The first Biodiversity Monitoring Week (BioMonWeek 2026), taking place in Montpellier, France, from 4 to 8 May, is a milestone for biodiversity monitoring in Europe. Co-organized by Biodiversa+, GBIF, MARCO-BOLO, BioAgora, and the Alliance for Nature, the event brings together over 400 participants across disciplines and realms. It’s designed as a recurring biennial conference with a specific focus on European monitoring needs and priorities, as well as a platform to promote collaboration, share best practices, and celebrate achievements.

OBIS is contributing to BioMonWeek through Horizon Europe’s MARCO-BOLO project, where the infrastructure is involved in Work Package 1 (Data and metadata standards for EOV data streams), Work Package 2 (Monitoring through eDNA), and co-leads Work Package 6 on stakeholder engagement. Supported by Lisa Benedetti (OBIS Stakeholder Engagement Officer), WP6 has contributed to shaping the marine biodiversity component of BioMonWeek, involving several members of the OBIS Community: Emilie Boulanger (OBIS eDNA Science Officer), Steve Formel (OBIS Data Officer), Dan Lear (OBIS Node Manager and OBIS SG Co-Chair), Pieter Provoost (OBIS Data Manager), and Elizabeth Lawrence (OBIS Training Officer, not present in person).

The OBIS contributions to BioMonWeek will focus on three main themes spread across workshops, sessions, presentations, and discussions:

- publishing marine data across networks;
- environmental DNA, from method to monitoring;
- building the marine biodiversity data infrastructure: tools, metadata, and derived products.

You will find below the MARCO BOLO / OBIS-contributed sessions at BioMonWeek, first organized thematically, then, at the end of the article, chronologically. You can follow the hashtag #BioMonWeek2026 on your favorite social media channels for live updates.

1- Publishing marine data across networks

DT08: Parallel Publishing to GBIF and OBIS: Streamlining Marine Biodiversity Data Sharing
A talk by Steve Formel, contributed by Elizabeth Lawrence.
Tuesday 5 May, 11:30-12:30
This talk features the best practices for publishing marine datasets simultaneously to OBIS and GBIF, with practical guidance on the IPT, WoRMS alignment, and harmonizing workflows across networks.

DT07: Standardizing and sharing survey and monitoring data through GBIF and OBIS
A session co-convened by Kate Ingenloff and Dan Lear.
Tuesday 5 May, 16:30-17:30, Room Joffre G.

MR12: Mobilizing marine biodiversity monitoring data
A session convened by Dan Lear.
Thursday 7 May, 11:30-12:30, Room Barthez.

2- Environmental DNA, from method to monitoring

MM01: Getting kick-started with eDNA-based methods
A workshop featuring Émilie Boulanger as the co-leader of a discussion table.
Tuesday 5 May, 16:30-18:00.

eDNAqua-Plan recommendations towards a future of federated, curated reference libraries and aligned eDNA (meta)data publishing infrastructure and practices
A poster by Émilie Boulanger, contributed by Katrina Exter, Joana Pauperio, Saara Suominen, Pieter Provoost, Frédéric Rimet, Antonio Picazo, Antonio Camacho, Camila Babo, Joana Verissimo, Veera Norros, Pascal Hablützel, Christina Pavloudi, Kristian Meissner, and Peter Woollard.
Tuesday 5 May, 15:30-16:30, poster session.
This poster presents the eDNAqua-Plan project’s recommendations and emerging blueprint for the curated reference systems and interoperable infrastructure needed to integrate eDNA into routine aquatic monitoring.

eDNA05: Conservation-related eDNA applications
A session convened by Émilie Boulanger.
Thursday 7 May, 09:00-10:00.

DT03: Environmental DNA survey data publication, management, and interoperability
A session co-convened by Birgit Gemeinholzer, Steve Formel, Pieter Provoost, and Rasa Bukontaite.
Thursday 7 May, 11:30-12:30, Room Sully 1.

3- Building the infrastructure: tools, metadata, and derived products

Understanding EBVs and EOVs
An interactive session co-convened by Lina Mtwana Nordlund, Guillaume Body, and Lisa Benedetti.
Tuesday 5 May, 16:30-18:00
This interactive session introduces Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) and Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) as key frameworks for monitoring ocean and biodiversity change. We will briefly present what EOVs and EBVs are, how they are used, and why they matter for observation, assessment, and decision-making. The session will then explore where these frameworks potentially overlap, how they complement and reinforce each other, and how closer alignment can strengthen biodiversity monitoring across marine systems. The session concludes with facilitated discussions to exchange perspectives, experiences, and ideas for improved integration.

DT05: Tools for data use, curation, and management

A session co-convened by Andrew Rodrigues, Dan Lear, and Wouter Addink
This session includes a presentation by Dan Lear on Tools and resources for the marine biodiversity community, powered by EMODnet Biology, contributed by Joana Beja, Leen Vandepitte, Tobias Büring, Benjamin Weigel, Marina Lipizer, Bart Vanhoorne, and the EMODnet Biology consortium, showcasing fifteen years of EMODnet Biology services, including the BioCheck quality control tool, two R packages for data access, and freely available training materials. Wednesday 6 May, 09:00-11:00, Room Sully 2.

DT02: Data Workflows and Pipelines for WorkFlowHub
A session co-convened by Sandra MacFadyen and Steve Formel, including the presentation A Dream of a Lean Marine Metadata Machine by Steve Formel, contributed by Dan Lear, Pier Luigi Buttigieg, Katrina Exter, Chloe Figueroa, Paolo Tagliolato, and Pieter Provoost.
Wednesday 6 May, 11:30-12:30, Room Sully 2.
This talk presents MARCO-BOLO WP 1’s experimental metadata catalogue, built on LinkML and free infrastructure, exploring how rich and reusable biodiversity metadata can become.

PP05: The landscape of EU monitoring projects
A cluster event including the flash talk Barriers to FAIR and the MARCO-BOLO Approach by Dan Lear.
Wednesday 6 May, 11:30-12:30, Room Sully 2.

DT11: How to handle derived data products and outputs for EBVs and EOVs
A session co-convened by Wiebke Pressé, Dan Lear, Guillaume Body, and Steve Formel. Wednesday 6 May, 16:30-17:30, Room Sully 2.

