Dear EMODnet partners, associated partners, wider stakeholders,
2026 is well underway, and (as in previous years) has started at a fast pace. In this New Year’s (NY) letter we look back at the collective accomplishments and milestones of EMODnet in 2025. And we look forward to what’s ahead for EMODnet in 2026 and beyond! 2025 was the busiest yet, with EMODnet making waves as the European in situ marine data service. Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis recognised EMODnet as an invaluable cornerstone for the successful implementation of the Ocean Pact. And through consultations, flagship events and key partnerships, and from data sharing to user engagement, 2025 was a year when EMODnet demonstrated its value, exemplifying how the service is making a real difference, from simplifying the marine knowledge value chain and saving costs for stakeholders to its provision of foundational, trusted and actionable marine data and data products. The EMODnet expert network of 133 partners across 33 countries – from the Secretariat, Central Portal, thematic and data ingestion – continued to deliver new data integration, updated services, expert advice, guidance and leadership on standards and good practices. And visibility and our user-base grew, using EMODnet to support EU (and global) ocean-related policy implementation, drive competitiveness in the Blue Economy, underpin Research and Innovation, and beyond. 2025 was also the first year that EMODnet’s full offer was tested on the cloud, with EMODnet OSL 4.0 Hackathon participants gaining exclusive access to EMODnet on the European Digital Twin Ocean infrastructure platform (EDITO), leveraging the power of data, computing power and models to drive solutions and applications to ocean and coastal challenges. Later in 2025, EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service showcased EDITO at the UN Ocean Conference 2025 Digital Ocean Pavilion, to President of the EC Ursula von der Leyen and thousands more stakeholders. The year culminated in a full week of Marine Knowledge the EMODnet Open Conference 2025, which brought EMODnet’s diverse stakeholder community together for the launch of the EMODnet community Vision 2035. This sets out clear recommendations for EMODnet’s service evolution over the next decade with an overarching ambitious – yet necessary – call to action for EMODnet’s annual funding to be (at least) doubled in the next Multi-annual Financial Framework (2028-2034). In the shorter-term, EMODnet will consolidate, evolve and prepare to scale, expanding its data sharing partnerships, service provision, user engagement, its contribution to the UN Ocean Decade and more. Let’s seize the year and turn EMODnet’s Vision into reality, together!
And now, let’s take a closer look at where we’ve come over the past year and see what’s in store for the coming months…….
2025 at a glance
EMODnet: An essential marine data service for the European Ocean Pact
The European Ocean Pact was a central development in the 2025 European marine and maritime landscape. The year kicked off with a call for evidence in January-February 2025, for which EMODnet produced a response on behalf of its Steering Committee and wider network. The response highlighted and exemplified how EMODnet is unique service with demonstrable value, providing over sixty-eight parameters of the marine environment and human activities at sea, delivered by an unparalleled expert network of 133 partners over 33 countries (21 EU). This alone demonstrates EMODnet’s success in international and cross-border co-operation, also as an exemplar in ocean (data) diplomacy. Today, diverse stakeholders rely upon EMODnet as their go-to service for foundational trusted and actionable marine data and knowledge, harmonised at European scale. The Pact places marine knowledge as a cross-cutting pillar essential also for the EC Ocean Observation Initiative – with EMODnet at its centre. EMODnet’s value was recognized by Costas Kadis, Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans in a meeting with an EMODnet delegation, underscoring EMODnet’s indispensable contribution to the European Ocean Pact and the wider European and global marine knowledge landscape.
“Investment in marine knowledge is a priority for the EC and for this mandate, as reflected in the European Ocean Pact. One of the building blocks is dedicated to boosting and structuring a robust [marine] knowledge framework, including the Ocean Observation Initiative. EMODnet’s role in the delivery of this will be instrumental.” – Costas Kadis, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, July 2025 (see also Commissioner Kadis’ keynote address at the EMODnet Open Conference 2025)
As the (Ocean) Pact calls for coordinated, evidence-based action at sea, EMODnet stands ready as the marine data backbone of this collective European effort. From its hosting of National Member State Maritime Spatial Plans ion geospatial format to its provision of a harmonized digital terrain (bathymetry) and seabed habitat map for Europe, EMODnet is empowering evidence-based decision-making and saving costs underpinning businesses, non-governmental organisations and research and innovation to create new knowledge and develop innovative solutions to everything from coastal resilience to deep-seafloor ecosystems and biodiversity to blue carbon and ocean pollution.
