20 October 2025
The NODC has returned from Brisbane, Australia, where a representative demonstrated the NODC’s support for responsible international action against marine pollution and climate change at "SciDataCon 2025". This international conference provides a forum for scrutiny and discussion of frontier issues in research data. SciDataCon 2025 is an integral part of "International Data Week 2025" (IDW) 2025, held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from 13 to 16 October. SciDataCon is organised by the International Science Council (ISC)'s two data bodies: CODATA (the ISC's Committee on Data) and the World Data System (WDS).
NODC’s presentation formed part of the session entitled " “The Transformative Role of Data in SDGs and Disaster Resilience”", which aimed to highlight the multifaceted value of data in generating tangible, evidence-based impacts. Speakers demonstrated how data serves as a critical catalyst for addressing global priorities such as mitigating climate-related risks and public health emergencies.
Chiara Altobelli of NODC introduced the mission and main services of the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet), the EU-funded long-term initiative for accessing FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) in-situ marine data. She went on to illustrate dozens of success stories from EMODnet Chemistry, which is responsible for managing data on chemical pollutants. These stories involve various types of data providers and users.
She emphasised that the data centres and the research or monitoring centres across Europe that make up the EMODnet Chemistry partnership are the main data providers, followed by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the OSPAR and HELCOM regional Sea Conventions and citizens involved in so-called citizen science initiatives. Regarding data users, she noted that the European Environment Agency, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, and most regional sea conventions in Europe have used EMODnet's chemical data to implement the European Union's marine framework policies. In addition, researchers and the Copernicus Marine Service use this data to develop tools, data products, and models for assessing environmental status and trends. Finally, she stated that EMODnet, together with the Copernicus Marine Service, forms the data backbone for the European digital twin of the ocean.
Altobelli also described the role of EMODnet Chemistry in the marine knowledge value chain, explaining that although EMODnet focuses on European data sources, it is increasingly contributing to global data systems, for example by sharing data on marine litter and ocean acidification.
“As recent European and global environmental reporting shows, we can no longer ignore the transformative role of data for the UN Sustainable Development Goals and disaster resilience.” Altobelli said, adding “Now is the time for all countries to act quickly and collectively to strengthen the weakest link in the marine knowledge value chain – from the local to the global level – so that evidence-based adaptation and mitigation measures can be defined and implemented at national level to tackle the looming environmental crisis.”
Find out more about EMODnet as a link in the marine knowledge value chain and about the call to action in the "presentation given by NODC" at IDW.
Julie Vercelloni, a researcher at the Australian Institute of Marine Science, was among the speakers at this session. She stated that the digital revolution can be transformative for coral reef conservation, fostering a stronger connection between science and policy. However, coral reef monitoring programmes remain sparse and fragmented.
“After the session, all the speakers agreed that writing a follow-up paper examining the lack of a sense of urgency and presenting real-world solutions through our various case studies, analysed from the perspective of hazards, would be excellent,” Vercelloni said, concluding, “EMODnet is definitely an example to follow.”