The OBIS contributions at BioMOnWeek at a glance

Tuesday 5 May
11:30-12:30 | DT08 | Parallel Publishing to GBIF and OBIS: Streamlining Marine Biodiversity Data Sharing
15:30-16:30 | Poster session | eDNAqua-Plan recommendations towards a future of federated, curated reference libraries and aligned eDNA (meta)data publishing infrastructure and practices
16:30-17:30 | DT07, Room Joffre G | Standardizing and sharing survey and monitoring data through GBIF and OBIS
16:30-18:00 | MM01 Workshop | Getting kick-started with eDNA-based methods
16:30-18:00 | MM02 Workshop | Understanding EBVs and EOVs

Wednesday 6 May
09:00-11:00 | DT05, Room Sully 2 | Tools for data use, curation, and management
11:30-12:30 | DT02, Room Sully 2 | Data Workflows and Pipelines for WorkFlowHub
11:30-12:30 | PP05 Cluster Event, Room Sully 2 | The landscape of EU monitoring projects
16:30-17:30 | DT11, Room Sully 2 | How to handle derived data products and outputs for EBVs and EOVs

Thursday 7 May
09:00-10:00 | eDNA05 | Conservation-related eDNA applications
11:30-12:30 | DT03, Room Sully 1 | Environmental DNA survey data publication, management and interoperability
11:30-12:30 | MR12, Room Barthez | Mobilizing marine biodiversity monitoring data

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath, IndOBIS Node Manager (left, grey shirt), and Johnny Konjarla, IndOBIS Data Manager (second from left, orange shirt), lead a field demonstration of the OceanEyes citizen science app during student outreach activities in coastal India, in March 2026. Photo: CMLRE

IndOBIS, the OBIS Node for the Indian Ocean, coordinates marine biodiversity data from across the entire basin, the third-largest ocean after the Pacific and the Atlantic, holding almost 20% of water on Earth’s surface. The Indian Ocean is home to ecologically significant coral reef systems and some of the most biologically rich and diverse waters in the world. We spoke with Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath, IndOBIS Node Manager, and Johnny Konjarla, IndOBIS Data Manager, to learn more about how the Node’s structure and operations, its role in the national marine data landscape, its engagement with researchers and citizens, and its place within the wider OBIS Community.


OBIS: Dear Hashim and Johnny, it’s a pleasure to have this talk with you! Could you introduce us to IndOBIS?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: We are delighted to be here! IndOBIS is the OBIS Node for the Indian Ocean, hosted at the Center for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, which is our funder. The Node office and our data infrastructure are located in Kochi, Kerala, on the southwestern coast of India. We are currently two staff members: Johnny, who is the IndOBIS data manager and has been at that post since 2017, and I, the Node manager, directly attached to the Ministry of Earth Sciences. IndOBIS’s role is mainly to aggregate data from a wide range of providers, with a strong focus on ministry-funded projects. We standardize these datasets and publish them into OBIS, to make that data globally accessible.

Johnny Konjarla: Maybe I can add a bit of historical context to complete that picture! Back in the early 2000’s, IndOBIS started as part of the Census of Marine Life. After the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO integrated OBIS, our Node moved to CMLRE, directly translating a shift in India’s strategic priorities in marine management and conservation. Then, in 2022, building on this foundation, IndOBIS, like most OBIS nodes, officially became an Associate Data Unit (ADU) under the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) program of IOC. We collaborate closely with India’s IODE National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), hosted at the Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), which serves as India’s official repository for national oceanographic data. Both CMLRE and INCOIS operate under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Aerial view of the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), Kochi, India, host institution of IndOBIS and a national centre for marine biodiversity research.
Photo: CMLRE

What drove the creation of IndOBIS?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: India is a very large ocean-facing country, with a coastline of over 11,000 km and a 2.3 million square kilometers of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Each year, India runs hundreds of marine-related scientific projects across different ministries. Before the creation of IndOBIS, and especially in the pre-digital era, this resulted in major data silos, with marine information being scattered across many institutions and locked there. One major driver to create IndOBIS was to completely reorganize the national marine data landscape and streamline the many data flows into a clear pathway, under the common objective to make that data accessible to all.

Johnny Konjarla: A coordinated and well-structured marine biodiversity data landscape is fundamental for India. It reinforces our country’s capacity to contribute and play a significant role in global frameworks like the Convention on Biological Diversity and the BBNJ Agreement. It supports national data needs for ocean conservation and management, as well as the sustainable use of marine resources to sustain the development of our blue economy.


How does IndOBIS sit within the Indian marine research ecosystem today?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: IndOBIS operates in a complex ecosystem, with numerous and very diverse sources producing data on marine life. Beyond the state-funded projects we already talked about, universities and research institutions also produce marine biodiversity data. We also try to aggregate local and traditional knowledge about marine species occurrences. Our efforts focus on getting all that data published globally into OBIS.


What are the biggest challenges regarding the marine biodiversity data landscape in India today?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: There are many ongoing challenges. The country’s size, its long coastline, and the huge number of institutions involved in collecting marine biodiversity data make coordination a perpetual challenge. India aims to become a regional driver for marine biodiversity issues. To take up this role, we need to maintain our position at the forefront of marine data-related issues, from integrating emerging data types and including local and traditional knowledge into global data platforms to promoting the ownership of data providers, especially in the case of local and traditional knowledge. We are deploying efforts to aggregate this crucial source of biodiversity information that enriches scientific observations. A good example is the mudbank phenomenon that can be observed in Kerala, where specific coastal areas attract large fish aggregations at very particular times of year. This is localized ecological knowledge with a clear scientific basis, but it currently sits outside data collection pipelines. Capturing this kind of knowledge, in all its diversity, and making it interoperable with global standards, is one of our key challenges.

Johnny Konjarla: We need both technical solutions and a cultural shift towards open and standardized data practices. We need to strengthen our efforts in reducing data fragmentation at local and national levels, and increasing the adoption of recognized data standards by data providers. Additionally, some providers still show reluctance to share their data, and, in some cases, will only do so based on personal relationships rather than national efforts. We need to maintain our efforts in explaining the benefits of data sharing, especially addressing the specific ownership and recognition issues.

FORV Sagar Sampada, a multidisciplinary fisheries and oceanographic research vessel managed by CMLRE, supports marine biodiversity surveys and oceanographic research across the Indian Ocean.
Photo: CMLRE

How do you incentivize local data holders, whether they are researchers or communities, to publish their data through IndOBIS?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: Initially, we worked primarily with projects that were funded by the Ministry of Earth Science. We required systematic data sharing and publication to OBIS through IndOBIS. That initial engagement served as our starting point for broader collaboration with the research community. We used it as a positive example to get more contributors on board. We organized dozens of workshops across India focusing on the benefits of data sharing. One of the key points was to explain that publishing to OBIS maintains data ownership while increasing recognition for data providers and their hosting institutions.

There is also a more formal channel that brings data to IndOBIS. When researchers publish a new species or a new record, they are required to deposit a type specimen, such as a paratype or a holotype, at a nationally or internationally recognized referral center, like CMLRE. Many researchers now voluntarily deposit their physical samples at our referral center and share their associated data through IndOBIS. It is almost a natural pairing: the specimens stay with us, and the associated data becomes globally accessible through OBIS.

Johnny Konjarla: Because of the size of our country and the diversity of the potential data providers, we had to deploy several approaches. We organized capacity-building workshops online and in person, but we also participated in conferences and outreach events across the country. These efforts were crucial to create trust bonds with entire communities and increase the visibility of IndOBIS. All of that engagement increased contributions: IndOBIS published 1,14,000 records, with 10,000 added in the last three years.

We mainly position ourselves as facilitators, supporting researchers to mobilize and publish their data on OBIS. We have developed dedicated, streamlined technical processes to help them format and curate their data to make it fit for publication. We also realized that rather than imposing strict requirements, focusing on showing the value of data sharing yielded better results: We encourage researchers to publish their scientific results first and then share their datasets with us afterward. And we are now concentrating our efforts on data from emerging observation techniques, such as environmental DNA, which brings its own challenges.

