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.

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.

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.

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.

We spoke with Anton Van de Putte (OceanExpert / Orcid), Manager of Antarctic OBIS, and Yi-Ming Gan (OceanExpert / Orcid), Data Manager of Antarctic OBIS, to learn more about the Node’s origins, role in the Arctic scientific landscape, and the challenges of managing polar biodiversity data.

OBIS Node Spotlight is a new series of articles on our website that shines a light on the people working behind the scenes at OBIS Nodes. From building local capacity and supporting data providers to mobilising, standardising, curating, and publishing marine biodiversity data, as well as supporting field campaigns and expeditions, the series lifts the veil on the everyday work of OBIS Nodes.

OBIS: When was the Antarctic OBIS Node created?

Anton Van de Putte: Antarctic OBIS was established around 2006 by Claude De Broyer and Bruno Danis as part of the Census of Antarctic Marine Life. It originated from two foundational initiatives: the Register of Antarctic Marine Species (RAMS), developed within the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), and SCAR-MarBIN, the Special Committee on Antarctic Research Marine Biodiversity Information Network. Since 2012, Antarctic OBIS has also served as a GBIF node, which enabled the SCAR Antarctic Biodiversity Portal to integrate marine and terrestrial data.

What motivated the creation of the Antarctic OBIS Node?

Anton Van de Putte: A number of factors came together. The idea of openly accessible biodiversity data in Antarctica dates back to the Antarctic Treaty of 1959: Article III(1)(c) states that scientific observations and results must be exchanged and made freely available. By the early 2000s, scientific activity in Arctica was increasing rapidly, raising the question of how to preserve and share this growing volume of biodiversity data.

The solution was to create a neutral, regional data initiative where scientists could deposit their marine biodiversity data: Antarctic OBIS. The Node operates under the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, reinforcing our commitment to Open Science principles, and enables us to provide independent, objective scientific information for evidence-based decision-making.

Anton Van de Putte (left), Manager of Antarctic OBIS, and Yi-Ming Gan (right), Data Manager of Antarctic OBIS

When did you join the team?

Anton Van de Putte: I joined Antarctic OBIS in 2011, to support data management and publication, and became the Node Manager when Bruno Danis moved to a university position.

Yi-Ming Gan: I joined in 2017 as a web developer/data manager. Over time, my work has shifted almost entirely to data management. After Anton, I’m now the second-longest-serving member of the team!

Anton Van de Putte: Our team also includes colleagues working on data products, such as Pablo Deschepper (OceanExpert / Orcid) and Charlie Plasman (OceanExpert / Orcid) who are developing tools to support Essential Ocean Variables.

Scientific interest in Antarctica has grown significantly. How do you cope with the increasing demand?

Anton Van de Putte: Antarctic OBIS is one of the oldest Nodes in the OBIS Community and one of the first to operate jointly with GBIF. This experience has given us the flexibility to accommodate many situations. Our goal is simply that marine biodiversity data from the region reaches OBIS and GBIF, regardless of the pathway. As a regional node, we do not require anyone to publish through us. Instead, we offer a range of services depending on national structures and capacities. In countries without a national OBIS Node, such as Italy, we have provided training and direct support. Italian researchers now prepare their data in accordance with the OBIS Manual, and we publish their datasets via our IPT while maintaining their ownership. Their datasets today require minimal correction.In countries with a national OBIS Node, we often assist data curation—this is mostly Ming’s work—and the data are then published through that national Node directly. Australia is a good example. The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) manages Antarctic research, logistics, and data. A biological observation dataset linked to an Antarctic expedition needs to be published through the Australian Antarctic Data Centre. When a dataset is linked to marine biodiversity, it also needs to go to OBIS Australia. Because of our existing relationships with Antarctic researchers, we have helped Australian Antarctic Expedition researchers to standardise data, which is then published formally through the Australian Antarctic Data Centre and pushed to OBIS Australia. We also support SCAR-wide initiatives that integrate data from many sources. One major example is the Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking Data project (RAATD), which compiled 10 years of tracking data from across the Antarctic research community into a single, openly available dataset.

How do you work with the data? Do scientists contact you directly?

