Use Cases

This study focused on developing an effective route planning methodology for unmanned sea vehicles (USVs), particularly Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) combining EMODnet data and third-party systems.

The data on EMODnet Human Activities occurrence and distribution was used to investigate the regulations of activities and protection provided by Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the European Union (EU). This PhD research study, supported by CCMAR, CNRS, and INRAE research institutes, highlights the persistent data gap and limitations of current EU MPAs and serves as a benchmark for monitoring and future evaluation of MPA policies.

The Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) Challenge is an open-source platoform developed by Breda University of Applied Sciences. It hels users manage the blue economy and marine enviornmeny by simulating the impact of decisions on energy, shipping, and marine life. The simulations encourage users to utilize the best available data for assessing the current status and planning the future development of sea space. The data includes EMODnet services, which were used in an MSP Challenge to map bathymetry, biology, human activity and seabed habitat data for a simulation game supporting educational and stakeholder engagement.

The University of Southampton and its Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute is a major European centre for oceanography and marine geoscience. The Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI) is the largest entity of its kind in the world, with expertise in everything from naval architecture to social sciences and work to address issues in the natural ocean environment (marine) and human use of the sea (maritime). 

The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) is an autonomous Belgian non-profit organization which conducts interdisciplinary research on the ocean, seas, coast and estuaries. Its mission is to strengthen science-based knowledge and share it as widely as possible. VLIZ uses new technologies, such as robotics, and focuses on innovation and valorisation. Research areas include the ocean and seas, coasts and tidal systems as well as areas where Flemish marine scientists are or were active.

The Horizon Europe MSP4Bio project used EMODnet multidisciplinary marine in situ data, including from Bathymetry, Biology and many other thematic data, to inform an Ecological-Socio-Economic (ESE) management framework used for science-based MSP to safeguard and restore biodiversity in a coherent European MPA network. 

University of Girona used EMODnet datasets in the Horizon EU project Blue-Paths, to develop a dashboard demonstrator with the goal to inform the wider audience about the geographic and social, ecological and economic characteristics of the high-potential areas for offshore wind energy in the Spanish sea space in a dynamic manner.

The University of Aegean is a partner in the MUSICA (Multiple Use of Space for Island Clean Autonomy) project, that developed a smart multi-usage of space (MUS) platform for the concurrent use of three types of renewable energy – wind, photovoltaic and wave – at small islands. The MUS also contributed to the advancement of a successfully tested multi-use platform (MUP), which was previously developed by the University of Aegean and the private company EcoWindWater. In the process of finding optimal siting areas for the MUP, MUSICA used EMODnet map services and data to highlight areas of potential constraints.

Energinet uses EMODnet Geology data products as background data in the development of offshore wind farms and energy islands.

Frontex applications combine EMODnet map services with other internal and external map services for supporting detection of abnormal vessel behaviour.