The snowflake moray eel, Echidna nebulosa, documented during underwater biodiversity surveys in Lakshadweep Islands during 2018.
Photo: CMLRE

Do you still have local communities in India you have not yet connected with?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: Thanks to our efforts, we covered a lot of the public scientific communities. We are now focusing on Non-Governmental Organizations working in the marine field in India, and on data generated through citizen science initiatives. This is part of our Node’s priorities. We recently organized a student workshop with theoretical sessions and field work focusing on OceanEyes, an Indian app gathering marine life observations from citizens.


Could you tell us more about Ocean Eyes and how IndOBIS is involved?

Johnny Konjarla: Absolutely! Ocean Eyes is a citizen science mobile application we developed to document marine biodiversity across India. The idea originated with our former node manager, Saravanane Narayanane. Our team was closely involved in conceptualizing and designing the application. The principle is very straightforward: Users record observations through photos or videos, and add metadata such as location or habitat. A team of taxonomic experts curates all the collected data before publishing it to OBIS.

We just published a paper about the app and what it means for marine life observations in India. Our idea is to enable anyone in India to contribute marine life observations through a simple and accessible platform. Given the scale and diversity of the country, we aim to make the application more inclusive and user-friendly. This includes plans to integrate AI-assisted species identification and support for additional languages to broaden participation. Citizen science is extremely important for the vast country that is India. Traditional marine surveys alone cannot cover all our scientific needs. Educating and engaging citizens about the need for ocean biodiversity observations will eventually enable more data publication. These efforts also give people a sense of ownership and involvement, while raising awareness about marine conservation.

Screenshots of the landing page and home page of the OceanEyes app.
Image: OceanEyes

Let’s shift away from the citizens’ perspective to focus on authorities and decision-makers: how was IndOBIS data used to support Indian marine policy or reporting?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: IndOBIS data is directly used to answer parliamentary questions. Members of the Parliament send us explicit questions related to marine life, conservation, or management, and IndOBIS is bound to respond. This places our Node firmly within India’s policy-making process, as a direct source of national decisions.

IndOBIS data also feeds into the Indian Deep Ocean Mission, a major national program with a total value of over US$450 million. One of its core sections is dedicated specifically to marine biodiversity data generation, and IndOBIS contributes directly to it. And of course, we are also actively involved in processes related to the BBNJ.


Is there a dataset or project within IndOBIS that you are particularly proud of?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: I’m proud of a collective effort: the data mobilization that we achieved, with contributions from many different sources across India. It is not only the work of the IndOBIS Node Manager or Data Manager. It’s a national effort, uniting communities, institutions, and regions.

Johnny Konjarla: From my perspective as Data Manager, there are a few datasets standing out. My first dataset, which I standardized from our in-house program, the Resource Exploration and Inventorisation System, and published into OBIS, was an important milestone for me. Then, a DNA-derived dataset of Kogia breviceps. It consists of only a single record, but it has significant value because I felt I could handle diverse and emerging data types, such as molecular and eDNA data, within the IndOBIS framework. Again, a huge milestone. Finally, I would like to highlight the Ocean Eyes project as something I am very proud of.


Do you collaborate with other OBIS nodes, and what does being part of the OBIS community mean to you?

Johnny Konjarla: Through the different OBIS coordination groups, we have had the opportunity to interact with many nodes. We have discussed common challenges and shared best practices. Being part of the OBIS community is invaluable: it allows for this exchange and helps us improve our work.

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: We would very much like to strengthen collaboration, especially within the Indian Ocean region. We are ready to support other Nodes, whether technically or to help address training needs. We are keen to develop more direct, Node-to-Node collaborations. We also consider how IndOBIS could act as a Node for countries of the Indian Ocean Rim Association, drastically increasing local data contributions from the region to the world.


What other plans are on IndOBIS’s horizon?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: We are preparing our next development stage. In India, ministry-led initiatives such as IndOBIS undergo funding and planning cycles that are five years long. For the next cycle, which starts in September 2026, we have set new ambitions for IndOBIS. We aim to better align with national marine priorities by expanding our activities and strengthening data mobilization across the country. To achieve that, we will increase our task force and capacity. Expanding the team is a priority!


Last question: If you had a magic wand and could change one thing about marine biodiversity data in India, what would it be?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: I would make it so that every single piece of biodiversity data generated in India would be known to IndOBIS. That would be fantastic!

Johnny Konjarla: I would systematically include data sharing as part of the requirement for research funding. Every project would include a clear data management plan from the proposal stage, specifying how and when data will be shared. I would also make sure that funding agencies ensure accountability by linking data submission to project outcomes. All of this for the common good, to significantly improve data accessibility, reuse, and overall impact. ◼️

Scientists and ship crew recover CalBOBL (Bongo) net.
Photo: NOAA Fisheries / James Wilkinson

Turning decades of historical marine life records into standardized and FAIR data is a massive, but crucial challenge. Long-term data series on marine biodiversity are unique scientific assets that can help us understand how the ocean is changing. Making the CalCOFI Fish Larvae & Egg Tows dataset available through OBIS was made possible with a joint effort between the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI), the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), and OBIS. The result is a Darwin Core-formatted dataset spanning 1951 to 2023, covering an area located mainly across the California Current, and containing 463,655 occurrence records, 610,816 measurements and facts, and observations of 539 species, accessible here.

The challenge of making long-term marine biodiversity data accessible

Long-term ecological datasets on the scale of the CalCOFI Fish Larvae & Egg Tows are scientifically invaluable because they provide the historical baselines needed to understand how marine ecosystems respond to environmental change. But such datasets remain rare. Although fisheries institutions worldwide hold some of the richest long-term marine life data ever collected, much of this information can be difficult to discover and access due to limited publishing capacity, lack of standardization, institutional dependence, or reluctance to share material that could be commercially sensitive. Before its integration into OBIS, the CalCOFI fish larvae and egg data was openly accessible, but needed to be further standardized to be findable, interoperable, and reusable by all.

“We discussed with the GOOS team on using CalCOFI’s marine biodiversity datasets as a blueprint for integrating long-term observing data within the Essential Ocean Variables framework,” explains Erin Satterthwaite, CalCOFI Coordinator, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego. “We chose that specific larval fish dataset because it is one of the longest-running in the program.” With its decades of richly detailed records, the CalCOFI Fish Larvae & Egg Tows dataset was a natural fit for supporting the Fish Abundance and Distribution of the BioEco Essential Ocean Variables (BioEco EOVs).

A researcher sorting a sample collected from the Continuous Underway Fish Egg Sampler (CUFES). CUFES samples are collected during transits between CalCOFI stations to see which fish species are spawning throughout the CalCOFI survey pattern.
Photo: NOAA Fisheries / Angela Klemmedson

The first phase involved a collaboration with the Ocean Data and Information System (ODIS) to make the CalCOFI datasets findable online. “After that, we wanted to step up and have our data directly integrated into OBIS, to make it fully and globally FAIR,” says Erin Satterthwaite. Standardising, quality-checking, and transforming a long-term historical dataset containing more than 400,000 occurrences into FAIR and trusted data is not a small task, especially when the goal is to create a reproducible publication workflow. “One of the huge challenges to solve remains to standardize formats, naming conventions, and structure across data spanning from the pre-digital to digital era, explains Erin Satterthwaite.

