EMODnet Geology - Supporting sustainable use of the European maritime areas and their resources

The European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) is a long-term initiative funded by the European Commission to assemble and make accessible high-quality marine data from diverse sources across Europe. Since its beginning (2009), EMODnet has aimed to support sustainable marine and coastal management by providing open-access FAIR data and data products that are needed by scientific research, policymaking, and industry applications. Today, this network of more than 120 organizations covers several broad disciplinary themes: bathymetry, biology, chemistry, geology, human activities, physics, and seabed habitats. Each of these themes contributes to a comprehensive understanding of Europe’s marine environment and provides a wide range EMODnet datasets available through the EMODnet Central Portal (https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en).

EMODnet Geology, one of the thematics, focuses on the collection and harmonisation of marine geological data. This thematic provides extensive datasets on seabed substrate, sedimentation rates and seabed erosion index database, sea floor geology including lithology and stratigraphy, Quaternary geology and geomorphology, coastal behaviour, geological events such as submarine landslides and earthquakes, marine mineral resources, as well as submerged landscapes of the European continental shelf at various time frames. It is providing the full areal coverage of European seas as well as expanding to new areas, as also the Caspian and the Caribbean Seas are included in the geographical scope of the current project phase. EMODnet Geology focuses on delivering harmonised interpreted data layers (i.e., maps) rather than the underlying data. However, the metadata provides information on the data holder in case user needs to access the raw data. By integrating data layers from national geological surveys, research institutions, and marine organizations, EMODnet Geology ensures the availability of accurate and standardized geological information to support maritime spatial planning, environmental impact assessments, and resource management.

The current EMODnet Geology project phase (2023-2025) aims to further enhance data coverage and quality. It is coordinated by the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), and it is executed by a consortium of 40 partners and subcontractors. The core of the partnership is formed by members of the EuroGeoSurveys network, supported by other partner organizations with valuable expertise and data.

EMODnet Geology also supports third-party data submission. Third party data can be submitted either straight to EMODnet Geology or through EMODnet Data Ingestion (www.emodnet-ingestion.eu), which is reaching out to potential data providers from private bodies and public. By facilitating data sharing and collaboration, EMODnet Geology continues to support informed decision-making and sustainable management of marine environments. It is a dynamic initiative where existing datasets are continuously updated with new data.

The EMODnet Geology project is funded by The European Climate, Environment and Infrastructure Executive Agency (CINEA) through contract EASME/EMFF/2020/3.1.11 - Lot 2/SI2.853812_EMODnet – Geology.