2nd Climate Observation Conference (17/10/2022)

The second Climate Observation Conference, organised by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) with the support of EUMETSAT, will be held in Darmstadt, Germany on 17-19 October 2022. The call for abstracts is now open! Abstracts can be submitted online through the conference website for either an oral or poster presentation. The abstract submission deadline is 1 June 2022.

Latvia National Maritime Spatial Plan (MSP) now available in EMODnet Human Activities’ MSP data set (31/03/2022)

Launched in February 2021, the data set on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is constantly increasing its coverage. Latvia has now joined Belgium, Denmark, Finland and the Åland Islands, whose MSP plans were already available on EMODnet.

EMODnet for Business at Oceanology International 2022 (31/03/2022)

On 15-17 March 2022 EMODnet attended Oceanology International in London, bringing together over 8,000 attendees and 500+ exhibitors from key players in maritime industry: businesses, academics and government. The EMODnet Secretariat, Coordinators and partners were engaged in posters, panels, podcasts, interactive seminars and much more. We look forward to sharing with you more outcomes in the coming months!

New data set: desalination plants (31/03/2022)

EMODnet Human Activities has released a new data set on desalination plants in Europe.

Fishing intensity data set extended to additional sea regions (31/03/2022)

The data set on fishing intensity made available by EMODnet Human Activities, previously only covering the North Sea, now also includes the Azores, the Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Coast, the Baltic Sea, the Barents Sea, the Celtic Sea, the Faroes, Icelandic Waters, the Norwegian Sea and the Oceanic Northeast Atlantic.

EMODnet Chemistry joins the Global Partnership on Marine Litter platform (31/03/2022)

The Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML) is a United Nations coalition among multiple interested parties who are involved in tackling marine litter pollution.

The GPML platform integrates and provides access to up-to-date and reliable data to guide decision-making to achieve the following target of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: preventing and significantly reducing marine pollution of all kinds, by 2025. Most EMODnet Chemistry data products for marine litter, eutrophication, and contaminants are now integrated in the GPML digital platform. Read the related ‘use case’ to get all details on this new collaboration.

EMODnet Biology Phase IV data products’ workshop (31/03/2022)

EMODnet Biology partners assembled virtually from 28 February to 3 March 2022 for an intensive workshop to develop innovative data products using EMODnet data. They worked collaboratively to develop brand new products (e.g., modelling the distribution of an invasive seaweed) and to significantly improve previous products (e.g., expanding the product on the presence and absence of benthic species to cover all European waters). More focus was placed on changes in Europe’s marine biodiversity through time. They also ran sessions led by two data science experts on good practice in data product development, including tips on a range of methods and techniques to improve the reproducibility and documentation of EMODnet Biology’s products.

The Manual for the Marine Litter Manager tool is online (31/03/2022)

Marine Litter Manager (MLM) is a Python  data  formatting tool for Linux and Windows that has been developed to  generate EMODnet beach litter  and  seafloor  trawlings  litter  formats. This is done following  the EMODnet Chemistry guidelines. EMODnet Chemistry has recently made available the User Manual online through its thematic web portal. The manual enriches the web page dedicated to Marine Litter Manager, where users can also find specific video tutorials, some examples of files and the links to save the tool. The experience gained on the use of MLM during the project called 'International Bottom Trawl Survey in the Mediterranean' (MEDITS) was capitalised in the Manual. In particular, the Manual gives some examples of data file formatting by using the tool as part of this project. While the examples are based on seabed litter data, they also help you understand how Marine Litter Manager can facilitate formatting beach litter data files.

EMODnet welcomes new Associated Partner CMMI (31/03/2022)

The Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI) is the latest organsiation to be welcomed into the EMOD-network as EMODnet Associated Partner. 

CMMI, based in Larnaca, Cyprus, was established in April 2019 and it is a Centre of Excellence for marine and maritime research, innovation, and technology development. CMMI has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme and matching funding from the Cyprus Government. The institute’s stakeholders consists of ten Research and Innovation Centres. CMMI will establish a national marine observation network that will continuously and consistently collect marine data around the Republic of Cyprus from smart buoys, underwater stations, and other data-generating sources. The environmental data will include measurements of physical, biochemical, ecological, and geological parameters. Among CMMI’s priorities is to provide rapid data access and sharing, working with EMODnet, to a wide range of potential users—from academic, industrial, and governmental communities—improve services, facilitate research and innovation, and enhance the development of EU policies and legislation.

Discover all the EMODnet Associated Partners and find more information on joining the EMODnet AP network.

EOOS Technology Forum (31/03/2022)

The European Ocean Observing System (EOOS) Technology Forum on 22-24 March 2022 brought together experts in ocean observation, marine technology, marine research and development and others from academia, research and more for a forward looking workshop on the technologies required to fulfill the goals of the UN Decade for Ocean Science and Sustainable Development focusing on the topic “Marine pollution: monitoring, mitigation, forecasting and measuring impact on marine life”.

EMODnet was well represented at the event with speaker roles in various panels by the EMODnet Secretariat’s Conor Delaney and Kate Larkin, in addition to wider community inputs.