“That standardization process began with sorting the data and organizing it, with much of this groundwork done by Ed Weber, data manager at NOAA,” explains Ben Best, marine data scientist at Ocean Metrics LLC (formerly EcoQuants LLC). “From that point on, we could focus on restructuring the data to streamline the standardization process.” Originally, the dataset had a hierarchical sampling structure nested across several levels: cruise, site (spatial coordinates), tow (time), net, and, finally, individual species observations. To make the data more usable, the team restructured it into two main event levels in Darwin Core: Cruise-level Events, to capture the overall sampling context; and Net Sample Events, representing the individual sampling actions at specific locations and times. The team then used the ExtendedMeasurementOrFact (eMoF) extension of Darwin Core to attach additional measurements and contextual information, and built a standardized vocabulary to describe the observed fish egg and larva stages. At that stage, the dataset was ready to be published into OBIS.

Overview of the data structure reorganization.

Beyond the dataset itself, the publication process of CalCOFI Fish Larvae & Egg Tows offers a reproducible path for turning biodiversity data held institutionally into globally accessible information. “From the start, we wanted this publication process to OBIS to be a template that could be applied to other use cases,” says Erin Satterthwaite. “We wanted to provide a clear pathway for how long-term datasets can contribute to EOVs and the Global Ocean Observing System. It was amazing to see what can happen when you get the right people working together: I am really grateful for the GOOS, OBIS, ODIS teams, and all the ones who helped us navigate that process.” The teams involved were tightly focused on a common objective: ensuring that these long-term observations could eventually be published for global use. “We really wanted to support the CalCOFI team to unleash the full potential of their data,” says Elizabeth Lawrence, OBIS Training Officer. “We brought into this project our know-how and experience in structuring Core tables and organizing nested Events.” The workflow, fully available through CalCOFI.io, is designed to be transparent, transposable, and reproducible, offering a ready-to-use path for other institutions looking to publish long-term biodiversity observations through OBIS.

More data to come

CalCOFI holds numerous long-term datasets on marine life from microbes to megafauna, such as seabirds, marine mammals, plankton, and eDNA data, which document biodiversity patterns and change in the California Current marine ecosystem. Many of these datasets could progressively be integrated into OBIS through a similar pipeline. There is also potential to link CalCOFI’s physical and biogeochemical data streams with its biological observations, creating an integrated long-term dataset that connects multiple components of the California Current ecosystem. “Getting CalCOFI datasets standardized and more broadly shared is a bellwether for how science is changing, explains Steve Formel, OBIS Data Officer. “AI tools and global models are only as good as the data they rely on. This is exactly what platforms like OBIS and standards like Darwin Core were built for.”

“No single institution can build the integrated global picture we need,” explains Ana Lara-Lopez, Lead Science Officer for the GOOS Biology and Ecosystems Expert Panel. “But combining observations, long-term records, and a shared commitment to open, standardized FAIR data allows us to move closer to a system that is greater than the sum of its parts. This is exactly the vision the EOV framework was built for.” The successful integration of the CalCOFI Fish Larvae & Egg Tows dataset into OBIS illustrates the value of the global marine biodiversity data chain in two important ways. First, it highlights the role of global data platforms in integrating and making large local datasets accessible to all. Second, it shows how sustained collaboration can transform locally-stored observations into standardized global information that supports research, modeling, global biodiversity frameworks, national assessment and reports, marine management, and ocean conservation. This achievement by CalCOFI, GOOS, and OBIS demonstrates how collaboration enables complex, but essential, marine life data to become available to all. ◼️

A micro-CT scan of Hexaplex trunculus, the banded dye-murex, one of two species at the centre of MedOBIS's innovative morphological dataset.

Emerging data types often pose challenges for repositories in terms of management, standardization, and integration. MedOBIS, the OBIS Node for the Mediterranean, proposed a solution for this challenge and published its first-ever Darwin Core-formatted dataset that included micro-Computed Tomography Morphological image-derived information, along with biodiversity and environmental data on two species, Chondrilla nucula and Hexaplex trunculus.

The MACCIMO project—Multi-level Approaches to Assess Climate Change Impact on Marine Organisms—investigates how climate change affects sessile marine invertebrates through a multipronged strategy that integrates multiple scientific approaches. This project was funded by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI) under the “2nd Call for HFRI Research Projects to support Faculty Members & Researchers” (Project Number: 3280). Sessile marine invertebrates are particularly sensitive to climate-related stressors due to their limited mobility and their inability to escape adverse environmental conditions. As part of experimentally simulated climate change scenarios, one of the project’s aims was to investigate potential morphological changes in two species: the chicken-liver sponge (Chondrilla nucula, a sessile sponge permanently attached to the substrate) and the banded dye-murex (Hexaplex trunculus, a medium-sized, low mobility sea snail historically famous for its use in creating purple and blue dyes). By examining how the morphology of these species responds to simulated climate stressors, the project aims to identify traits that can serve as indicators of environmental change.

To conduct these investigations, the project’s team performed three-dimensional analyses using micro-Computed Tomographic (micro-CT) scans. Microtomography is a non-destructive imaging technique based on X-Rays, allowing the creation of high-resolution three-dimensional data. Once generated, these 3D datasets had to be prepared and organised for publication. Making such observations available as open, interoperable data upgrades their actionability: standardised 3D morphological records can be compared, combined with data from other institutions, and reused globally. “From the start, we aimed to make the image data of the project available and accessible to all,” says Dimitra Mavraki, MedOBIS Node Manager. The process was a first for the team and required creative thinking.

The MedOBIS team first focused on understanding micro-computed tomography and the data associated with that imaging technology. The team approached Darwin Core compliance using a hierarchical schema, starting with the sampling data and curation process data. “We used an Event core, where the parent event represents the sampling event, and a child event represents the documentation of specimens in the internal micro-CT library. Each specimen was then represented through an Occurrence extension linked to these events,” says Dimitra Mavraki. She goes on to explain that the team’s goal was to publish the quantitative outputs derived from micro-CT analyses alongside the biological occurrences, so they had to capture the micro-CT–derived parameters using the extended MeasurementOrFact (eMoF) extension. Using the eMoF extension allowed them to express each derived measurement in a standard, machine-readable manner while remaining within Darwin Core standards.

Additionally, the team mobilized persistent internal micro-CT library identifiers to maintain traceability and consistency across systems, where the parentEventID reflects the event type “Sample Documentation”, while the eventID reflects the scan event type “MicroCT_Scan.” Each ID is included in both the eventID and occurrenceID names. Finally, the MedOBIS team applied the OBIS Quality Assessment and Quality Control steps before publishing.

Overview of the event hierarchy through the publishing process.

Working hands-on with micro-CT data helped MedOBIS to highlight several challenges in data curation and management. Unlike with biodiversity data, micro-CT datasets still lack widely adopted metadata standards. In addition, their large file sizes make data organization and long-term storage more demanding. For this reason, the actual micro-CT image files are not uploaded directly to OBIS. Instead, within the OBIS dataset, these 3D resources are referenced by maintaining the relevant micro-CT identifiers (SampleID/ScanID) in the eventID field to ensure consistency at this stage. The long-term objective of MedOBIS is to link these 3D resources directly through their URLs.

