Copernicus Marine 2 (2021-2028): achievements and future plans

The EU Copernicus Marine Service, implemented by Mercator Ocean International with a large network of observation and modelling production centers, is a world-leading, reference digital information service on the world ocean and EU regional seas.  The Copernicus Marine Service monitors in real time and over the past decades the world ocean across the entire water column using in situ and satellite observations and monitoring and forecasting systems. It provides free and fully open, regular and systematic reference information on the physical, biogeochemical ocean and sea-ice state for the global ocean and the European regional seas. The Copernicus Marine Service supports applications dealing with maritime safety, sustainable use of marine resources, healthy waters, informing coastal and marine hazard services, ocean climate services, protecting marine biodiversity.   

For the last 10 years, the Copernicus Marine has been implementing unique capabilities to inform and support action for the Ocean.   Through a regular dialogue with the user community and taking into account observation, science and technology advances, the service is continuously evolving to better answer user and societal needs.   The first phase of Copernicus Marine 2 (July 2021 – December 2024) has ensured the continuity of service with respect to Copernicus Marine 1 (April 2014-July 2021) and implemented a series of evolutions for the Thematic Assembly Centers (TACs) and Monitoring and Forecasting Centers (MFCs).  User uptake has steadily increased with almost 80,000 registered users in 2025. International cooperation and impact have been strengthened in the framework of the UN Decade of Ocean Science.   In the second and last phase of Copernicus Marine 2 (January 2025 – June 2028), the objective is to build on these achievements to continue evolving Copernicus Marine product and service offer and maintain a world leading and state-of-the art marine service responsive to user and policy needs. Continuous evolutions of observation (TACs) and modelling (MFC) products will allow the integration of new satellite missions and in-situ observations, the improvement of processing techniques, the improvement of models, coupling and data assimilation, and an increasing use of Artificial Technique (AI) techniques. Synergies with the development of the EU Digital Twin Ocean will be strengthened.   

An overview of recent achievements of Copernicus Marine will be given and the main objectives and scientific challenges of the new phase of Copernicus Marine 2 will be outlined.  Long-term perspectives (post 2028) will also be discussed.