On 29 September, the webinar with the EMODnet Chemistry Board of Experts on the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) was held online to showcase the new climatologies for parameters that enable scientists to assess the trophic state of marine waters. Since 2017, collecting feedback from experts is a powerful method that EMODnet Chemistry has used to fine-tune data products according to MSFD needs.
Neil Holdsworth, from EMODnet Chemistry partner the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) chaired the meeting as this expert consultation is part of ICES' commitment to ensure the implementation of EU legislation and wider open data initiatives through interaction with key stakeholders. After introducing the meeting, Holdsworth handed over to Alessandra Giorgetti from the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS, the coordinator of the EMODnet Chemistry lot. She gave an overview of the EMODnet structure, mission and main services. She also informed that the long-term initiative to access European marine in-situ data is currently funded until 2029, with a vision extending to 2035. She added that the current phase of EMODnet Chemistry is ending, and on 24 November, the EMODnet Partnership will meet in Brussels to kick-off the new phase at the EMODnet Jamboree, held back-to-back event with the EMODnet Open Conference 2025 on 25–26 November.
Giorgetti handed over the floor to Martin M. Larsen of Aarhus University, Denmark, who serves as the regional coordinator of EMODnet Chemistry to produce data collections on eutrophication and acidity in the Greater North Sea.
M. Larsen started her presentation providing some details on data collections for eutrophication and acidity, which are used by the University of Liege and the Regional coordinators to produce the climatologies. In particular, he presented the quality control procedure for EMODnet Chemistry data, including new features for outlier detection, handling of restricted data, and the harmonisation of parameters.
©EMODnet Chemistry
At the meeting, Charles Troupin of the University of Liège explained how EMODnet Chemistry experts process the data to produce the maps. He outlined the methodology used to generate gridded products with the DIVAnd interpolation tool. He pointed out that the interpolation process requires high-resolution bathymetry and data quality control, involving manual and automatic checks, which are well documented and openly accessible. He continued by showing the different product types, including monthly and seasonal gridded maps at various resolutions for European seas and coastal regions. These maps cover variables such as ammonium, chlorophyll a, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphate, and silicate. In conclusion, he demonstrated how users can access and download data collections via the EMODnet Portal, while the WebODV data explorer and extractor tool enables them to subset data and carry out customised analyses and visualisations.
©EMODnet Chemistry
©EMODnet Chemistry
Participants engaged actively in the discussion through frequent Q&A sessions and live polling. The discussion focused on current user usability and accessibility, as well as challenges to improving them, such as the potential for adjusting temporal windows for data products.
Find out more about the work of the MSFD board on the EMODnet portal.
Download the presentations:
Update on development of EMODnet Chemistry
Data collections for eutrophication: Main outcomes and new parameters
New data collection and map products for Eutrophication