3D volume rendering of Marphysa victori

Yet, this milestone felt like a natural step forward. “Micro-CT technology has been used at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, the Institution hosting MedOBIS, for many years,” says Dimitra Mavraki. “We knew that the technology had the potential to enrich the datasets we publish, and create new opportunities for research, comparison, education, and future technological applications”. She explains that until now, such scans were hosted in a dedicated online platform featuring a collection of annotated 3D specimens that users can explore interactively. Bringing these resources to MedOBIS opens new possibilities for connecting morphological research with global biodiversity data networks and sharing it with the world.

The team sees this first publication as a proof-of-concept for micro-CT specimen imaging within OBIS, successfully demonstrating that imaging-derived outputs can be standardized and made FAIR. Their new objective? Automate and scale the process to publish into OBIS all the specimens entering the micro-CT library of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. When asked if she has advice for OBIS Nodes who want to explore new data formats, Dimitra has no hesitation: “Explore new data types, even if stepping into unfamiliar territory can be challenging. It is incredibly rewarding. Working with new kinds of data pushes us to think differently, collaborate more closely, and develop solutions that benefit the wider scientific community. In the end, these efforts not only advance our infrastructures but also make our work more meaningful and impactful,” she concludes. ◼️

The global need for standardised seagrass monitoring and reporting

Seagrass data is collected and reported using different methods and formats, varying from project to project and region to region. This lack of global coordination results in a patchwork of hard-to-compare observations, preventing most of the datasets from being submitted to global biodiversity information platforms such as OBIS. It also deprives scientists and decision-makers of the capacity to generate insights for research and evidence-based action. “Most of the studies done on seagrasses were on small scales, for very specific local purposes,” explains Emmett Duffy, Chief Scientist emeritus at the Smithsonian MarineGEO program and the lead author of the paper. “Until about 20 years ago, seagrasses didn’t have the high profile of coral reefs or mangroves.”

The 2015 Paris Agreement amplified the policy relevance of seagrass data. “Parties could now integrate seagrass habitats in their Nationally Determined Contributions, which created an incentive to map them,” Duffy continues. “Later, when the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted, seagrass meadows fell within the scope of one of the headline indicators for Target 2 ‘Extent of natural ecosystems’, again highlighting their recognized role in global biodiversity monitoring.” For coastal nations, monitoring seagrass extent is becoming a key component of national biodiversity reporting under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.



Close up of a Posidonia oceanica rhizome. Photo: Dimitris Poursanidis

Seagrasses as an Essential Ocean Variable

The establishment of “Seagrass cover and composition” as a BioEco EOV, along with the resulting requirement to integrate these variables into OBIS, encouraged a need for a globally accepted observation method of seagrasses. BioEco EOVs are a core set of measurements needed to observe the state of the ocean and monitor its changes through key variables, from microbes to mangroves. BioEco EOVs are defined and coordinated by GOOS and operationalized by OBIS, as their designated data repository. GOOS provides a common framework of EOVs that allows scientists worldwide to compare results and measure changes in the Ocean state. OBIS provides the data backbone that sustains and makes them standardized and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), allowing for cross-scale connection from local datasets to global indicators. To achieve full operationalization of the EOVs, collaboration with communities is essential, as Ana Lara Lopez, Lead Science Officer at the GOOS BioEco Panel, explains: “We continuously work with observing communities to ensure that the proposed approaches for marine biodiversity monitoring meet local and global needs. The seagrass community has fully embraced this approach.”

A standardisation process that takes into account local contexts

In their paper, Duffy et al., in consulation with the broader community, propose three core subvariables for the seagrass EOV: percentage cover (the seafloor proportion covered by seagrass at the quadrat scale), species composition (which species are present; what is their relative abundance), and areal extent (the total area of seagrass meadows at a given location at the landscape scale). The authors also propose a pragmatic, tiered approach for seagrass observations: high quality, medium quality, and minimum acceptable data. “Most biodiversity in the world occurs in developing countries, and, often, the places that need data the most have little scientific or institutional capacity,” Duffy observes. “One of our guiding principles was to make the observation process as simple as possible, down to ‘is there seagrass in that location or not?’ If we manage to collect large amounts of this basic yet robust data, it’s a win for seagrasses and science.” Such an approach would also leverage local knowledge: Duffy points to citizen science apps like the Seagrass Spotter, developed by Project Seagrass in the UK, as an example of how even minimum-level observations, such as species presence recorded by someone snorkeling, can contribute to the global picture.

The proposed guidelines for monitoring and reporting seagrasses have three major benefits:
They allow for remaining flexible and taking into account local ecological contexts and the biological variations of the 72 currently recognized seagrass species; they link fine-scale in-field measurements with remote-sensing observations; they can be made fully compatible with Darwin Core standards. This last point is crucial to ensure total interoperability of the data at local and global scales, from fine-scale measurements in the field to satellite-based observations. One question remains open: what to do with seagrass observation legacy data? “In principle, as long as you know what species was found in this place on this date, it can be published to OBIS,” Duffy says. Although he is realistic about the effort involved: “This is going to need case-specific approaches, and will require funding, and certainly a lot of time and dedication from the community.”

Seafloor view of a seaieass meadow in Greece. Photo: Dimitris Poursanidis

Data integration through Darwin Core

Translation of seagrass observations into an OBIS-ready format is achieved through three interlinked tables formatted in Darwin Core, as explained in the paper: an Event table, an Occurrence table and a table for Extended Measurements or Facts.

The Event table provides the sampling context: each row is a sampling event and includes the decimal latitude/longitude, date, and a unique eventID field. The Event table also carries metadata such as the sampling protocol used, the depth of the observation, the type of habitat, the dataset name, and the type of data-sharing license.
→ You can read more about the OBIS generic dataset structure in this part of the OBIS Manual.
→ You can read more about the Event table in this part of the OBIS Manual.

The Occurrence table informs on the species observed during an event, and each row represents a species occurrence with its scientific name validated against the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), using a Life Science Identifier (LSID). The table records whether the species was present or absent, how the observation was made, and who recorded it.
→ You can read more about the Occurrence table in this part of the OBIS Manual.

Finally, the Extended Measurement or Fact (EMoF) table harbours the quantitative seagrass EOV data. This table integrates biological variables (percentage cover, shoot density, shoot length, and canopy height) with physical and biochemical variables (water temperature, salinity, for example). Each measurement in the EMoF table links to both an eventID and an occurrenceID to provide the most comprehensive context possible for each observation. All the measurement types and units match the controlled vocabularies established by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). eventID and occurrenceID fields act as the shared links that interconnect the three tables.
→ You can read more about the EMoF table in this part of the OBIS Manual
→ Read more about identifiers in this part of the OBIS Manual

The tables are submitted for publication to OBIS as a package via an Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT), ensuring in the process that all metadata is included, describing the datasets as a whole, using the Ecological Metadata Language (EML) standard.
→ You can read more about IPTs in this part of the OBIS Manual.