Yi-Ming Gan: Most of the data we publish comes from research cruises or long-term monitoring programmes, such as counts of penguins, seals, and other Southern Ocean species. A large part of our work involves speaking directly with scientists, explaining what Antarctic OBIS does, and encouraging them to publish their data. We promote open data and FAIR principles at conferences. After talks related to Antarctic biodiversity, Anton often speaks with presenters about submitting their data. Many of our collaborations begin this way.

Could you share a highlight from your time at Antarctic OBIS?

Yi-Ming Gan: For me, it’s the BROKE-West fish dataset, without hesitation. It comes from Anton’s PhD. We had many discussions about this dataset, and I learned a lot from them.
The dataset was originally a simple occurrence table published in 2008. It then became a test case for several key developments: the Extended Measurement or Fact (eMoF) extension, the Humboldt extension, and eventually the Darwin Core Data Package. Through this process and the related discussions, I learned a lot about how data is collected on cruises, how it is structured in sample management systems, and how to translate it into operable, actionable formats.

Anton Van de Putte: For me, two datasets come to mind. The first one is indeed the BROKE-West dataset, although for a different reason than the one Ming mentioned. Before BROKE-West, there had been the BROKE-East expedition. When I tried to compare results from the two, I could not access the underlying data. I contacted seven members of the original team, but none could provide what I needed for my analysis. That experience showed me how vital Open Science is. My second highlight is Myctobase, a circum-Antarctic database of mesopelagic fish. I worked together with Bree Woods (Orcid). She did the work I had not had time to do during my PhD: bringing together existing datasets, standardising them, and analysing them. In 20222, we completed a project idea that originally began in 2006-2007. Myctobase now provides a very complete overview of mesopelagic fish distributions around the Antarctic.

What challenges do you face in obtaining and managing data?

Anton Van de Putte: Data management often comes at the end of a project, when there is no funding left and when deadlines are tight. Discussion about how to manage data should happen during the preparation phase of an expedition, not when a project is about to be completed. But this is rarely the case.

Yi-Ming Gan: There is a financial paradox: project data is expected to live forever, but funding only lasts for the duration of the project. Sustaining data beyond that requires long-term resources. We often receive data long after a project ends, or we must rush to publish it before a deadline. Better planning and anticipation would solve a lot of these issues.

Anton Van de Putte: We have no authority to require data submission. Our work is based on collaboration. We provide advice whenever possible, but more substantial work depends on available funding.

Do you collaborate with other OBIS nodes?

Yi-Ming Gan: Yes! We worked closely with OBIS-USA to develop a pipeline for long-term penguin and seal monitoring data, enabling automated generation of Darwin Core tables that can be published through the OBIS-USA IPT and directly archived at the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). We are also initiating a collaboration with OBIS Japan. The Japanese Polar Data Center invited us to present our work at their symposium, and we hope to support them in publishing their Antarctic biodiversity data through OBIS and GBIF.

Anton Van de Putte: We have collaborated extensively with the British Antarctic Survey and are having conversations with India through IndOBIS, Chile, and South Africa. Our approach is to understand national structures and existing pathways. We try to identify what support is needed and build a workflow suited for each country’s specific context.

What does being part of OBIS mean for you?

Anton Van de Putte: We have always been an OBIS Node; it is our natural environment. Support from the Secretariat and interaction with other Nodes through the Steering Group and coordination groups meetings have been extremely valuable to us. At the same time, we are also part of the SCAR community, which operates very differently from the UN system. It took us time to understand how OBIS functions within UNESCO and the UN frameworks.

Yi-Ming Gan: Engaging with OBIS helped me grow professionally. Chairing the Data Quality Assessment and Enhancement Project Team, now the OBIS Data Coordination Group, pushed me to deepen my technical knowledge on data and formats, and gave me the confidence to take on leadership roles. Thanks to that experience, I can now give back and help the Community.

Sunset in de Weddell Sea during EWOS expedition Onboard FS Polarstern, 2022. Photo: ©Anton Van de Putte

What is ahead for Antarctic OBIS?

