EMODnet Biology continues to improve access to marine biodiversity data by introducing a change that allows users to include taxa absences in their data downloads.
Joana Beja, senior scientific data officer at the Flanders Marine Institute Data Centre (VLIZ) and coordinator of EMODnet Biology, has joined the Biodiversity Meets Data (BMD) project’s External Expert Advisory Board (EEAB). Her involvement brings extensive expertise in marine biodiversity data and the European landscape to the BMD project and further strengthens its collaborative efforts.
From 13 to 18 April, the EMODnet Geology-Caribbean Workshop took place in the cities of Santa Marta and Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, organised by the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME, CSIC), the Association of Ibero-American Geological and Mining Services (ASGMI) and the Geological Service of Colombia. Representatives of eight geological services attended the workshop, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Dominican Republic, and ASGMI.
For the first time since its launch, EMODnet is expanding its portfolio with a dedicated data theme on coastal tourism, marking an important step towards integrating socio-economic data into its marine knowledge offer.
Coastal tourism is a key pillar of the European Blue Economy, generating growth and employment, while also exerting increasing pressure on coastal ecosystems and infrastructure. Access to harmonised, high-resolution data is therefore essential to support evidence-based…
EMODnet Seabed Habitats (ESH) is organising a three-day workshop in Anguilla (22–24 April 2026). It will facilitate engagement with regional stakeholders and actors in seabed mapping in the Caribbean region, building on existing partnerships. The workshop will provide an overview of ESH work, explore regional habitat mapping efforts, and create space for exchange to ensure EMODnet activities effectively address regional needs.
At the 2026 European Ocean Days, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced the launch of a European ocean monitoring and observation initiative called OceanEye, which will lay the foundation for smarter and more effective ocean observation1. EMODnet is the EU marine data service hub for OceanEye, already supporting thousands of in situ data collection efforts to transform primary data into actionable FAIR data and data products as part of its core service.
EMODnet Associated Partners including Fugro, Xeos by Satlink, Saildrone and Develogic played a visible role at Oceanology International (OI) 2026, held on 10-12 March in London. The event brought together leading ocean observation, technology companies with (digital) data services and organisations for three days of exhibitions, demonstrations and expert discussions. Head of Secretariat Kate Larkin spoke in two sessions on “Ocean intelligence: The role of geodata and AI” convened by Fugro and “…
Behind EMODnet’s harmonised marine data offer lies a continuous effort to ensure that data, products and tools work together as one coherent system. This is the role of the EMODnet Technical Working Group (TWG): a forum where technical experts from across the EMODnet partnership come together to coordinate development, address shared challenges and guide the evolution of the infrastructure while ensuring optimal user-friendliness.
Featured in the latest EMODnet Chemistry report, the scientific article, “An overview of the ocean data ecosystem”, highlights the contribution of EMODnet’s Chemistry thematic to the ocean data ecosystem, as a key component of the wider EMODnet service. The concept of a data ecosystem offers a useful framework for strengthening the weakest link in the data value chain: data management based on FAIR and TRUST principles. Read this article to learn more about the actors, organisations, and…
On 18 March 2026, nearly 60 stakeholders from public authorities, research institutes, industry and non‑profit organisations gathered for the EMODnet webinar “Roadmap for the Harmonisation of Data Management in Offshore Licensing Procedures”. The session highlighted the growing need for consistent, interoperable data practices across Europe’s expanding offshore sectors and presented a practical roadmap to support this transition.