EMODnet - Copernicus Marine Services joint webinar on EU marine data services for an All-Atlantic and global ocean data space, 12 May 2022 (12/05/2022)

On 12 May 2022, EU marine data services EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service are organising a joint webinar to discuss the evolution of these key marine data services in the context of an all Atlantic and global ocean data space. The webinar is supported by the European Commission and in collaboration with the AANCHOR All-Atlantic Cooperation for Ocean Research and Innovation. The event is open and inclusive, intended for all interested stakeholders across the Atlantic Ocean Basin and beyond. A full programme will be available in April 2022.

EMODnet experts showcase network achievements and global contributions at IODC 2022 (28/02/2022)

On 14-16 February 2022, EMODnet experts came together with international representatives of ocean data in Sopot, Poland and online to present the latest status, achievements and future evolution of EMODnet at the International Ocean Data Conference 2022 - The Data We Need for the Ocean We Want organized by IOC-UNESCO and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE), in collaboration with the Institute of Oceanology of Polish Academy of Sciences (IO-PAN), eCUDO.pl and the Polish National Oceanographic Data Committee. A total of 591 participants from 65 countries followed the conference online.

EMODnet Chemistry at the Blue-Cloud Hackathon 2022 (28/02/2022)

Many EMODnet thematics, data ingestion and the Secretariat were active as technical advisors and mentors for the Blue-Cloud Hackathon 2022 on 7-9 February. In addition, EMODnet Chemistry experts were involved in the EutroWarn team, which used a small subset from the EMODnet Eutrophication and Acidity time series data for the Northern Adriatic region in the Mediterranean Sea to develop the idea entitled ‘Early Warning System for Severe Eutrophication’. The Blue-Cloud Hackathon brought together nearly 150 participants from a diverse community of marine science practitioners, computer scientists and innovators to test Blue-Cloud's web-based ecosystem of Open Science services and resources to address selected Ocean challenges.

OSPAR Threatened and/or Declining Habitats Spatial Dataset (28/02/2022)

The latest OSPAR Threatened and/or Declining Habitats dataset (version 2020) is now available via the EMODnet Seabed Habitats portal. This dataset comprises point and polygon data and shows the distribution of habitats on the OSPAR list of threatened and/or declining species and habitats within the North-east Atlantic.

Glider Mission Planning with Historical Data (28/02/2022)

By using EMODnet in situ integrated physics data in combination with modeling and remote sensing data from Copernicus Marine Service, Cyprus Subsea Consulting and Services C.S.C.S. Ltd (CSCS) gains important insight on the oceanographic conditions of the operational area where they deploy gliders.

Support to the OceanGliders component of GOOS (28/02/2022)

By using EMODnet in situ data, OceanGlider has increased the size of the net being cast for collecting glider mission activity, and has improved its technical approach regarding data and metadata.

Training and technical assistance for timely improving the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS) near real-time data management system (28/02/2022)

EMODnet Physics supported OGS in the adoption of the ERDDAP technology which enables users to easily download subsets of scientific datasets in common file formats and make graphs and maps.

EMODnet celebrates EU marine data space partnerships at the kick-off of Copernicus 2.0 (28/02/2022)

On 17 February 2022 EMODnet experts joined the Copernicus Marine 2.0 kick-off meeting that set the course for the Copernicus Marine workplan 2022-2028. Kate Larkin, Deputy Head EMODnet Secretariat spoke in a Panel on partnerships across Copernicus service and with EMODnet, noting that EMODnet is a proud collaborator with Copernicus which includes partnerships at multiple operational and coordination levels, and that EMODnet together with Copernicus Marine are key EU data services delivering the EU marine data space, the marine component of the EU Green Deal Data Space and the EU ocean contribution to the UN Ocean Decade.

EMODnet Open Conference 2021: Have you seen the Virtual Exhibition? (28/02/2022)

Did you know that the EMODnet Open Conference virtual exhibition is still open for the public? The exhibition, set up for the EMODnet Open Conference in June 2021 takes the user through an informative journey of the past decade of EMODnet achievements, the latest state-of-the-art in in situ marine data services, key partnerships at EU and global levels – including with the ocean observation community, and EMODnet’s increasing win-win collaborations with the Blue Economy and Business sectors.  There is information on the diverse activities of EMODnet, you can visit the gallery of community posters and get informed on related initiatives such as European Atlas of the Seas. The virtual exhibition closes in Spring 2022.

Ocean Sciences Meeting 2022 (28/02/2022)

The Ocean Sciences Meeting 2022 ("Come Together and Connect") will focus on the importance of strong pilina for the ocean science community. Pilina means connection, relationship, and association and is an important value in Hawaiian culture that encourages inclusivity and collaborations to achieve results that cannot be accomplished with one person alone. EMODnet will be actively contributing to a number of sessions including the scientific session: "OD11 The uptake of data by citizen scientists, aggregators and end-users: successes, challenges and gaps in the dataflow".

9th annual World Ocean Summit Virtual Week (01/03/2022)

Ocean-based industries and conservation organisations are working towards 2030 targets to reduce harmful practices and restore ocean health. The summit will assess whether the targets are ambitious enough, and what policymakers, industry, and investors should do to achieve them.

EOOS Technology Forum 2022 Workshop (22/03/2022)

The European Ocean Observing System (EOOS) Technology Forum will have a workshop on 22-24 March 2022 as a virtual event. The EOOS Technology forum holds a workshop every two years and it is designed to help create and strengthen links between technology users, developers and providers in ocean observing across the public and private sectors in Europe. This second workshop will use the Ocean Decade as a framework to explore the technological advances through the lens of two main societal requirements:

• “A clean ocean where sources of pollution are identified and removed”
• “A healthy and resilient ocean where marine ecosystems are mapped and protected”

The EMODnet Secretariat and wider experts will be speaking on panels throughout the event.