Anton Van de Putte: The coming years will be very active for Antarctic observations. The Antarctica InSync project, beginning in 2027, is closely linked to Essential Ocean Variables, a strategic development for OBIS. The next International Polar Year will take place in 2032. We are also very much focused on developing policy-support products for the region, such as contributions to the RED database, as well as the state-of-the-environment reporting for the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM). Essential variables and dashboards integrating OBIS and other environmental data will be central to this work.

Would you like to add something? A message you want to share?

Yi-Ming Gan: I want to speak about gender equality. In many professional settings related to data, I still see a clear imbalance, with fewer women represented. We need to address that imbalance and empower more women in this field.

Anton Van de Putte: I agree with Ming. Data management remains a male-dominated area, and we need to improve representation. Supporting early-career women and providing leadership opportunities makes a real difference.

◼️



→ Dive deeper under the ice! These selected publications offer deeper insights into the data, methods, and collaborations suporting our understanding of Antarctic marine ecosystems.

Ropert-Coudert, Y., Van de Putte, A.P., Reisinger, R.R. et al. The retrospective analysis of Antarctic tracking data project. Sci Data 7, 94 (2020)

Hindell, M.A., Reisinger, R.R., Ropert-Coudert, Y. et al. Tracking of marine predators to protect Southern Ocean ecosystems. Nature 580, 87–92 (2020)

Woods, B., Trebilco, R., Walters, A. et al. Myctobase, a circumpolar database of mesopelagic fishes for new insights into deep pelagic prey fields. Sci Data 9, 404 (2022)

Takeaway #1: Data depends on people

At a time when AI has become a powerful and ubiquitous buzzword, often stealing the spotlight, Living Data 2025 placed the people behind datasets at the centre stage. Global biodiversity data systems are powered by people working for the common benefit of nature and humanity. With over 6,000 contributors worldwide, OBIS recognizes that people, skills, and community empowerment are key to data accessibility. At the conference, OBIS emphasized that investing in people through training and capacity development is fundamental for accelerating data mobilization and increasing global contributions.

Across the entire data cycle, from fieldwork to remote sensing and modelling, scientists worldwide collect, prepare, verify, and curate biodiversity data. Public participation and citizen engagement can further support these efforts. Humans are the origin, the enabling force, and one of the beneficiaries of the biodiversity data value chain. Scientists and citizens make data actionable for decision-makers whose choices influence the livelihoods and well-being of communities, professionals, and citizens. Ultimately, humans connect technology, data, science, and action, ensuring that knowledge-based impact benefits nature and people.

Related OBIS sessions and presentations:
→ Community Engagement and Capacity Building for Increased Biodiversity Data Accessibility (Part 1 and Part 2) by Maheva Bagard Laursen, Katherine Tattersall (OBIS Co-Chair/OBIS Australia), Elizabeth Lawrence (OBIS Secretariat), and Mélianie Raymond

→ Building Capacity for Marine Biodiversity Data Sharing: Reflections from the Marine Biological Data Mobilization Workshops by Ana Carolina Peralta (OBIS Caribbean Node Manager), Jonathan Pye (OBIS Product Coordination Group Co-Chair), Tim van der Stap, Elizabeth Lawrence, Laura Brenskelle, Tylar Murray, Mathew Biddle (OBIS USA), and Stephen Formel (OBIS Secretariat)

→ The Power and Pitfalls of Civic Science by Dan Lear (OBIS Co-Chair/OBIS-UK), Ruben Perez Perez (OBIS Data Coordination Group Co-Chair), and Ely Wallis

→ Globally Trusted Data for Ocean Conservation, Management and Biodiversity Action by Ward Appeltans (Head of the OBIS Secretariat), Laurent Chmiel (OBIS Secretariat), Dan Lear, and Katherine Tattersall (video unavailable)

→ From Shore to Server: Connecting Marine Civic Science to Global Biodiversity Data through DASSH and OBIS-UK by Chloe Figueroa Ashforth (OBIS-UK), Julie Bunt (OBIS-UK), Dan Lear

Takeaway #2: Working together to accelerate data mobilization

Living Data 2025 demonstrated how coordinated joint efforts between networks, communities, and initiatives across disciplines and regions accelerate data mobilization and improve interoperability. OBIS, together with GBIF, GEO BON, and TDWG, showed that a common vision, shared standards, and a consensus-based approach are essential to improve biodiversity data mobilization and accessibility. From developing data publishing capacity through adapted collaborative strategies to encouraging regional networks, OBIS participates in these worldwide efforts to transform local data holders into global contributors across biodiversity data systems. Living Data 2025 also illustrated how a single global conference, co-organized by four major global biodiversity data organizations, could draw together in one shared space diverse communities that could exchange, interact, and learn from each other.