EMODnet: the in-situ marine data component of the European Digital Twin Ocean
Throughout 2025, EMODnet continued to strengthen its operational and strategic collaboration with the Copernicus Marine Service and Mercator Ocean International, not least through joint contributions to the European Digital Twin Ocean (EDITO) infrastructure initiative, for which EMDOnet provides the in situ marine data component. In June 2025, EMODnet and Copernicus Marine showcased the latest EDITO data visualisations to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and thousands of stakeholders at the UN Ocean Conference 2025 Digital Ocean Pavilion in Nice, France. And it didn’t stop there. Back-to-back with the EMODnet Open Conference in November 2025, EMODnet experts from the EMODnet Central Portal Technical Team and the EDITO‑Infra Technical Team, representing the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), the EMODnet Secretariat and Seascape Belgium, partnered with Mercator Ocean International (MOI) to co‑organise the Digital Ocean Forum (DOF) 2025 which brought together European projects, innovators and wider stakeholders to learn more about the latest Digital Twin developments and how opportunities to connect, test and get involved which will only increase with EDITO having just started its second phase.
Talking of innovation and EDITO, EMODnet’s latest Hackathon was delivered in Spring 2025 with the title Open Sea Lab 4.0: Harnessing the power of EMODnet and the European Digital Twin Ocean for society. Held online in March 2025 (with warm-up and training in the buildup), the event brought together over 400 participants, including marine data users, data scientists, developers and innovators from across Europe and beyond. This was the first Hackathon where users could access the full EMODnet offer not only via the EC Portal but also directly on the cloud on the EDITO platform. Delivered in close cooperation with Copernicus Marine Service, the EMODnet Hackathon resulted in innovative data-driven solutions, which you can check out in the event report and video. It also provided valuable user feedback on both EMODnet and the European Digital Twin Ocean services.
A growing network and user base, connecting new communities in Europe and globally
In 2025, EMODnet continued to expand its network and user base across Europe and globally. The growing collection of use cases on the Portal reflects EMODnet’s role as a user-driven service, supporting a wide spectrum of stakeholders, from research and academia institutions to society and the private sector. During the year, nine new and diverse use cases were submitted, highlighting the breadth of applications made possible through EMODnet’s open marine data. The EMODnet Associated Partnership (AP) also continued to grow, welcoming two new organisations, Xeos by Satlink and Cousteau Divers, bringing the total to 36 APs in December 2025. The year likewise saw encouraging transitions from Associated Partner status to funded EMODnet Partnerships, including the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI) and SOCIB, demonstrating the value of the AP Scheme as a strategic entry point that allows organisations to build collaborations, contribute expertise, and evolve from collaboration to active, funded involvement in delivering EMODnet’s services. EMODnet APs are also given visibility at flagship events, with multiple APs presenting at the Open Conference, highlighting their latest data sharing and use cases.
Are you a stakeholder with data to share, looking to maximise the potential of open marine data for your organisation, business or advocacy campaign? Then the EMODnet Associated Partnership Scheme may be a good fit! Check out existing members and how to apply on the EMODnet Portal.
In Autumn 2025, the EMODnet Secretariat organised the fourth online event in the EMODnet for Business series, this workshop dedicated to not-for-profit “EMODnet Marine Knowledge for Non-governmental Organisations.” EMODnet experts connected with ‘Blue’ NGOs operating at local, national, European and global levels. Concrete use cases demonstrated how NGOs both use EMODnet for planning campaigns to advocacy and evidence-based science-policy activities, and that NGOs are increasingly collecting in situ data that is relevant to share and integrate into EMODnet. A workshop report is available for download via the Reports section of the EMODnet Portal.