OceanChallenge4Africa (08/04/2022)

The #OceanChallenge4Africa online hackathon aims to tackle ocean challenges in the coastal and marine regions of Africa and to pool African energies to grasp opportunities offered by the ocean. It is organized by Mercator Ocean International, IOC Africa and Garage48; and supported by the EU’s Copernicus Marine Service and Segal Family Foundation. It is further held in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme GEMS Ocean, GEO Blue Planet and the African Group on Earth Observations (AfriGEO). The deadline for idea submission and team formation is 22 March 2022.

EMOD-PACE: Map Viewer survey (28/02/2022)

The EMOD-PACE (EMODnet PArtnership for China and Europe) project is a collaborative pilot initiative between core implementors of the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) and the National Marine Data and Information Service (NMDIS) of China. It aims to promote effective international ocean governance and support the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources. 

EMOD-PACE is currently organising a survey to obtain feedback from users and stakeholders interested in marine data and information covering the study area on the usefulness and relevance of the project’s activities, its outputs and provided tools/services. This will help the project partners to (i) gain insight into the effectiveness of the project towards reaching its objectives; (ii) gauge the general appreciation of the outputs and activities by users and stakeholders; and (iii) to help identify areas of possible improvement and/or further action.

2022: marking the start of a new phase (31/01/2022)

As we do each year at the beginning of a new calendar year, we invite you to take a moment to reflect with us on the previous year, to collectively consider EMODnet’s main achievements of 2021 and look forward to what the coming year will bring for our growing network of data providing partners, implementers and users. This is a good time to do so as a lot of progress has been made over the past few years and more is on the horizon, as new vision objectives will drive EMODnet to adapt to the evolving needs of those who rely upon the resources and services we provide.

3 Million occurrence records from 30 datasets published by EMODnet Biology (31/01/2022)

Results from the latest data publication and completed deliverables are available: EMODnet Biology has published data from 30 datasets, adding more than 3 million occurrence records to the existing available data.

New data on river flow added by +ATLANTIC to EMODnet Physics (31/01/2022)

The River Data database has been updated. +ATLANTIC has completed the work on Norwegian rivers. This database includes historic and near real-time river flow data that are collected from stations located near the river mouths.

Highlights of 2021 (31/01/2022)

EMODnet Chemistry has produced their “highlights of 2021” including: (1) Expanded quantity and quality of data, (2) Increased number of quality, user-targeted data products, (3) Published scientific papers supporting Open Science principles, (4) EMODnet Chemistry confirmed as the platform for EU marine pollution in situ observations, (5) Advanced the global cooperation.

Holistic, standards-based access and interoperability for marine biodiversity data (31/01/2022)

Collaboration between EMODnet Biology, EMODnet Seabed Habitats and OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System) has facilitated richer dataset publication and ensured the greatest volume of high-quality species and habitat data are available for reporting, assessments and informed decision making.

Read the use case.

Development of a new sea level product covering European Seas and the Global Ocean (31/01/2022)

The Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) has developed a first version of a web application with the “Total Sea Level” variable from EMODnet Physics. This solution presents a demonstrator of end-user application and decisional support dashboard systems to support public authorities in their daily management activities.

One Planet Summit for the Ocean (09/02/2022)

The One Planet Summit for the Ocean is organised in the context of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with the support of the United Nations. The full programme includes diverse topics related to the ocean and society, and a meeting of the Heads of State and Government, leaders of multilateral institutions, business leaders and civil society policymakers.

International Ocean Data Conference 2022 – The Data We Need for the Ocean We Want (14/02/2022)

Organized by the IOC’s International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE), the Conference will have three main objectives: (i) to consider regional and global strategies and policy needed to achieve the digital ecosystem; (ii) to discuss existing and required technological developments and their implementation; and (iii) to identify future directions in ocean data and information management. The mentioned objectives will furthermore be considered within the multi-sectoral vision of the Ocean Decade.

Copernicus Marine Service 2021-2028 Kick off (17/02/2022)

Following the Copernicus Horizon 2035 symposium, the kick-off phase 2 event of the Copernicus Marine Service will be an opportunity to officially mark the continuation of the service. This event will gather Copernicus Marine communities such as partners and downstream users and showcase the road map for the upcoming seven years. EMODnet will be represented at the event by the many EMODnet experts engaged in operational in situ data flow and data product development. The EMODnet Secretariat will also be speaking at the open session on 17 February 2022 in the afternoon.

Knowledge Hub on Sea level Rise (21/02/2022)

The Knowledge Hub on Sea Level Rise (SLR) is a joint effort by JPI Climate & JPI Oceans, focusing on regional to local sea level changes in Europe. It aims to support the development and implementation of related policies at local, national and European level by providing a networking platform to promote exchange, synthesis, integration and generation of knowledge on SLR. The EMODnet Secretariat are engaged in the activities having joined meetings of this Knowledge Hub in 2021, communicating the many EMODnet data and data products from EMODnet Bathymetry, Geology, Physics and more that are relevant for assessing sea level rise. This survey aims to identify Sea Level Rise issues of interest to be covered in the scoping workshops and in the final SLR conference and it open until 21 February 2022.