At the conference, collaboration among major global biodiversity data initiatives stood out as a key enabler for advancing ecosystem knowledge. At Living Data 2025, OBIS and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) renewed their partnership. They reconfirmed their Joint Strategy for Marine Biodiversity Data (2025–2030), aiming to make marine biodiversity data more interoperable, accessible, and actionable for science and decision-making. Capacity development initiatives remain a central pillar of that collaboration.

Cross-disciplinary collaborations also took a large space at Living Data 2025. In one of the flagship sessions, OBIS, together with the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON), and GBIF, highlighted the need for a collaborative, holistic approach to bridging marine knowledge gaps. The session showed how combining biological, biogeochemical, and physical observations can transform our collective capacity to observe and understand the ocean. This integrated perspective is reflected in the OBIS and GOOS collaboration under the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. The joint effort aims to operationalize the Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs), a core and crucial set of measurements needed to observe the state of marine biodiversity and monitor its changes through key indicators, from microbes to mangroves.

Regional cooperation plays an equally crucial role in data mobilization: shared challenges, culture, and approaches encourage cooperation, driven by a common interest in finding solutions. At Living Data 2025, initiatives such as the OBIS Network for Latin America and the Caribbean (OBIS-LAC) and the EurOBIS & EMODnet Biology cooperation showed how they address specific local needs by lowering publication barriers, preventing data silos, and unlocking shelved datasets. Initiatives such as the Marine Biological Data Mobilization Workshops further support regions in building the skills they need. Together, these efforts create coherent value chains, with solutions adapted to specific contexts, and illustrate how capacity development leads to data mobilization, crucially transforming local holders into global contributors.

Related OBIS sessions and presentations:
→ OBIS Capacity Development Initiatives in light of the OBIS-GBIF Strategy by Ana Carolina Peralta and Elizabeth Lawrence

→ A Global Ocean Biodiversity Observing System supporting governance framework implementation by Ward Appeltans (Head of the OBIS Secretariat), Andrew Rodrigues, Emma Heslop, Audrey Darnaude, Frank Muller-Karger

→ EurOBIS & EMODnet Biology as two of the driving forces behind marine biodiversity data capacity building within Europe by Leen Vandepitte (EurOBIS Node Manager), Cyril Radermecker, Lynn Delgat, Joana Beja, Ruben Perez Perez

→ Developing capacity through regional cooperation: how regional hubs enhance local scientific voices by Laurent Chmiel (OBIS Secretariat), Ana Carolina Peralta (OBIS Caribbean Node Manager), and Ruben Perez Perez, with added panelists Martha Vides Casado (OBIS Colombia) and Erika Montoya Cadavid (OBIS Colombia).

Takeaway #3: The need for trusted data to support action

Numerous sessions and presentations at Living Data 2025 highlighted the crucial role of data integration components, from standardization efforts to the application of FAIR and CARE principles, and the need for robust Quality Control processes. Ready-to-use, fit-for-purpose, high-quality biodiversity data contribute to sustaining emerging monitoring systems and approaches, such as remote sensing and model-based predictions, and support for conservation actions. For OBIS, providing trusted data is fundamental to building confidence in its services, driving uptake of its products, and ensuring their adoption by end-users. Users need confidence that the data they access comes with full transparency, provenance tracking, and visible Quality Control mechanisms that guarantee reliability and relevance.

Beyond trust, biodiversity data should provide contextual elements to better inform decision-makers. At Living Data 2025, OBIS showed that its data can give additional context to observations, such as linking marine species and their habitats, providing Extended Measurement or Fact values, or adding complementary data types to datasets. This enriched information helps users understand changing ecological patterns and efficiently supports evidence-based decisions, marine spatial planning, and progress tracking at all scales. At the conference, OBIS demonstrated its operational maturity by showing how its contributions power data flows and how its services and products support organizations, conservation frameworks, and decision-making worldwide.

