Enhancing ocean observing infrastructures: Integrated approach to open data, innovation, and science-policy engagement for sustainable ocean futures

As pressures on marine ecosystems intensify, operational oceanography delivers essential data to support informed decision-making in areas ranging from maritime safety to sustainable economic activities and climate resilience. To address these demands, EuroGOOS, European Global Ocean Observing System, is advancing an integrated approach to enhance Europe’s ocean observation infrastructure, focusing on open data accessibility, innovative monitoring technologies, and strategic capacity-building for greater societal impact. At the One Ocean Science Congress, EuroGOOS will share its latest findings and priorities on these topics, highlighting essential advancements in the field.

Central to EuroGOOS’s approach is the implementation of the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) data principles. Through its Data Management, Exchange, and Quality (DataMEQ) Working Group, EuroGOOS is implementing a new Data Policy aligned with the IOC Data Policy to enable timely, transparent, and open data access. The new EuroGOOS Data Policy has already gained the commitment of 32 European oceanographic, hydrographic, and meteorological agencies. It supports seamless access to core oceanographic datasets, such as physical and biogeochemical Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs), crucial for initiatives like the Copernicus Marine Service and the European Marine Observation and Data Network, EMODnet. EuroGOOS’s commitment to FAIR data principles ensures that research, policy, and economic stakeholders can maximize the benefits of high-quality ocean data, enhancing collaborative potential across the blue economy and scientific domains.

To sustain and expand observational capacity, EuroGOOS is promoting technological innovation and investments in cost-effective sensors, autonomous platforms, and advanced data transmission systems. Low-cost solutions address spatial and temporal limitations of existing ocean observation systems, enabling large-scale monitoring across coastal and open ocean environments. Integrating these technologies in the existing ocean observing systems supports long-term data acquisition goals and aligns with priorities set by the UN Ocean Decade and the G7 Future of the Seas and Oceans Initiative. Citizen science initiatives complement these efforts, engaging the public in data collection and broadening the data infrastructure’s reach while promoting ocean literacy and stewardship.

Underpinning this work is EuroGOOS’s commitment to fostering science-policy-society engagement. Through its UN Ocean Decade Scientists for Ocean Literacy project, EuroGOOS is strengthening public and policy awareness of the ocean’s essential role in sustainability, supporting informed and inclusive decision-making. This initiative helps bridge gaps between ocean science and society, emphasizing that a resilient observation infrastructure must also include channels for meaningful communication with policymakers, end-users, and the public.

These EuroGOOS’s priorities reflect a cohesive strategy for advancing ocean observation infrastructure to meet the needs of research, society, and policy. By facilitating open data sharing, adopting cost-effective technologies, and building robust engagement pathways, EuroGOOS is enhancing Europe’s capacity to generate, sustain, and apply ocean knowledge, paving the way for an impactful, sustainable, and inclusive ocean observing system that supports a healthy and equitable ocean future.

Keywords: operational oceanography, FAIR data, ocean observation infrastructure, science-policy engagement, UN Ocean Decade, ocean literacy