Data ownership and quality control

To ensure data ownership, traceability, and contributors’ recognition, OBIS can assign a DOI to the dataset. Because the datasets are published via IPT, they undergo OBIS’s systematic quality assessment and quality control process, ensuring that potential mistakes, abnormalities, or inconsistencies in the data are flagged before publication and corrected. “A key goal of the EOVs is to make ocean data public and shareable with as little friction as possible,” says Duffy. “Collaborating with the OBIS Secretariat ensured that seagrass data would flow smoothly and accurately into OBIS, making it available to everyone.”

The impact of publishing standardized seagrass data could be massive. From an OBIS perspective, this would bring on the platform a stream of FAIR, traceable, quality-controlled seagrass data from field observations that could be mobilized for ground-truthing remote sensing products and improving models. This new data would also contribute to strengthening evidence-based national assessments and would better support evidence-based decision-making, especially at the regional level. For communities of seagrass researchers and local monitoring initiatives, publishing standardized data to OBIS allows for increased visibility and recognition, as well as a guarantee of data ownership even through downstream transformations. For Duffy, there is no doubt that these guidelines can boost available global information on seagrass and increase collaboration between communities involved: “Let’s work together to make our seagrass data accessible and useful to all,” he concludes.

Do you want to learn more about publishing data to OBIS? Our publishing tutorial series on YouTube walks you through the process step by step!

For the International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026, we sat down to discuss with Emilie Boulanger, an early-career scientist who joined the OBIS team in March 2024 as a scientific officer. Emilie is supporting the eDNA Expeditions 2026-2028, a community-driven project that aims to establish a global biomolecular observatory of 25 marine sites. Her work is at the intersection of data analysis, field implementation, and community engagement. In this conversation, Emilie shares insights on her path into marine science, her role within eDNA Expeditions, and how curiosity can be a personal driver for achievement.


OBIS: Emilie, we are delighted to have you here. Can you tell us more about your role in OBIS and eDNA Expeditions?

Emilie Boulanger: Great to be here! I work for the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), a programme component under the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) programme of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, as a scientific officer specialised in DNA-based methods for biodiversity monitoring. Within the OBIS team, I work on improving the way we openly share DNA-based biodiversity data. Within eDNA Expeditions, I’ll work directly with the participating sites to co-develop the sampling strategies to answer their monitoring questions, as well as analyse and interpret the resulting biodiversity data together.


How did your journey into marine science begin? Was it something that started in childhood, or a decision you made later during your studies?

I would say a bit of both. As a kid, I was always fascinated by the underwater world. I did not grow up by the sea, but during holidays, especially in the Mediterranean, I would spend hours snorkelling and exploring beneath the surface. I got hooked, and that curiosity never left me. Now that I live close to the sea, I dive and freedive regularly, and I still love observing what happens underwater. That childhood fascination eventually grew into an actual scientific career.


Did you have a defining moment when you realised this would become your professional path?

It was not really a single epiphany, but rather a gradual process. As a child, I was obsessed with dolphins and even dreamed of working with them. Later, as a teenager, I considered studying marine biology, although at the time it felt quite distant, because it meant learning all aspects of biology, and that felt slightly overwhelming. But when the time came to choose my study path, around 18 years old, I took a leap of faith and decided to follow my instinct: I enrolled in a bachelor’s degree in biology. Learning about plants and other organisms opened my eyes to how fascinating the natural world is, and fed my curiosity for the field. Then, when I was 21, a friend told me about a Master’s degree in marine biodiversity and conservation, and I decided to go for it. And I didn’t regret this choice! Little by little, through internships, field and work experiences, my curiosity about the ocean kept growing. I’m still learning every day!


Your current role combines cutting-edge science and community engagement through eDNA Expeditions. What attracts you most to this project?

eDNA Expeditions 2026-2028 is a very unique project: it combines strong scientific work and direct engagement with people, from site management teams to local communities. We will need to work closely with all the project’s participants, make sure everyone is engaged, and receive the support they need. This is an aspect of my work that I really enjoy. Research can sometimes be quite solitary, with long hours reading articles, analysing data, and designing experiments. I am a social person, so I really value projects where science connects directly with communities and people. I am excited to dive back into field protocols and data analysis through eDNA Expeditions, while continuing to exchange directly with people about science and biodiversity monitoring. I previously held a teaching position and really enjoyed it, so I feel that I can bring a lot of community-facing skills to the eDNA Expeditions project and share knowledge while learning from the participants’ enthusiasm. Besides that teaching experience, my scientific background on community ecology of macro-organisms, such as fish, is a great match for the project. It perfectly complements the scientific background of Saara Suominen, the eDNA Expeditions 2026-2028 operational officer, who is a specialist in microbiome ecology.


The call for sites to participate in eDNA Expeditions received a large number of applications from marine sites worldwide. Were you surprised?

The project is a fantastic opportunity for marine sites, so I am really happy it piqued this much interest. The number of applications is impressive, and it is very empowering that so many people want to engage their time in it. What we offer through eDNA Expeditions is a truly collaborative process: we will co-design the observation approaches with each site, with a strong focus on flowing back the sampled data and the generated insights directly to each site. The project team aims to support each site through coordination and scientific analysis and ensure maximum uptake and mobilization of the collected data. I feel very proud to be part of that process. Being able to empower others through collaboration and knowledge transfer completely matches my values as a scientist.


You worked directly with students and teachers during the launch of the eDNA Expeditions in Nice last June. What stayed with you from that experience?

What stayed with me most was the energy I felt at that launch! We had organized an official event that was part of the UNOC programme, which included a sampling activity conducted by schoolchildren from Nice and their teacher. The students were incredibly enthusiastic and curious. The sampling was a real scientific operation and not just a vague demonstration: All the collected samples were sent for sequencing at our technical partner’s high-end lab, and we received the results back soon after. The kids were well prepared by their teacher, who had already introduced them to biodiversity and genetics concepts. The operation felt meaningful because it connected classroom learning with real-world application of DNA-derived data. These students were part of a marine-oriented curriculum, so the sampling day complemented their existing activities. Sharing that enthusiasm was incredibly motivating and deeply fulfilling.

eDNA is a cutting-edge observation technology, but you can make it more accessible using analogies. I like comparing it to crime forensics: instead of searching for human DNA at a crime scene, we look for traces of animal DNA left behind in water. And just like a crime scene may look empty, advanced techniques allow us to detect traces that are invisible to the naked eye.


As an early-career female scientist, can directly engaging with young learners as you did in Nice inspire them?

I believe it does. Growing up, I saw many incredible women teaching and working in science. Throughout my scientific career, I never questioned my place. Showing more women in scientific roles helps normalise it. It should not feel exceptional; it should simply feel natural that everyone belongs in science. In Nice, I did see some students, especially girls, take their roles very seriously during sampling. They were focused, curious, and engaged. Hopefully, it sparked something and planted a seed for the future. The ocean inspired me as a child, and that inspiration shaped my path. Seeing young people participate in community science makes me hopeful that it will foster curiosity and appreciation for nature. It may even encourage some of them to pursue careers in marine conservation.


