Marine biodiversity: Protect Europe’s oceans with open data and
innovation
Europe’s seas are home to a wide variety of species and ecosystems,
essential to both environmental health and economic prosperity.
Protecting this marine biodiversity is a core ambition of the EU
Biodiversity Strategy for 2030
[https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/biodiversity-strategy-2030_en]
and the European Ocean Pact
[https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/european-ocean-pact_en],
which recognise the critical role healthy oceans play in climate
resilience, food security, and sustainable development. Open data is
key to understanding and managing these ecosystems effectively -
connecting science, policy, and innovation.

At the EU Open Data Days 2025
[https://data.europa.eu/en/euopendatadays#open-data-days-nav-home-11246],
a dedicated session highlighted how pan-European marine data services
support this mission. Kate Larkin, Head of Secretariat at
the European Marine Observation and Data Network
[https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en], showcased how high-value marine
datasets—made accessible through platforms aligned with FAIR
[https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/] (findable, accessible,
interoperable, and reusable) principles—are powering smarter
decisions in areas like maritime spatial planning, offshore wind
development, and the European Digital Twin Ocean
[https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/restore-our-ocean-and-waters/european-digital-twin-ocean-european-dto_en].
These examples demonstrate how open marine data is already enabling
cross-sector collaboration to address environmental challenges at sea.

The importance of Europe’s seas and their sustainable management was
also in the spotlight at European Maritime Day 2025
[https://maritime-forum.ec.europa.eu/theme/governance/european-maritime-day_en],
held from 21 to 23 May in Cork, Ireland, where stakeholders from
across the maritime community came together to exchange ideas and
explore the future of maritime affairs in Europe. Last Friday, we also
hosted a data.europa academy webinar about the potential of open
marine data
[https://data.europa.eu/en/news-events/events/webinar-charting-currents-potential-open-marine-data].

By making marine biodiversity data more accessible, the EU is creating
new opportunities for research, innovation, and evidence-based
policymaking. Whether used to monitor pollution, map seabed habitats,
or plan sustainable marine infrastructure, open data is essential to
building resilient, future-proof ocean ecosystems. New stories about
biodiversity and data are on the horizon—stay curious for what’s
next.

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[https://data.europa.eu/dashboard/en/community/collaboration-channel].

Publication Date/Time
2025-06-16T08:00:00+00:00
Explore how EU open data supports marine ecosystems and innovation
across the blue economy