EMODNet (European Marine Observation and Data Network) is a contribution to the EU Integrated Maritime Policy. The European Commission, represented by the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), has concluded several service contracts for creating pilot components of the EMODNet. The overall objective is to create pilots to migrate fragmented and inaccessible marine data into interoperable, continuous and publicly available data streams for complete maritime basins.
The results will help to define processes, best technology and approximate costs of a final operational European Marine Observation and Data Network. It will also provide the first components for a final system which will in themselves be useful to the marine science community.
The EMODNet Seabed Mapping lot has a focus on bathymetric data and an overall objective to populate further a thematic portal that provides a digital bathymetry on a grid of at least a quarter a minute of longitude and latitude for selected European maritime basins based upon data sets gathered from public and private organisations.
In a previous call in June 2008 already a first batch of preparatory actions were issued, including the Hydrography Lot. The implementation of the Hydrography action has started in May 2009 and as part of this action a portal has been set up and is being further maintained to grant access to low- resolution bathymetric maps and other hydrographic data products for the following maritime basins:
- the Greater North Sea, including the Kattegat and stretches of water such as Fair Isle, Cromarty, Forth, Forties,Dover, Wight, and Portland.
- the English Channel and Celtic Seas
- Western Mediterranean, the Ionian Sea and the Central Mediterranean Sea.
Task 1 of the Seabed Mapping Lot had a focus to build upon the on-going Hydrography Lot and to extend the coverage of low-resolution bathymetry data with bathymetric data products for the following maritime basins:
- the Iberian coast and the Bay of Biscay
- the Adriatic Sea
- the Aegean-Levantine Sea
Task 2 of the Seabed Mapping Lot was to lay the foundations for a future higher resolution mapping of seabeds in the maritime basins of Europe.
Task 3 of the Seabed Mapping Lot was to maintain and keep operational the multibeam portal from M24 to M36.
The EMODNet Seabed Mapping lot started June 2010 under Service Contract No MARE/2009/07 between the European Commission and Mariene Informatie Service (MARIS) as coordinator of the EMODNet Hydrography - Seabed Mapping consortium.
This executive summary describes the development of the project and its results after 3 years.