Contribute to the study on European Research Data Landscape (31/01/2022)

The study “European Research Data Landscape” is an initiative of the Directorate General for Research & Innovation of the European Commission. It aims to provide a detailed characterisation of the research data ecosystem in the European context. The study will provide valuable information that will support the Commission, the EOSC Partnership and various other stakeholders to develop more targeted policies and implement actions to mainstream FAIR and open data practices in Europe. The results of the study will be openly accessible. Researchers, providers of data services, research infrastructures, operators of research data repositories are invited to participate in the survey.

Stay connected: The EMODnet Newsletter has moved to the EC platform Newsroom [YOUR ACTION IS REQUIRED] (28/10/2021)

The EMODnet News Digest has moved to a new EC Newsroom format. What can you do to stay connected? Re-subscribe to the EMODnet newsletter today, so you don't miss any future EMODnet communications. If you are no longer interested in receiving our newsletters, you do not need to do anything as our old mailing list will be discontinued in 2022, which is in line with our privacy rules.

New video release: EMODnet supporting sustainable blue tourism (22/12/2021)

We are delighted to release EMODnet for Tourism, the final video of a series of eight illustrating the fundamental role of EMODnet in society.

This video illustrates how EMODnet can support the EU’s blue tourism sector to develop new, more sustainable activities - and in doing so - create a more ocean aware and ocean literate public.

Winding down for the Holiday Season, take a pause and watch this latest release, and why not together with the complete EMODnet for society series?

Merry Christmas, Season's Greetings and a Happy New Year from the EMODnet community (16/12/2021)

2021 has been a very important year for EMODnet, with flagship events such as the EMODnet Open Conference 2021, the start of Phase IV for several EMODnet thematic nodes, the repatriation of the EMODnet Central Portal under the Europa.eu domain and huge progress made towards the centralisation of EMODnet services (more news in early 2022!).

EMODnet’s European and global user community has also grown and diversified, consolidating EMODnet as a key EU marine data service initiative for in situ marine environmental and human activities data related to the ocean. Collaboration has also been further strengthened with the Copernicus Marine Service, including joint events, use cases and more.

All of these achievements would not have been possible without the marine and maritime community, partners, stakeholders and interested citizens who support, implement and use the wealth of data resources and services EMODnet provides. Thank you for all your inputs, energy and support which has made 2021 such a success!

We wish you all Season’s Greetings, a Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Happy and ‘Blue’ 2022!

EMODnet Open Conference 2021 – Video and Virtual Exhibition (16/12/2021)

We are very happy to announce the release of a short EMODnet Open Conference 2021 video. The video recounts some of the main highlights and messages from the Conference that took place between 14-16 June 2021 as a hybrid event in Oostende, Belgium and attracting more than 400 participants online.

In addition, due to popular demand, access to the EMODnet Open Conference Virtual Exhibition has been extended until Spring 2022! And the Conference website remains open, for viewing the plenary recordings, presentations, speaker bios, posters and community inputs.

EMODnet Associated Partnership welcomes new members Cerema and develogic GmbH (16/12/2021)

EMODnet is delighted to announce the Centre for Studies and Expertise on Risks, the Environment, Mobility and Urban Planning (Cerema) and develogic GmbH subsea systems as new EMODnet Associated Partners. Explore Cerema, develogic GmbH and all EMODnet Associated Partners on the EMODnet Central Portal.

If you work in the Marine or Maritime domain and you are not yet connected to EMODnet, then the EMODnet Associated Partnership could be for you! Discover the many win-win benefits for joining this flexible and free network.

SeaDataCloud receives a “les Etoiles de l’Europe”, recognising its key contribution to EMODnet and the European marine data space (16/12/2021)

On 2 December 2021, the EU research project SeaDataCloud was awarded a 'les Etoiles de l’Europe' recognising its important contribution to the marine data domain by the French minister of Research and Innovation as part of the Horizon Europe Summit.

SeaDataCloud is contributing to the further development of the SeaDataNet pan-European infrastructure which connects National Marine Data Centres across Europe, which has a close relationship with EMODnet. Collaboration includes sharing expertise and providing the data management infrastructure and “engine” for a number of EMODnet thematics, e.g., EMODnet Chemistry, that enable harmonised and standardised integrated datasets to be made available through EMODnet services, also making possible the development of added value data products, for all.

European Marine Board 8th Forum (08/12/2021)

The 8th EMB Forum on 1 December 2021, at BluePoint Brussels and online, focused on facilitating the discussion between relevant European Ocean Decade stakeholders, including the science community and policy makers.

The EMOD-network joined as participants and Zoi Konstantinou (policy officer, DG MARE, European Commission), spoke on a panel discussing the important role of marine knowledge for delivering a more transparent and accessible Ocean for all. She highlighted EMODnet as a key EU capability providing a public service for integrated and interoperable in situ marine environmental and human activities data, with an increasingly global user base.

Future of our Seas (17/12/2021)

This Conference, convened by the European Commission, will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders, who will be able to confront their views on the future of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the protection and management of the marine environment.

EMODnet experts will be participating in this meeting, to discuss the many existing contributions made by EMODnet data and data products to support Good Environmental Status (GES) assessments and MSFD implementation. The conference will also provide the opportunity to showcase how the Directive serves the ambitions of the European Green Deal initiatives and to interrogate whether the Directive should be adapted to improve its performance and better address the challenges identified.

