The EU supports coastal area development through community-led initiatives. Fisheries Local Action Groups (LAGs) unite fisheries sector representatives, local public and private stakeholders and civil society to craft local development strategies. Enabled by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), they allocate funding to projects that foster sustainable development.
Argo floats are autonomous oceanographic instruments designed to drift with ocean currents and collect valuable data. They typically move vertically through the water column, collecting measurements of temperature, salinity, and current speed up to depths of 2000 metres. This month's map highlights the locations of Argo floats in the Greenland Sea and Arctic Ocean. These floats provide critical insights into the physical state of the ocean, which aids in climate research and understanding ocean dynamics.
The European Commission’s 2026 Work Programme sets the direction for Europe at sea. From sustainable fisheries and aquaculture to ocean governance and coastal resilience, each initiative strengthens how Europe manages its seas and supports those who depend on them.
The blue economy encompasses all economic activities that are based on or connected to the ocean, seas, and coasts. This includes sectors such as fisheries and aquaculture, coastal tourism, shipping, ports, and marine renewable energy. Check out the Map of the Month to discover more about specific activities like macroalgae farming, fish farms, shellfish farms, ocean energy projects, wind farms, and ferry routes.
The MISSION ATLANTIC project, funded by Horizon 2020, has studied Atlantic Ocean ecosystems to understand what changes affects marine biodiversity and ocean resources. Check out the Map of the Month, created from the project's findings, to see how suitable the shallow Atlantic waters are for 30 key commercial fish species, including the yellowfin tuna. This information is important for sustainable fisheries management.
Discover the Map of the Month to locate wind farms and macroalgae production sites across Europe. The map displays macroalgae production sites by production method—land-based, offshore, and coastal aquaculture or harvesting. It also shows offshore wind farms planned or under construction in European waters. Click on the symbols and polygons for more details and zoom in to explore specific areas.
Check out this month's map to see the international fishing zones set by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. There are 27 main fishing zones worldwide: 8 for inland waters on continents and 19 for the Ocean—covering the Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, and Southern regions—and nearby seas. Each zone, whether inland or marine, is named and assigned a two-digit code.
Around 1,200 maritime stakeholders gathered last week in Cork for the 2025 edition of European Maritime Day (EMD). Organised annually by the European Commission in a different maritime city, EMD is the key forum to shape and debate the future of Europe’s sustainable blue economy. The event featured workshops, networking sessions, side events, and award ceremonies.
The expansion of offshore wind energy can reduce our CO2 emissions, and safeguard Europe’s competitiveness and energy supply security. Explore the map of the month to discover the locations and operational statuses of offshore wind farms scattered across European waters.
The EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters focuses on improving the health of our ocean and waterways through research, innovation, public involvement, and blue investments. Key goals include creating a carbon-neutral and circular blue economy, reducing pollution, and safeguarding ecosystems and biodiversity. Check out the map to discover Mission Actions in Europe.
The map features European shellfish farms. Shellfish, especially mussels, oysters and clams, make up more than 50% of the EU’s total aquaculture production. Aquaculture worlwide is quickly expanding, contributing to global food supply and economic growth. In the EU, it’s vital to develop skills and careers in this field among the younger generation.
Each year, millions of tonnes of litter are produced from various human activities, with much of it ending up in the ocean, causing environmental, economic, and public health issues. The map of the month displays the percentage of seabed litter in categories such as glass, textile, metal, and polymer. Click on the map's graphs for more details.
This month's map shows Fisheries Local Action Groups (LAGs) across Europe, backed by the European Maritime, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). EMFAF focuses on community-led local development by supporting local partnerships involving fisheries representatives and stakeholders in the blue economy. Over 300 LAGs in Europe receive EMFAF support.
Healthy rivers are important for salmon. Salmon begin their lives in rivers before going to sea to grow and mature, then returning to their native river to spawn. They are affected by changes in water quality, habitat, climate, and barriers during migration. Protecting and restoring habitats is essential for salmon. Explore the map of the month to view the main European rivers and lakes.
Climate change is rapidly affecting marine ecosystems. Fisheries are suffering the impact of rapid warming, marine heat waves and extreme events. Changes in water temperature are having an impact on fish distribution. Explore the map of the month to see how sea surface temperature has evolved since the early 1990s.
On average, Europeans consume 24 kg (live weight) of fish or seafood per year. The supply of these products to the European Union (EU) market is ensured by the EU’s own production and by imports. The map shows the total volume (intra-EU and extra-EU) of imports and exports of fisheries and aquaculture products by country.
The EU Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) Week marked a decade of EU support to cross-border cooperation on maritime spatial planning. The European Maritime Spatial Planning Week brought the MSP community together in Marseille (France) to reflect on the achievements made across European seas, discuss current policies, and plan for the next steps to tackle new challenges for maritime spatial planning in the EU.
This map shows the average depth of the water in the European region. The data are provided by the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). EMODnet supplies data for the European Digital Twin of the Ocean (EU DTO), including information on the marine environment and human activities.
Marine heatwaves, which are prolonged periods of extreme ocean temperature increases, have been occurring more frequently and with greater intensity in recent years. These heatwaves have harmful effects on ecosystems, marine industries, and human activities. Scientists use drifting buoys as one method to monitor ocean temperatures. These buoys move freely in the ocean and collect temperature data automatically, which is then relayed by satellite for immediate use in forecasts. The map displays temperature measurements from drifting buoys worldwide for the previous month.