EMODnet: Cross-thematic marine knowledge for Europe and beyond
In 2025, the 133 EMODnet partners continued to work both within and across at thematic areas to consolidate and maintain the existing (and most comprehensive and diverse) marine data offer. Throughout the year, EMODnet services continued to evolve, with thematic groups regularly updating their products to increase resolution, extend geographical coverage and integrate new and emerging ocean observation parameters, including inputs from polar, coastal and deep-sea regions.
All seven thematics progressed their services, releasing new and updated data and data products openly available through the EMODnet Portal, Map Viewer, metadata catalogue and web services. Key highlights include: EMODnet Bathymetry contributed its harmonised Digital Terrain Model (DTM) to the latest Seabed 2030 Arctic map, reinforcing its role as a key regional centre and significant contributor to the Nippon Foundation – GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project. The latest DTM version, one of EMODnet’s longstanding flagship products, is now accessible via the EMODnet Portal Map Viewer and offers substantial enhancements, including the highest-resolution harmonised seabed map of the European sea regions to date. EMODnet Biology continued to publish numerous datasets and data products, increasing data occurrences from 41 million to 45 million. EMODnet Biology also released external products such as Important Marine Mammal Areas; habitat suitability maps for harbour porpoises in the North and Baltic Seas; habitat suitability of reef-forming species in the North Sea; zooplankton biodiversity patterns in the Baltic Sea region; seabird distribution maps and interpolation products; and biodiversity of European marine macrobenthos by seabed habitat types. Collaboration with several ongoing LIFE Programme has supported the identification and integration of additional biological data. EMODnet Chemistry developed new contaminant maps, now available on the EMODnet Map Viewer, illustrating spatial and temporal variability in the water column, biota and sediments. In addition, EMODnet Chemistry’s ‘Guide for the management of microlitter’ received the IODE, IOC of UNESCO Ocean Best Practices System Endorsement Certificate. EMODnet Geology advanced its suite of data and data products across coastal resilience, substrates, seafloor geology, coastal behaviour, geological events and probabilities, marine minerals and submerged landscapes. Updated metadata for boreholes, samples and geophysics were also released. The geological offer spans European and non-European seas, including significant contributions from the Caribbean and the Caspian Sea. EMODnet Human Activities delivered regular dataset updates, including the addition of a fish quotas dataset. Work continued to host EU Member States' Maritime Spatial Plans (MSP), most recently adding the Italian National MSP. Work also progressed in coastal tourism, including the development of an EU marinas map in collaboration with TransEurope Marinas and the European Boating Industry, building on discussions from the 2024 EMODnet for Business workshop. EMODnet Physics expanded its offer with more than 60,000 new datasets in 2025, boosting marine data coverage. These historical temperature and salinity time series, from European seas to the Southern Ocean, were collected through multiple platforms spanning gliders to animal-borne instruments, in collaboration with the in situ ocean observing community. EMODnet Seabed Habitats continued to update the ‘Basin by Basin StoryMap’, for which the Portal now hosts over 1,000 story maps covering all European and Caribbean Sea Basins. The ‘broadscale habitat map for Europe’ (EUSeaMap) also remains widely used by thousands of users.
EMODnet Data Ingestion: Data sharing, simplified!
In May 2025, EMODnet took an important step forward by completing the centralisation of its Data Ingestion service within the EMODnet Portal. This built on the successful centralisation of all seven thematics in January 2023, which was a game-changer for the user and has resulted in a rapid increase in visitors and users of the Portal, also expanding beyond ‘traditional’ user sectors to include more national authorities, private sector and beyond. While the core EMODnet Data Ingestion service remains unchanged, its integration into the Portal makes the process of submitting data to EMODnet even more straightforward for users. And into the future, Data Ingestion is a service to guide and aid data collectors and producers who do not have established data flows into EMODnet to share and integrate their data, and to move towards more long-term operationalised data pipelines as EMODnet onboards ocean data actors towards a fully integrated and inclusive network.