What message would you share with a girl who is curious about science but unsure if she belongs?

Be curious, always. Keep feeding your curiosity. You belong in science, and your passion and enthusiasm will help you find, and maintain, your own path.

Martha Patricia Vides Casado

Martha Patricia Vides Casado is a marine biologist with nearly 30 years’ experience, working at INVEMAR in Santa Martha, Colombia. Martha has served as OBIS Co-Chair and is the current OBIS Colombia Node Manager. She has been instrumental in strengthening regional and global OBIS coordination and championing inclusivity and capacity building across Latin America and beyond. She also largely co-organized the OBIS-SG-13 meetings, demonstrating her incredible commitment to the work that OBIS achieves.

Yi-Ming Gan

This award recognizes Yi-Ming Gan, a data manager and data engineer who has been tirelessly active in OBIS as a core team member of Antarctic OBIS. Ming has co-authored and led OBIS data-quality and data-model efforts and is a key figure in our collaboration with GBIF and TDWG. Ming’s technical leadership in standards, data quality, and FAIR data practices - and willingness to share expertise with the community - have been vital to OBIS’s ability to deliver trusted biodiversity data. Her consistent good advice and expertise in the field are invaluable

Ana Carolina Peralta Brichtova

We proudly recognise Ana Carolina Peralta Brichtova, Caribbean OBIS Node Manager, researcher, and educator with strong links to a wide range of regional institutions. Through her leadership in building OBIS-LAC connections and advancing regional biodiversity data mobilisation, she has strengthened collaboration and capacity across the Caribbean and Latin America.

Leen Vandepitte

We are very pleased to acknowledge Leen Vandepitte’s long-term commitment to aligning OBIS taxonomy with global standards. As the coordinator of the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), Leen has greatly improved the accuracy, consistency, and usability of species identifiers within OBIS data. The WoRMS taxonomy underpins OBIS data publishing and has been a key to our success in providing a reliable and standardised global dataset. Her dedication to quality and collaboration ensures that OBIS remains a trusted source of marine biodiversity information worldwide.

Ei Fujioka

We are honoured to acknowledge Ei Fujioka, coordinator of OBIS‑SEAMAP. Quiet in temperament but powerful in impact, Ei Fujioka has published an extraordinary ~1,234 datasets to OBIS, vastly enriching global marine biodiversity data coverage. He is an Associate in Research at the Marine Geospatial Ecology Laboratory (MGEL), Duke University, where he leads technical development of OBIS-SEAMAP’s data architecture, mapping tools, and visualisation workflows. Ei was the developer of the OBIS website and mapper, which ran from 2010 to 2017, and therefore was instrumental in OBIS. His leadership has supported data integration of marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles, rays, and sharks into a globally accessible platform.

Ruben Perez Perez

We have a special acknowledgement that goes to Ruben Perez, who has played a key role in OBIS data coordination and quality initiatives and has contributed professionally as a data manager in European marine data networks. Ruben’s steady leadership as co-chair of the Data Coordination Group and his practical work on data standards and node support have helped OBIS stay reliable and accessible. He no longer works with an OBIS Node, but his dedication to our work has continued, and this is exceptional.

OBIS Node Acknowledgement: OBIS Black Sea Node

Last, but not least, we want to recognise the ongoing commitment of the OBIS Black Sea node. Despite incredibly difficult and adverse circumstances in the region, the Black Sea Node has continued to mobilize and share marine biodiversity data, maintain node services, and support the Black Sea ocean biodiversity community — an inspiring example of resilience and commitment to OBIS’s mission.

The full report of the 13th session of the OBIS Steering Group is accessible here.

Augmenting OBIS preparedness

At the SG-13 meeting, the OBIS Steering Group members collectively reaffirmed OBIS’s mission to support science and evidence-based policymaking. Available, accessible, and reliable marine life information is essential to improve our knowledge of the global ocean. It contributes to addressing efforts to address pressures from the ongoing triple crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.

The OBIS Steering Group members proposed four new Strategic Objectives to reinforce OBIS position as the world’s leading marine biodiversity data infrastructure and as a global community of experts. These objectives highlight the characteristics that make OBIS a critical component of the global biodiversity data value chain, from data generation and interoperability to policy uptake and community empowerment.

→ Objective 1. Build a sustainable global marine biodiversity data infrastructure

• Establish a highly accessible, scientifically trusted, fully integrated, and interoperable global data infrastructure that aligns with the data architecture of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO.
• Ensure adherence to international data standards and frameworks, respecting FAIR and CARE principles.
• Support sustained data flows and delivery of the Biology and Ecosystems Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)
• Secure long-term archiving of marine biodiversity data and information, enabling seamless worldwide exchange and accessibility.

Key takeaways for Objective 1:

• OBIS strengthens its alignment with the IOC value chain and its position within the IOC digital ecosystem. In particular, deeper collaboration with GOOS will support the operationalisation of biological Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs), ensuring that biodiversity observations are ready for use.
• The explicit inclusion of the FAIR and CARE principles reinforces responsible and equitable data governance. It enables stronger connections between marine biodiversity data and local and Indigenous knowledge and allows for more contextual interpretation of marine data. This directly enhances OBIS’s long-standing commitments to benefit-sharing, data ownership, and visibility for local contributors.
• Long-term sustainability and continuity of OBIS operations are highlighted as essential priorities, including alignment with the IOC data policy, strengthened global-scale archiving practices, and the sustained delivery of interoperable, high-quality biodiversity data.
  
  

  → Objective 2. Support evidence-based ocean biodiversity policy

  Supports commitments to international biodiversity agreements by co-designing and aligning data, information products, and services with major policy frameworks (e.g., the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and the BBNJ Agreement) and national, regional, and global assessments (e.g., UN World Ocean Assessment, IPBES, IOC StOR).

Key takeaways for Objective 2:

• OBIS enhances its alignment with major biodiversity policy frameworks at global, regional, and national scales, ensuring that its data flows can effectively respond to evolving policy requirements.

• OBIS reaffirms its position as a science-based enabler for global ocean governance, supporting evidence-based policymaking, marine management, and the sustainable use of ocean resources through accessible, trusted biodiversity information.

• OBIS’s recognized role in the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is further consolidated, including its function as a global reference system for marine biodiversity data and its contribution as a complementary indicator for Targets 20 and 21.
  
  

  → Objective 3. Deliver operational biodiversity data services

  Deliver operational biodiversity data, information products and services, including decision support tools, for monitoring, managing, and protecting marine ecosystems, multi-hazard early warning and mitigation systems, and Sustainable Ocean Planning and Management (SOPM).

Key takeaways for Objective 3:

• OBIS consolidates its focus on providing fit-for-purpose, actionable marine biodiversity intelligence, delivering user-facing products, indicators, and tools that answer a broad range of needs in ocean monitoring and conservation, marine management, and the sustainable use of resources. OBIS builds on its experience in completed projects, including species distribution maps, eDNA-based observation dashboards, and early-warning tools to detect emerging biorisks.

• OBIS continues to prioritize enhancing existing data services and developing new operational tools, ensuring flexibility and readiness to respond to evolving end-user needs.
  