Related OBIS sessions and presentations:
→ Enhancing Data Policy & Biodiversity Monitoring: Quality, Gap Analysis & Environmental Integration by Clara Baringo Fonseca (OBIS Brazil), Keila Macfadem Juarez (OBIS Brazil), Silas C. Principe (OBIS Secretariat), Pieter Provoost, Maria Cornthwaite (OBIS Canada), and Jonathan Pye
→ Beyond Species Occurrences: Harnessing eMoF Data for Marine Biodiversity Science by Elizabeth Lawrence and Silas C. Principe

→ Linking species and habitat observations: Cross-Thematic Integration in EMODnet for Context-Enriched Marine Biodiversity Data by Ville Karvinen, Joana Beja, Leen Vandepitte, Ruben Perez Perez, Bart Vanhoorne, Graeme Duncan, Hellen Lillis, and Dan Lear

→ Integrating (and increasing the use of) additional data types by Silas C. Principe, Elizabeth Lawrence, and Ruben Perez Perez

→ Opening new frontiers with near-real time biological ocean data by Jonathan Pye, Ian Jonsen, Clive McMahon, Ward Appeltans, Elizabeth Lawrence, Ana Lara-Lopez, Audrey Darnaude

→ Ocean data application for biodiversity-inclusive Marine Spatial Planning by Silas C. Principe, Pieter Provoost, Ward Appeltans, the MPA Europe team, Anna Addamo, and Mark Costello

→ Trust, Traceability & Transparency: Tackling biodiversity data provenance by Dan Lear, Elizabeth Lawrence, and Pieter Provoost (OBIS Secretariat)

→ Matching decision-making needs with actionable data products to drive biodiversity monitoring impact by Steve Formel, Laurent Chmiel, and Silas Principe (video unavailable)

Takeaway #4: Innovation for radical impact

As conservation needs evolve and ecological pressures intensify, the biodiversity data community is developing innovative tools and approaches to strengthen impacts. At Living Data 2025, OBIS demonstrated how mobilizing cutting-edge technologies like environmental DNA and predictive models helps to maximize marine biodiversity data’s reach, relevance, and impact. The emergence of these new observing tools calls for creative approaches to integrate data quickly and ensure seamless interoperability with existing systems while ensuring attribution to the data providers. Beyond technology, co-designed workflows, improved data processes, and simplified data pathways are significant drivers to support efficient uptake.

At the conference, OBIS showed that eDNA can accelerate the scale, frequency, geographic coverage, and accessibility of marine biodiversity observations and sustain the development of resource-adapted, cost-efficient, local biorisk mitigation mechanisms. OBIS also demonstrated how leveraging advanced models to turn data into high-resolution decision-support tools makes complex data more accessible, interpretable, and actionable for conservation. Open publishing of innovative tools supports reuse globally.

Related OBIS sessions and presentations:
→ A multi-evidence approach for flagging taxonomic misidentifications in marine eDNA metabarcoding datasets by Pieter Provoost, Saara Suominen (OBIS Secretariat), Silas Principe, Ward Appeltans

→ Integrating DNA Reference Databases and Molecular Taxon Concepts in Biodiversity Databases by Urmas Kõljalg, Emilie Boulanger (OBIS Secretariat), Tobias Frøslev, Rutger Vos, and Pieter Provoost
(video unavailable)

→ eDNA Expeditions - Scaling Biodiversity Monitoring Globally Through Community Science by Saara Suominen, Pieter Provoost, Silas Principe, and Ward Appeltans

→ From Observation to Impact: Co-created tools emphasize the role of data management in global biodiversity observing systems by Elizabeth Lawrence and Lina Mtwana Nordlund

→ Improving data management strategies, sharing, and FAIRness of DNA-derived Biodiversity Data, Part 2 (Part 1 is unavailable as video) by Saara Suominen and Erika Montoya Cadavid (OBIS Colombia)

→ Bridging the Gap: Simplifying Metadata Flows with an EOV Application by Elizabeth Lawrence

