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Marine Board–EuroGOOS Vision Document on the European Marine Observations and Data Network (EMODNET)

A panel of European experts on marine observation and data collection and management was convened by the Marine Board to prepare a visionary paper addressing what an integrated interoperable marine monitoring and observation system might look like in the next 5-10 years.

“There is an unprecedented policy emphasis placed on marine observations and data issues within Europe today” says Lars Horn, Chair of the Marine Board “It is the scientific community’s responsibility to meet the related challenges.” The pro-active role of the Marine Board – whose first Forum in 2008 addressed “Marine Data Challenges: from Observation to Information”  - is particularly timely.   

At the first meeting of the European marine observations and data experts in February 2008, under the co-chairmanship of Antoine Dosdat (Marine Board Vice-Chair) and Peter Ryder (EuroGOOS Chair), the Marine Board  and EuroGOOS  decided to adopt a partnership approach with decision makers. This was formally welcomed by the Commissioner Joe Borg as an initiative which “can certainly help the Commission in undertaking (the) major (EMODNET) project”

The resulting publication Vision Document profiles EMODNET as “an end-to-end, integrated and inter-operable network of systems of European marine observations and data communications, management and delivery systems, supported by a comprehensive user oriented toolkit to enable implementation of the Integrated Maritime Policy for Europe”.

The relevance of measurement and sampling at sea, and the need to disseminate the results as widely as possible in a user-friendly manner, cannot be overemphasised. More services and products useful to industry, the general public and policy makers, could, and should, be extracted from databases. There are many applications of data-management that relate to climate and weather, safety at sea and along the coast, fisheries, offshore activities, management of the seas, etc.

Current responsibility for collecting data in Europe's seas and oceans is shared between a fragmented patchwork of regional, national, public and private organisations. Assembling this data into a coherent framework is a fundamental first step in planning new economic activities on the sea or monitoring ecosystem health. As a result many valuable data are now inaccessible because of how, why and by whom they were collected and how and where they are now held. These datasets need to be unlocked and made easily accessible so that they can be used in new ways.

The European Commission will produce a Roadmap in 2008 outlining the steps to be taken towards an EMODNET and subsequently an Action Plan in 2009. In that context, the Marine Board maintains regular interactions with the European Commission and its Marine Observation and Data Expert Group (launched in June 2008). The Marine Board also supports – when relevant - pilot projects and preparatory actions set up by the scientific community to further the aims of the EMODNET.

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Media contact:

Ms. Maud EvrardE-Mail