  

  → Objective 4. Empower communities through capacity development

  Ensure equitable capacity to collect, manage, publish, access, and use marine biodiversity data for all, through capacity development, innovation, targeted community initiatives, and strengthened collaboration.

Key takeaways for Objective 4:

• The new OBIS strategy places people and communities at the centre of its strategic priorities, recognizing that equitable capacity to contribute, access, and use marine biodiversity data is fundamental to meaningful participation in global biodiversity processes.

• OBIS, as a leading data infrastructure and community, reinforces its role in advancing skills development, collaboration, and community engagement, enabling partners and data holders to build the capacity needed to participate in the global marine biodiversity data system.

• OBIS increases its support to contributors in developing countries and SIDS, empowering them to publish and use marine biodiversity data, secure fair access, and benefit equitably from the global ocean knowledge system.
  
  To further highlight OBIS readiness and direction, members of the Steering Group also proposed an updated version of the infrastructure’s Vision—“A global data ecosystem for marine biodiversity that is comprehensive, integrated, inclusive and accessible, enabling sustained ecosystem services for a healthy ocean” and Mission —”Lead the coordination of effective marine biodiversity data mobilisation and deliver integrated, standardized high-quality data, information products and services to answer the needs of the global community”. The new Vision and Mission reaffirm OBIS’s position as a community-driven, leading global biodiversity data infrastructure with a strong focus on delivering meaningful, real-world impact that powers action for a healthy ocean.
  
  Through this strategic reorientation, the Steering Group members confirmed OBIS’s status as a trusted digital infrastructure and a community, with robust operationality, scientific credibility, and human capacity as its core components. These new strategic elements also underline OBIS’s preparedness to support emerging demand for high-quality marine biodiversity information.

You can access the OBIS Workplan for 2026-2027 here.

A substantive part of the workplan focuses on reinforcing OBIS’s technical foundation.

This includes refining the operating modes of the three Coordination Groups to improve efficiency and ensure that all voices across the OBIS Community have the opportunity to contribute equally (Deliverables 4.1 and 4.2). Dedicated collaborative activities, such as workshops and targeted discussions, will accelerate progress on identified critical technical priorities and needs, including the adoption of key data standards (Deliverable 5.1), advancing Darwin Core-Data Package practices jointly with GBIF (Deliverable 5.3), implementing eDNA guidelines with associated training plans (Deliverable 5.5), and enhancing WoRMS taxon annotation workflows (Deliverable 5.2). Additional actions focus on improving validation tools, vocabularies, and archiving practices (DCG task list under Outcome 4), and formalising collaboration with the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) on monitoring delivery of the biological and Ecosystem Essential Ocean Variables (Deliverable 5.4).

The workplan develops the infrastructure’s ability to deliver high-quality, actionable marine biodiversity information.

A key element is the operational deployment of the OBIS Product Catalogue, including new metadata fields that indicate the policy frameworks supported by each product (Deliverables 7.1–7.4). The workplan also introduces a national-level policy pilot to demonstrate how OBIS data products, such as species richness layers and species distribution models, can inform biodiversity strategies at multiple scales (Deliverable 8.1).

The rollout of the Product Catalogue, including the development of policy-relevant metadata extensions, will improve the OBIS Community’s ability to deliver structured, ready-to-use tools, indicators, maps, and dashboards answering marine conservation, monitoring, and management needs. The introduction of JupyterHub-supported workflows will further enable reproducible, community-generated products, enhancing OBIS’s capacity to provide operational biodiversity data services (PCG activities under Outcome 7).

Capacity development and community empowerment remain central pillars.

At the Node level, efforts will focus on facilitating Node-to-Node communication through an updated Coordination Group meeting structure designed to provide all Nodes with more space to present, discuss, and collaborate (Deliverable 1.2). A renewed OBIS Pulse Newsletter (Deliverable 1.3) will further support horizontal communication. The Secretariat will co-design a communication toolkit with the Nodes to help them engage funders and host institutions, as well as increase visibility of OBIS activities and impact (Deliverable 2.1). Additional actions include an onboarding roadmap for new Nodes (Deliverable 3.1), an operational peer-based support framework for all Nodes (Deliverable 3.2), and a mechanism to capture recurring capacity-related questions in an FAQ (Deliverable 3.3). To ensure greater visibility and accessibility of community expertise, the workplan also introduces the creation of a Node Knowledge Repository documenting skills, tools, and processes across the OBIS Community (Deliverable 3.4).

The OBIS workplan for 2026-2027 is ambitious. It consolidates OBIS’s position as the leading global marine biodiversity data infrastructure, while expanding the range and quality of services delivered to society. The workplan translates OBIS’s new strategic vision into a coherent and implementable set of actions that connects infrastructure development, decision support, policy alignment, operational services delivery, and community empowerment. Together, these components will strengthen OBIS’s readiness to meet the growing global demand for accessible, reliable, and policy-ready marine biodiversity information.

During Phase I of the project (2022–2024), over 250 young citizen scientists from 19 countries collected eDNA samples that revealed more than 4,000 marine species, from microscopic bacteria to whales. The experience demonstrated how powerful, efficient, and non-invasive eDNA can be for understanding marine life. Results from the first phase can be explored here.

Building on this success, Phase II will run from 2026 to 2028. This second phase shifts from a single global campaign to a longer-term monitoring effort. The project includes capacity development in biomolecular sampling, the possibility to involve local communities in the sampling events, and a rapid information loop that brings results directly back to each site to support any monitoring, management, and conservation needs.

How the project works

Selected sites will receive full technical support to run repeated eDNA surveys over the three years of the project. OBIS will provide the sampling kits and online training to guide participants step-by-step. Sampling follows a protocol that allows anyone, from experts to non-scientists, to collect scientifically valid material. All samples will be processed at a specialized biomolecular laboratory, which will generate site-specific curated species lists and biodiversity assessments. Analyses use a “tree-of-life” workflow capable of detecting biodiversity across domains, from microbes to megafauna.

From these outputs, the OBIS team will build an interactive dashboard, similar to the ones developed during Phase I, to help sites explore their results. Beyond the dashboard, OBIS will work jointly with participating sites to identify monitoring priorities and co-develop indicators that respond to local management and policy needs. All resulting data will be openly shared through OBIS in accordance with FAIR principles, contributing to advancing science and supporting policy at multiple scales.

What we ask from participating sites

To get the most out of the project, the selected sites will need to be able to commit to the whole duration of the project (2026-2028), conduct one eDNA sampling campaign every three months after following an online training, handle basic local logistics (boat access, permissions, sample collection), and engage with citizen scientists and local communities whenever possible. These activities can be easily integrated into existing local monitoring programmes and workflows.

The project team will handle everything else, including supplying eDNA sampling kits, processing samples, sequencing, building dashboards, and supporting data interpretation.

Interested in joining? Here is how to apply!

Marine sites that wish to participate in Phase II are invited to complete the expression-of-interest survey 👉 https://ee-eu.kobotoolbox.org/x/Z3km6BXB

We encourage sites to submit the survey by 15 February 2026.
For any questions, please contact the project team edna@ioc-unesco.org

More information -> https://ednaexpeditions.org/

eDNA expeditions is a project endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030.