The ocean covers approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface, yet much of it remains unexplored and insufficiently observed. Understanding its complex systems is essential for protecting marine ecosystems, addressing climate change, and ensuring the sustainable development of maritime activities. To strengthen Europe’s contribution to these efforts, the European Commission has introduced OceanEye, an initiative aimed at positioning the EU as a global leader in ocean observation and intelligence by 2035.
OceanEye is part of the European Ocean Pact, the EU’s overarching framework for coordinating ocean-related policies and actions under the principle of “One ocean, one strategy.” Among its six priorities, the Pact highlights the importance of advancing ocean research, knowledge, skills, and innovation. OceanEye contributes to this priority by strengthening Europe’s ocean observation capabilities and supporting the development of technologies that improve access to and use of marine data.
What Is OceanEye?
OceanEye is a European initiative designed to improve how ocean data is collected, shared, and used. It aims to strengthen existing observation capacities, promote international cooperation, and accelerate the development of innovative technologies that improve our understanding of the marine environment.
By 2035, the EU aims to provide more than a third of the world’s ocean data and secure 35% of the global ocean observation technology market. These objectives reflect Europe’s ambition to strengthen its scientific capabilities while supporting innovation and the growth of the marine technology sector.
Ocean observation extends beyond scientific research. Reliable marine data supports maritime safety and security, shipping, fisheries, aquaculture, offshore energy, weather forecasting, climate projections, and the restoration and protection of marine ecosystems.
Why Is Ocean Observation Important?
The ocean is a dynamic environment influenced by interconnected physical, chemical, biological, and human processes. Understanding these interactions requires continuous observations and reliable data from different sources.
Ocean observation provides essential information for:
- Maritime safety and security: Improving awareness of marine conditions and supporting safer maritime operations.
- Weather and climate forecasting: Strengthening the data available for forecasting weather events and understanding long-term climate patterns.
- Ocean protection and restoration: Supporting the assessment of marine ecosystems, biodiversity, pollution, and environmental change.
- Coastal resilience: Helping authorities and communities understand coastal risks and prepare for environmental pressures.
- The sustainable blue economy: Supporting informed decisions across shipping, fisheries, aquaculture, offshore energy, and other marine industries.
The effectiveness of these applications depends on the availability of sustained observations, reliable data infrastructure, and the ability to integrate information from different sources.
How Will OceanEye Work?
OceanEye is built around four complementary areas of action.
- Better European governance
The initiative aims to improve coordination across European ocean observation activities, making it easier to collect, share, and use marine data. Better coordination can reduce fragmentation and improve access to information for researchers, public authorities, and businesses.
- Global cooperation
OceanEye supports the development of an international alliance for the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), coordinated by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. The alliance aims to strengthen international collaboration, mobilise investment, and support the long-term sustainability of global ocean observations.
- Innovation and technology development
The initiative seeks to stimulate the development and uptake of ocean observation technologies, including advanced sensors, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and digital tools. It also aims to support innovation and strengthen Europe’s ocean technology industry.
An important complementary initiative is the European Digital Twin Ocean, which uses ocean observations, historical data, and numerical models to represent marine systems and explore possible future scenarios. Its core public infrastructure, EDITO, integrates data and services from established European platforms, including the Copernicus Marine Service and EMODnet, enabling users to explore marine information, run simulations, and develop digital applications. Together, these initiatives contribute to a stronger European ocean knowledge ecosystem, supporting research, innovation, and informed decision-making.
- Education, skills, and public engagement
Ocean observation also depends on people who can understand, communicate, and use marine information. OceanEye therefore includes efforts to connect citizens with the ocean through education, skills development, cultural initiatives, and public engagement.
Together, these areas aim to establish a more coordinated and sustainable approach to ocean observation in Europe and internationally.
Funding and Opportunities for Ocean Innovation
Achieving OceanEye’s objectives requires sustained investment in ocean observation infrastructure, data systems, research, and technological development.
The European Union supports these efforts through existing funding programmes and initiatives aimed at strengthening global ocean observation, improving data sharing and accessibility, and advancing innovative ocean technologies. These funding opportunities can support research organisations, technology developers, startups, and other stakeholders working to improve our understanding of the ocean.
International cooperation between public authorities, research institutions, and the private sector will be essential to translating scientific advances into practical applications, strengthening ocean observation capabilities, and supporting innovation across the blue economy.
Challenges and Future Directions
Despite advances in marine science and digital technologies, ocean observation continues to face several challenges.
Data standardisation and interoperability remain important, as observations from different systems and organisations must be compatible and accessible to support integrated analysis. Long-term funding is also essential to maintain observation infrastructure and ensure continuity in marine data collection.
Other challenges include improving access to reliable observations in under-monitored areas, strengthening international cooperation, and ensuring that complex datasets can be translated into information that supports practical decisions.
Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, autonomous observation systems, advanced modelling, and digital twins, offer opportunities to address these challenges. However, their effectiveness will depend on the quality of the underlying data, robust infrastructure, and cooperation among the organisations involved.
OceanEye provides a strategic framework for advancing these efforts, linking scientific knowledge, technological innovation, and international collaboration.
References
- European Commission. OceanEye: An EU ocean observation initiative.
https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/science-observation-and-data/oceaneye_en - European Commission. Reinforcing global ocean observation.
https://commission.europa.eu/topics/fisheries-and-ocean/reinforcing-global-ocean-observation_en - European Commission. The European Ocean Pact.
https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/ocean-pact_en - European Commission. European Digital Twin Ocean.
https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/restore-our-ocean-and-waters/european-digital-twin-ocean_en - European Digital Twin Ocean. EDITO – European Digital Twin Ocean public infrastructure.
https://www.edito.eu/