Takeaway #5: We need global collaboration on biodiversity data

Living Data 2025 demonstrated the energy, commitment, and collective power of the global biodiversity data community. It showed how essential biodiversity data has become for addressing the interconnected crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. This collaboration between organizations amplifies impact and accelerates progress towards more accessible, interoperable, and actionable biodiversity data for science and society. To build on this momentum, we need more shared forums and events where organizations, researchers, and decision-makers can come together, step back, listen, and reflect on the achievements across disciplines, realms, and regions. These dedicated spaces would strengthen mutual understanding and align a collective commitment to a common goal: mobilizing data for a better planet.

The BBNJ Agreement: the world’s first binding conservation framework for the high seas

The high seas have a special status under international law: they are part of the global commons, beyond the sovereignty of any single state. Their conservation and resource management are under the shared responsibility of all states, including landlocked countries. Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction were not comprehensively addressed in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which primarily regulates maritime zones, navigation rights, resource exploitation, and environmental responsibilities in international waters. In response to mounting pressures threatening the ecological balance of the high seas, the BBNJ Agreement was adopted as an implementing agreement to UNCLOS to close existing legal gaps. With over 60 countries having ratified it, the BBNJ Agreement will enter into force on 17 January 2026 and become the first international legally binding instrument explicitly focusing on biodiversity in the High Seas, establishing a landmark in global Ocean governance. The text of the BBNJ Agreement is structured around four interdependent pillars, each addressing specific needs identified by the Parties:

The “Marine genetic resources, including questions on the sharing of benefits (MGR)” pillar aims to establish a framework for fair, transparent and equitable access to genetic material and its sequence data, ensuring that scientific and commercial gains will be shared among all Parties, contributing to the common good, particularly for developing countries.

The “Area-Based Management Tools (ABMTs), including Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)” pillar provides the legal basis for designating, assessing and monitoring conservation zones in the high seas and regulating human activities. Establishing coordinated and concerted MPAs in areas beyond national jurisdiction is a significant milestone for marine protection, in line with global conservation targets such as protecting 30% of the global Ocean by 2030 set by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The “Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)” pillar stipulates that planned activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction with potential effects on the marine environment must go through a transparent, science-based process led by the State planning the activity to determine the extent of impact on the surrounding ecosystems. This pillar promotes common oversight and precautionary decision-making to prevent illegal or environmentally hazardous activities in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction.

The “Capacity-Building and Transfer of Marine Technology (CB\&TMT)” pillar aims to address disparities ​​​​in scientific, technical, and institutional capacities between Parties by promoting financial, technical, and institutional support to improve national capabilities. This pillar seeks to close skill, knowledge, and technology gaps, encourage inclusive participation, and reinforce cooperation among Parties, contributing to more equitable and effective Ocean governance.

On an operational level, the Clearing-House Mechanism of the BBNJ Agreement will serve as the central digital infrastructure powering the practical implementation of the four pillars. The scope of the CHM is broad: it will centralize and provide equitable access to key services such as data, records, maps, assessments, offers, and capacity-building requests from Parties. As the operational interface between national implementation and global oversight, the CHM will ensure efficiency, transparency, traceability, and accountability across data and technology flows. The CHM is also being designed to help address capacity gaps, particularly by facilitating access to scientific knowledge, technology, and expertise for developing states.

To maximize costs- and time-efficiency, and align with the spirit of the BBNJ Agreement, the CHM could “build on existing instruments, frameworks, and bodies to avoid duplication.” This approach would harness the maturity, networks, communities, and the scientific reliability of established systems and initiatives, taking advantage of already developed and well-accepted standards and processes. By doing so, the CHM would also enhance international collaboration and the reuse of digital resources across disciplines and regions to cover the needs of the BBNJ Agreement.

OBIS expertise supporting the needs of the BBNJ Agreement

With over 25 years of experience and an active global community, OBIS provides data, tools, and expertise that can support the implementation of the BBNJ Agreement. As the world’s largest marine biodiversity data platform, OBIS provides open, FAIR-compliant data, tools, and services aligned with the Agreement’s provisions on transparency, equitable access, and benefit-sharing. It integrates standardized, high-quality biodiversity data from areas beyond national jurisdiction and can support the four pillars of the BBNJ Agreement.