Blue-Cloud Hackathon (07/02/2022)

The Blue-Cloud Hackathon is an open invitation to marine scientists & researchers, data scientists, ICT experts, innovators, students, and anyone who is passionate about the Ocean to explore and test Blue-Cloud: A new, Open Science platform for the marine domain offering a wealth of data, analytical tools and computing power to support you in developing solutions for a safe, healthy, productive, predicted and transparent Ocean.

EMODnet is actively contributing as technical advisors to the Hackathon package and as coaches.

Participate and Decode the Ocean!

New release: EMODnet for Civil Society video (30/11/2021)

We are delighted to release 'EMODnet for Civil Society', the seventh video of a series of eight illustrating the fundamental role of EMODnet in society.

The video sheds light on how civil society organisations can use EMODnet data to support their work, empowering citizens around Europe and beyond to make ocean-wise decisions. EMODnet can also help civil society organisations to share their data more widely, adding value to their work.

Two new publications (30/11/2021)

EMODnet Biology has recently released a new document on the EMODnet Biology data flow for Phase IV, that recognises the strong ongoing collaboration with LifeWatch and EurOBIS and EMODnet Biology’s contribution of data management, data product generation and data services  to international networks such as OBIS and GBIF.

EMODnet Biology also released an Inventory of possible historical data resources within the consortium as a  result of an internal survey for historical datasets that can potentially be used for digitisation through citizen science efforts.

Last data harvest (30/11/2021)

The last EMODnet Biology data harvest of 2021 was finalised in late October and resulted in the addition of 39 new datasets and one update. In total, 100K+ occurrence records were added, raising the number of datasets with online data to 1181. All procedures undertaken by data providers and the data management team were aimed at improving the FAIRness of the (meta)data and allow for these data to be reused for multiple purposes.

This brings the EMODnet Biology occurrence records to 26.5 Million, with 84% of those passing Quality Control checks, originating from 1181 datasets.

Marine litter database system from EU to global perspective (30/11/2021)

EMODnet Chemistry co-organised the latest UN Ocean Decade Laboratory: A Clean Ocean workshop “One Integrated Marine Debris Observing system for a Clean Ocean” on 17-19 November 2021. And work continues at EU level to further consolidate EMODnet Chemistry's role in providing quality-controlled data to tackle high priority issues relating to marine litter pollution in Europe and beyond. In particular, the recently updated EMODnet Chemistry pan-European beach litter database builds upon previous versions and will be used to revise the EU beach litter baselines.

Conference on Climate Change in the Caspian Sea 2021 (30/11/2021)

EMODnet Seabed Habitats joined the Scientific Conference on Climate Change in the Caspian Sea Region (27-28 October) to present the challenges of delivery of EMODnet Seabed Habitats broad-scale seabed habitat map (EUSeaMap) in the Caspian Sea.

EMODnet Seabed Habitats Phase IV (30/11/2021)

Phase IV of the EMODnet Seabed Habitats project commenced in September 2021, and will run for 2 years through to 2023. The project aims to build on the existing data products hosted on the EMODnet Seabed Habitats Map Viewer and expand geographical coverage of the project to the Caspian Sea and selected EU territories in the Caribbean.

EC Blue Economy Conference at Sealogy 2021 (18/11/2021)

On 18 November, the EMODnet Secretariat was invited to present at the EC Blue Economy Conference, taking place back-to-back with Sealogy® 2021 in Ferrara, Italy.

The EMODnet presentation took place in the Closing Plenary Session on “Blue knowledge, skills and innovation for a sustainable blue economy” and highlighted the many win-win collaborations that EMODnet already has with the Blue Economy.

Ocean Hackathon 2021: Grand Finale (15/12/2021)

On December 15th, the winners of the 14 cities participating in the 6^th Ocean Hackathon® 2021 will present their project at the International Grand Finale.

Come and encourage the winning teams of the 14 cities who have been organising the local edition of Ocean Hackathon® when they pitch their project in 5 minutes. Discover at the end of the Grand Finale who will be the 3 final winning teams.

EMODnet has been a proud ambassador for this year’s edition and has contributed by coaching during the hackathon weekend (November 5-7, 2021), providing technical advice on EMODnet’s data, data products and services, and promoting the event. The EMODnet Secretariat has been invited to be part of the jury of the Grand Finale.

European Maritime Day (EMD) 2022 (19/05/2022)

European Maritime Day (EMD) 2022 is taking place in Ravenna, Italy on May 19 and 20, 2022. As a first step the Commission is calling all the interested stakeholders to apply for the organisation of a workshop (deadline 5 December 2021).

Action plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine ecosystems: Your opinion counts – take part in targeted consultation (20/12/2021)

The European Commission has launched a targeted consultation to ask stakeholders for their involvement in shaping the upcoming Action plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine ecosystems. Have your say and take part in the consultation.

Ocean Decade launches new Call for Decade Actions No. 02/2021 (28/10/2021)

The new Call for Decade Actions No. 02/2021 is an open invitation for partners from around the world to request endorsement for transformative Decade Actions that contribute to the Ocean Decade vision.