EMODnet’s technical developments in a nutshell
In 2025, EMODnet’s Portal maintained its operational service whilst also making steady and sequential updates to features and functionalities. The Technical Working Group, coordinated by the Central Portal technical team, initiated a more open-source approach to Map Viewer developments, an action that is set to continue in 2026 with a recently established Task Force. The technical team continue to publish technical blogs each quarter as part of an ongoing series created in response to user requests for more updates on the latest EMODnet services, technical developments and achievements. We welcome feedback and suggestions on topics you’d like to see in future editions!
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Looking ahead, EMODnet is prepared to consolidate, strengthen and scale its services to meet the needs of the Ocean Pact, through the next decade and beyond. However, 2025 was also the year when the EMODnet community recognised that the funding for EMODnet is no longer appropriate for an operational service, particularly noting its crucial role in the European – and global – marine knowledge landscape and the growing demand for these services, notably for the Ocean Pact and all related ocean policies including the Nature Restoration Law and the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) global treaty. This demand, and the need for prioritisation and evolution of EMODnet leads us to the Vision 2035…..
EMODnet Vision 2035
One of the major milestones of 2025 was the finalisation and launch of the EMODnet Vision 2035, the EMOD-network’s community-driven response to the European Ocean Pact. The process had kicked off in late 2023 with the release of an EMODnet Call to Action. And in 2024, the EMODnet community initiated the EMODnet Vision Drafting Group (VDG) with more than 30 experts representing EMODnet and key actors to spear-head the development of a community Vision that would recommend priorities for EMODnet’s service evolution over the next decade. The result? A Vision 2035 developed by the community, for the community that sets out concrete recommendations across six service pillars for how EMODnet, as the EU’s in situ marine data service can (and must) scale and expand to operate at its full potential and provide the best available marine data and knowledge.as a cornerstone of European marine knowledge. It positions EMODnet as a key enabler of the Ocean Pact and the EU Ocean Observation Initiative, delivering the in situ component of the European Digital Twin Ocean, a driver of competitiveness in the Blue Economy, and a world-class regional data service seamlessly connected to the global ocean digital ecosystem. A central message is the bold –yet necessary – call to action: for EMODnet’s annual funding to be (at least) doubled in the next Multi-annual financial framework (2028-2034). Download your copy and help us spread the word (available as a summary document launched at an EMODnet public webinar in mid-November 2025 and as a full, extended Vision 2035 document released at the EMODnet Open Conference…..
The EMODnet Open Conference and Jamboree 2025
The year 2025 concluded with the EMODnet Open Conference held from 25-26 November in Brussels, preceded by a Partner Jamboree. The OC flagship event brought together a diverse community of marine data stakeholders, policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers, to highlight EMODnet’s essential role as Europe’s indispensable marine data service and cornerstone for the European Ocean Pact. The conference underscored EMODnet’s expanding contribution in supporting research, innovation, the Blue Economy, and global digital ocean initiatives. The Marine Knowledge week began with the EMODnet Jamboree, where EMODnet Partners shared updates on service developments and joint activities. The Open Conference, moderated by Katrina Sichel, featured five expert panels and interactive breakout sessions that drew over 300 participants, including Partners, Associated Partners, the European Commission representatives, and other key stakeholders. Discussions highlighted topics from EMODnet’s pivotal contribution to the EU Ocean Observation Initiative, the European Ocean Observing System (EOOS), and its integration with the EU DTO, to the Blue Economy. High-level remarks from Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, and EC DG MARE Director Delilah Al Khudhairy, emphasised the strategic importance of EMODnet for ocean observation, marine data and the marine knowledge value chain in Europe and beyond, and recognition of the invaluable expert network that collectively powers EMODnet. A highlights video has just been released, and you can also dive into the full plenary recordings to re-live the interactive and informative Panel discussions and community sessions. A Conference report is also in finalisation, coming in Spring 2026.