Under the Marine Genetic Resources (MGRs) pillar, OBIS can support the deployment of a Standardized Batch Identifier (SBI) system. SBIs are globally unique, persistent identifiers assigned to batches of biodiversity samples and subsequent to data derived from those samples, such as marine genetic resources, to make them continuous, traceable, and supported by machine-readable metadata. An existing and widely accepted system and protocol, Digital Object Identifiers could be particularly well-suited to power and sustain a global Standardized Batch Identifier system. With a DOI-based approach, OBIS supports the preservation of the data provenance, enables citation and usage tracking, and preserves data integrity. Such a system would also guarantee acknowledgement, recognition, and ownership for data contributors while maintaining accountability along the entire data transformation chain, a crucial condition for Large Ocean States and Developing States. On a more operational level, OBIS can also support the design and implementation of the local-to-global data pipeline powering the MGR pillar. Through two recent flagship projects—the Pacific Islands Marine Bioinvasions Alert Network (PacMAN) and Phase I of the UNESCO eDNA Expeditions—OBIS has demonstrated its capacity to integrate molecular marine biodiversity data into actionable products and to establish end-to-end biomolecular frameworks supporting evidence-based decision-making. This includes tracking in-situ species occurrences and associating them with collection events, cruise tracks, and sampling protocols to provide context and increase transparency in data collection.

OBIS can directly contribute to the ABMT/MPA pillar by providing georeferenced species occurrence data and derivative products such as Species Distribution Maps, which can inform the identification, design, and monitoring of high seas protected areas. Additional visualization tools and indicators developed by the OBIS community further support stakeholder engagement, scientific consultation, adaptive management of conservation zones, and the deployment of Area-Based Management Tools from the BBNJ Agreement. Notably, OBIS’s contribution to the State of the Ocean Report 2024 showcased its capacity to aggregate, analyze, and visualize nearly 50 million distribution records, documenting 93,106 marine species within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) worldwide, including 72% of all species classified as threatened according to the IUCN Red list, underscoring the value of OBIS data integrations for evidence-based MPA policy.

Under the EIA pillar, OBIS provides baseline biodiversity and species distribution data, including modelled species range maps under current and future climate change scenarios. This data is essential for conducting robust impact assessments, with long-term observation series enabling comparisons of pre-/post-impact conditions analysis as well as cumulative impact analysis over time. OBIS can also support the early identification of areas harbouring sensitive species or habitats, highlighting biodiversity hotspots where planned activities may cause disproportionate disruptions. Additionally, OBIS’s capacity to integrate innovative data streams, such as environmental DNA, can broaden the scope of EIAs and help future-proof the pillar. Together with IOC platforms such as the Ocean Data and Information System (ODIS), OBIS contributes to making these data discoverable and reusable, enhancing transparency and accountability in the EIA process.

Finally, OBIS plays a supporting role under the Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer pillar. Its community includes 29 National and 7 Thematic Nodes, 15 of which are located in Developing States, with over 6000 contributors around the world. The OBIS Nodes have a solid track record in capacity-building and data mobilization, turning local data holders into global contributors. In partnership with the OceanTeacher Global Academy, OBIS and its community have developed multilingual and standardized courses to develop local capacity for marine biodiversity data collection, management, and sharing.

Working together for the future of the Ocean

The BBNJ Agreement is a crucial milestone towards protecting life in the high seas. Poised to enter into force on 17 January 2026, the Agreement and its Clearing-House Mechanism need to become operational quickly and, importantly, in a reliable and interoperable manner. Stakes are high. Beyond marine biodiversity protection, the BBNJ Agreement is an important cornerstone for global Ocean governance. The treaty is an opportunity to demonstrate that a robust science-first, data-enabled approach, combined with cooperation across parties, equal access to resources, and shared benefits, can change how the world manages its global commons. Its success will depend on ensuring that all Parties, particularly Small Islands Developing States and Low and Medium Income Countries, can access data, technology, and opportunities fairly. As an operational, reliable, and community-governed global initiative, OBIS can directly support this ambition.