This Call, the second of a series that will be launched every 6 months as part of the Ocean Decade, will focus on Decade programmes that address priority issues including marine pollution, multiple stressors on marine ecosystems or the ocean-climate nexus.

2021 EMODnet Open Conference Report (28/10/2021)

From 14 to 16 June 2021, more than 400 participants from 50 countries and over 70 speakers and panelists gathered online for the 3-day European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) Open Conference to discuss EMODnet achievements, partnerships and vision for the coming decade.

The report of this exciting EMODnet Conference 2021 is now available for download. This includes short summaries from the EMODnet Jamboree workshops (16-18 June 2021) and the EC Ocean Observation event (18 June 2021).

EC Ocean Observation: Community Recommendations on Ocean Technology and Ocean Observing Gaps and Requirements: Full Report out now! (29/10/2021)

On 18 June 2021, the EC Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) organized an Ocean Observation event in close collaboration with the EMODnet Secretariat, European Marine Board Secretariat, EuroGOOS and Copernicus Marine Service.

The event consisted of two sessions: 1. Ocean observing technology, and 2. Ocean observing gaps and requirements.

The report and community recommendations are now available for download.

New release of EMODnet broad-scale seabed habitat map for Europe (EUSeaMap) (28/10/2021)

EMODnet Seabed Habitat has published the newest release of the EMODnet broad-scale seabed habitat map for Europe, EUSeaMap 2021, now available in three Europe-wide classification systems (EUNIS habitat classification 2007, EUNIS marine habitat classification 2019 and MSFD Benthic Broad Habitat Types), and two regional classifications (HELCOM Underwater Biotopes in the Baltic and Barcelona Convention habitat types in the Mediterranean).

Updated geological events layers from EMODnet Geology (28/10/2021)

EMODnet Geology has released new datasets on earthquakes, submarine landslides, volcanoes, tsunamis, fluid emissions and Quaternary tectonics in seas surrounding European countries, extending from Iceland to Turkey and including the Caspian Sea.

Data collections even more accessible and user friendly with webODV (28/10/2021)

In the EMODnet Chemistry product catalogue, a direct link to webODV allows users to easily navigate each regional data collection. The online webODV application facilitates the exploration, subsetting, visualization, and extraction of data sets in multiple formats from the harmonized and validated data collections on eutrophication and contamination. This connection avoids that users start downloading the quite large collections for exploring them offline with ODV Software. Moreover, thanks to the submenu Global in the webODV tool, all contaminant data, both vertical profiles and time series in the different matrices and from all EU sea basins, are readily findable and accessible.

EMODnet Secretariat speaks at All-Atlantic Ocean Data Space webinar (29/10/2021)

On 12 October 2021, EMODnet Secretariat Technical Coordinator, Conor Delaney, spoke at a webinar on the “All Atlantic Ocean Data Space” organised by the All Atlantic Cooperation for Ocean Research and Innovation (AANCHOR-CSA), in collaboration with AtlantOS, H2020 iAtlantic and wider stakeholders. At the event, EMODnet use cases were presented to show the added value and impact of EMODnet data, data products and services to users. The event also discussed the work of EMODnet’s ongoing centralisation of all services that will further optimise EMODnet’s interoperability in the European marine data space and simplifying discovery and access of data and metadata at global levels, including with the Group on Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

EMODnet Physics at PLOCAN Glider School 2021 (28/10/2021)

EMODnet Physics presented at the Glider School 2021 organised by Plataforma Oceánica de Canarias (PLOCAN), 25-29 October. The Glider School is a hands-on and training forum on ocean-gliders technology. Content covers both hardware and software issues through theoretical and practical sessions in class, lab and open waters using real ocean-glider units by different technologies and focusing on ocean-glider features, capabilities and applications. For many of the participants the EMODnet presentation was of huge interest. In particular with those not yet familiar with EMODnet.

EMODnet Secretariat plays key role in Ocean Hackathon 2021 (05/11/2021)

EMODnet has contributed for a number of years to the Ocean Hackathon series, an initiative by Campus mondial de la mer, in collaboration with Ifremer, SHOM and wider partners. For the 2021 edition, the EMODnet Secretariat will serve as mentors and coaches to the event, providing technical advice on EMODnet’s data, data products and services (see latest EMODnet portfolio) that participants can use to produce new applications and innovations for society. The Ocean Hackathon encourages open data sharing, co-design of applications using new digital technologies and an fostering an entrepreneurial spirit. The 6th edition is hosted in Brest, France and welcomes 14 participating cities across the world.

Registration is still possible until 3 November 2021.

One Integrated Marine Debris Observing System for a Clean Ocean (17/11/2021)

The latest UN Ocean Decade Laboratory: A Clean Ocean takes place on 17-19 November 2021. EMODnet Chemistry’s Coordinating organsiation, OGS, is a member of the organising committee for a Satellite Activity on Marine Debris. This builds on EMODnet Chemistry’s world-leading experience in marine litter data management and key contribution to the building of an Integrated Marine Debrid Observing System (IMDOS). The event will strengthen the scientific knowledge on marine litter pollution to support research, innovating solutions, and mitigating actions.

EU Open Data Days - Shaping our future with open data (23/11/2021)

EMODnet is a partner in the first edition of the EU Open Data Days. This unique event will serve as a knowledge hub, bringing the benefits of open data to the EU public sector, and through it to people and businesses. Get inspired and discover the latest trends and most innovative solutions!