So, with the Vision 2035 out and the latest Conference and whirlwind of events in 2025, what does ‘taking action’ for EMODnet look like in 2026? EMODnet will remain the trusted, reliable service that so many thousands (more than 180,000 stakeholders per year) depend on. Yet, behind the scenes, EMODnet will scale up its consolidation and optimisation, to continue delivering the best possible marine knowledge. And, EMODnet is preparing to scale, firstly to connect with (and onboard) all relevant ocean data actors – expanding the foundational network of National partners from National Oceanographic Data Centres (NODCs), Geological Surveys and Hydrographic Offices to include all EU Member States and more. To extend and operationalise its hundreds of data sharing partnerships, with the view to expanding EMODnet’s data and wider service offer across three critical domains—coastal, deep ocean, and polar regions. This also includes a move towards more consolidated and regular user engagement mechanisms to ensure EMODnet harnesses all relevant stakeholder feedback on gaps, needs and requirements to inform its service evolution.
EMODnet in 2026
In 2026, EMODnet faces a pivotal year filled with major opportunities to turn its shared community Vision into reality. EMODnet will continue its work to offer excellence in all areas of its service – from its metadata to its data and data products, and its open-source solutions, methodologies, tools and training. Already in January (17th) we saw the coming into force of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (NBBNJ) global treaty for which EU Member States have obligations, added to a key year for the Nature Restoration Law which requires MSs to submit plans within the next few months. EMODnet is already formulating multiple responses to key EC consultations and calls for evidence in a pivotal year that sees the revision of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the Ocean Act as a legal framework for the Ocean Pact firmly rooted in a modernization of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (MSPD), directly connected with the EC Ocean Observation Initiative and its expected communication, and the Ocean Research and Innovation Strategy, to name just some. These processes offer a valuable moment for EMODnet to present a unified, influential voice, collectively communicating the priorities, messages, and ambitions of the EMODnet community while emphasising our central role as Europe’s public marine data service supporting the successful implementation of the Ocean Pact and all associated ocean‑related policies, including the European Digital Twin Ocean.
EMODnet will also be visible at key upcoming events, such as European Ocean Days in early March and European Maritime Day in May back-to-back with a Cyprus presidency event, among others. These events continue to serve as important milestones for raising visibility, strengthening collaboration, and showcasing EMODnet’s impact across the marine and maritime sectors.
And in 2026-2027, EMODnet will continue consolidating and evolving its service to increase its data sharing and user communities, towards its goal of a fully inclusive network of all relevant ocean data actors – including all EU Member state National Oceanographic Data Centres (NODCs), Geological Surveys and Hydrographic Offices. In addition, EMODnet’s contribution to the global digital ocean (data) ecosystem, data diplomacy and partnerships continues. EMODnet will respond to the EU Arctic Strategy consultation, and in turn will step up its cooperation with polar, deep ocean and coastal ocean observing and data key actors. Central to EMODnet’s international contributions is EMODnet’s role as an implementing partner of the UN Ocean Decade, continuing its strengthening partnership with IODE, GOOS, OBIS and OTGA of IOC / UNESCO and reigonal data services worldwide.
On behalf of the Secretariat and the wider EMODnet partnership, I extend my sincere gratitude to the entire EMOD-network and broader community for your collaboration, and dedication throughout the past year, and in advance for your continued engagement, your expertise and your enthusiasm for shaping the next chapter of EMODnet, a future where the service is not only recognized as invaluable, but funded appropriately, as a central component of the EC Ocean Observation Initiative, and to provide the best marine knowledge support to underpin the Ocean Pact, European Digital Twin Ocean and more.
I wish you all a happy, healthy, and ocean‑filled 2026, and I look forward to working closely with you to progress EMODnet’s priorities and shape the future of European marine data together. In the meantime, I warmly invite you to visit emodnet.ec.europa.eu to explore everything EMODnet can offer you.
Dr. Kate Larkin, Head of the EMODnet Secretariat