The Marine Board provides a pan-European platform for its member organisations to develop common priorities,
to advance marine research and to bridge the gap between science and policy,
in order to meet future marine science challenges and opportunities

The Marine Board was established in 1995 to facilitate enhanced cooperation between European organisations involved in marine science (both research institutes and research funding agencies) towards the development of a common vision on the research priorities and strategies for marine science in Europe. In 2009, the Marine Board represents 30 Member Organisations from 19 countries. 

Adopting a strategic role, the Marine Board serves its Member Organisations by providing a forum within which marine research policy to national agencies and to the European Commission is developed, with the objective of promoting the establishment of the European Marine Research Area.

The Marine Board operates via four principal approaches:

• Forum Bringing together European marine research performing and funding organisations to share information, to identify common issues and approaches, to develop common positions, and to cooperate;
• Synergy Fostering European added value to component national programmes, facilitating access and shared use of national marine research facilities, and promoting synergy with international programmes and organisations;
•  Strategy Identifying and prioritising emergent disciplinary and interdisciplinary marine scientific issues of strategic European importance, initiating analysis and studies (where relevant, in close association with the European Commission) in order to develop a European strategy for marine research;
• Voice Expressing a collective vision of the future for European marine science in relation to developments in Europe and world-wide.