This fully online event will start with EU DataViz, a conference on open data and data visualisation, on 23 and 24 November. It will close with the finale of EU Datathon, the annual open data competition, on 25 November.

Registered participants will benefit from a dedicated networking platform, opening this autumn, intended to inspire creative dialogue prior to the event and after it. Register for the EU Open Data Days and become part of the EU open data community.

EMODnet Steering Committee and Technical Working Group meetings (30/09/2021)

The EMODnet partnership held its 15th EMODnet Steering Committee and 10th Technical Working Group meetings between 8th-10th September 2021. The hybrid meetings brought together more than 40 experts with local participants convening in Ostend - where the EMODnet Secretariat offices are based - together with a large online participation from members across Europe. Also joining was Iain Shepherd, senior advisor to the EC DG MARE, who was recognised for his long-standing commitment and vision for EMODnet since its inception over a decade ago.

EMODnet Geology releases new datasets of marine minerals (30/09/2021)

EMODnet Geology has released new integrated datasets on marine minerals, providing important information on the occurrence of twelve mineral types (including gas hydrates, polymetallic nodules and hydrocarbons) known to accumulate in seas surrounding Europe. It is envisaged that under the next Phase of EMODnet Geology these datasets will continue to be updated and that there will also be a focus on the development of innovative product layers to include mineral resource potential and mineral sub-classification.

Read the full news article here

EMODnet Geology updates Seabed substrate data product (30/09/2021)

EMODnet Geology has updated its EMODnet Seabed substrate data product, expanding the coverage of the data products to new sea areas, including the Caspian Sea. In addition, the update adds new scales into the multiscale data product, with the current data including scales from as detailed as 1:1500. The broad scale data (250 k and 1 M) describes the seabed substrate at a general level, suitable for the decision-making, research, and large-scale spatial planning.

Read the full news article here

Discover synthesis of geomorphologic structures of the European Seas (30/09/2021)

EMODnet Geology has updated the EMODnet Seafloor Geology data products. This data product compiles and harmonizes the European marine geology map. The update adds new data to the Quaternary geology and geomorphology map products and an additional new layer of general physiographic features was compiled and published.

Read the full news article here

EMODnet Human Activities Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) Data Model is recommended for Member State Use by EC Technical Expert Group on MSP data (30/09/2021)

The EC Technical Expert Group (TEG) on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) data has recommended the MSP EMODnet Model as a key tool for Member States to produce a coherent and harmonised European MSP map.

EMODnet Secretariat joins a visit of the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, to Oostende (30/09/2021)

On Monday 6 September 2021, the EMODnet Secretariat was invited by local Blue Growth and innovation actors Blue Bridge and Flanders’ Blue Cluster to welcome EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius on his ‘Blue Economy’ visit to Oostende (Belgium) and share insights on the importance of open marine data sharing and the role EMODnet is playing in unlocking the wealth of European ocean observations and in situ data.

BlueMed workshop: Unlocking the potential of Ports and Harbours in preventing and reducing the effects of Marine Litter (30/09/2021)

The meeting was focused on discussing the effects of marine litter in Ports/Harbours and their hinterland at Mediterranean level, with the aim to identify gaps and bottlenecks to be overcome for an effective prevention and mitigation from the impact of marine litter across the whole basin.

Discover EMODnet Chemistry’s diverse data and data products here

Open Science Fair (30/09/2021)

On 21st September 2021, Kate Larkin from the EMODnet Secretariat presented EMODnet in the context of the European Horizon 2020 Blue-Cloud project at the Open Science Fair 2021. The event brought together stakeholders across the marine knowledge value chain to discuss open data, open science and the developing European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). Blue-Cloud is piloting an online platform and resources to promote web-based open science in the marine domain. This relies upon existing marine (research, data, e-) such as EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service which collectively provide a core backbone for the data access and discovery services, and contribute technical expertise to this developing marine thematic component of EOSC.

EU4Ocean Mediterranean Sea-basin workshop: Ocean Literacy Festival (30/09/2021)

The EMODnet Secretariat contributed to the Ocean Literacy Festival in the Mediterranean Sea organised by the EU4Ocean Coalition on 25 September 2021 with two online activities related to the European Atlas of the Seas:  ‘Discover the European Atlas of the Seas by visiting a virtual exhibition!’ and ‘Dive into the European Atlas of the Seas!’. A slideshow with relevant maps of the Mediterranean Sea is available on YouTube. On 27 September 2021, the EMODnet Secretariat also presented the Atlas to teachers during the workshop ‘Bringing Ocean and Climate to the classroom’.

Hack4Oceans (20/10/2021)

Hack4Oceans (20-21 October 2021), is a 2-day youth innovation event where participants from across Europe and wider will learn, explore and co-create opportunities for prosperity through ocean conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. The event is hosted by European Commission’s Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (EC, DG MARE) in Brussels, Belgium. The event will bring together undergraduate students and professional stakeholders coming from the private, public and scientific sector to work on specific ocean-related challenges.

Sign up for Hack4Oceans here

8th Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference (21/10/2021)

The 8th Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference 2021 ("Atlantic Pathways to a Green Blue Economy"), will take place as a hybrid event on 21 October 2021 in Dublin, Ireland and online. This 8^th edition comes one year after the launch of the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0 – A New Approach to the Atlantic Maritime Strategy. The event provides stakeholders of the Atlantic Community the opportunity to review the current state-of-play of the Atlantic Action Plan and the way forward. It also presents opportunities to introduce the Community to new stakeholders, projects and innovative ways to collaborate toward its implementation.

Register here

International Ocean Data Conference 2022 (14/02/2022)

IODE International Ocean Data Conference 2022 – The Data We Need for the Ocean We Want

All abstracts can be submitted electronically here, until the deadline of Friday 29 October 2021.

EMODnet Seabed Habitats teams up with EMODnet Biology to develop data standards for users submitting habitat observations to EurOBIS (30/08/2021)

Data providers can now submit data and information on seafloor habitats and communities in a standard format to the global Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). This is thanks to a collaboration between EMODnet Seabed Habitats and EMODnet Biology – who also manage the European node of OBIS, EurOBIS. The partnership has produced guidance document on data standards aimed at OBIS/EurOBIS data providers submitting information on habitat types and species occurrences. This has been made possible thanks to the recent changes to the data structure used by OBIS (Darwin Core Archive) to allow measurements and facts to be attributed to events (e.g. samples) as well as occurrences (i.e. species observations). This new approach will improve interoperability, discoverability and reusability of the valuable additional environmental data collected alongside species observations during marine surveys.

The guidance document is available in the resources section of the EMODnet Seabed Habitats portal and through the OBIS manual itself.

EMODnet supports EC JRC with the development of a centralised data reporting strategy for oil spills and acute pollution events (30/08/2021)

EMODnet Chemistry is contributing its expertise to the EC Joint Research Centre (JRC), to develop a centralised reporting strategy for data collected on acute marine pollution events. Such data are used in the Assessment of Good Environmental Status as part of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) monitoring programme for the Descriptor 8 - Contaminants, including oil and other contaminant spills.

Some methodological standards for their monitoring and assessment are defined in the Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848 through the Criteria D8C3 and D8C4. However, currently there remain significant differences in reporting between regions and Member States, with data stored in different databases, using different formats and collecting different information.

To solve this issue, a core group of experts, involving the EC JRC, the Regional Sea Conventions, the European Maritime Safety Agency, and the EC Directorate General MOVE - Mobility and Transport, which implements the EC Directive of ship-source pollution, are working together to design a single, agreed reporting strategy, and a centralised database containing all standardized and validated data. As part of this activity, the EC JRC asked EMODnet Chemistry and Human Activities to support this core group of experts, bringing their expertise in marine data management.

More information is available here.

Newest IPCC Report shows climate related data at its most impactful (30/08/2021)

On 9 August 2021 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the first part of the Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. This report – produced by the IPCC Working Group I – examines the physical science underpinning past, present, and future climate change.

Presentation of the European Atlas of the Seas at the Baltic Sea Basin Event on Ocean Literacy (30/08/2021)

On 27 August 2021, the EMODnet Secretariat presented the European Atlas of the Seas at an online Baltic Sea Basin Event on Ocean Literacy which took place on 26-27 August, organised by the EU4Ocean Coalition, during the morning session ‘Bringing the Sea to School in the Baltics’ and the afternoon ‘Teachers Training Workshop’.

IUCN World Conservation Congress Side Event: The Ocean Decade and Biodiversity (04/09/2021)

The IUCN World Conservation Congress will include a side event on The Ocean Decade and Biodiversity. In addition to a physical event, participants can follow live via the IUCN Official Stream (limited capacity) or through Facebook or Youtube and interact with speakers at the event on Slido (Event Code “OceanDecade”).

EU4Ocean Ocean Literacy Mediterranean Sea basin event (24/09/2021)

Following the EU4Ocean Baltic Sea Basin event, another “wave of ocean literacy activities” will take place at the end of September with the "EU4Ocean Ocean Literacy Mediterranean Sea basin event". The event will focus on connecting Mediterranean ocean literacy actors and initiatives.

Oceanthon 2021: Ocean & Climate Edition (24/09/2021)

Oceanthon 2021 is the second edition of a digital hackathon organised by the IOC of UNESCO. This second edition is dedicated to the Mediterranean area, the main theme “Ocean & Climate”. Marine and maritime stakeholders as well as the wider community are invited to take part as a participant, mentor or nanny. Deadline for applications is 10 September 2021.

Ocean Business Event (12/10/2021)

The Ocean Business event, is a hands-on event for the ocean science and technology community. Various industries and businesses will be showcasing their latest ocean technology related products and designs via trainings and demonstrations.

Marine Strategy Framework Directive: open public consultation (30/08/2021)

The European Commission has launched an online public consultation on the review of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. This initiative will review the achievements and shortcomings of this Directive, explore options for improvement and propose possible amendments in the protection of seas and the ocean. The survey runs until 21 October 2021.

H2020 pilot Blue-Cloud Roadmap to 2030: open public consultation (30/08/2021)

The H2020 pilot Blue-Cloud project has launched a public consultation on the "Blue-Cloud Strategic Roadmap to 2030" to gather stakeholder feedback and ideas to inform strategic policy recommendations for the future evolution of Blue-Cloud into 2030.

The consultation has been extended to 22 October 2021 to maximise input from the key actors and the wider community. Take part here and read the Draft Strategic Roadmap and a 4-page Executive Summary as reference materials underpinning the consultation.