Reliable measurement data are needed to put the new European integral marine strategy into practice. The accessibility of data and related information deserves attention as well. To achieve this, the European Commission will establish a European marine observation and data network (EMODnet). To determine how such a network will look like in the future, five pilot projects (for biological, chemical, hydrological and geological data and for mapping habitats) have been set up (2009-2011). VLIZ is responsible for the biological pilot and is involved in the chemical share. Within the biological lot the VLIZ data centre will not only offer biological marine data in a standard format and known quality, but also will identify the gaps in the geographical coverage and time. Now the pilot portal of the project is launched.

The Maritime Policy Blue Book, welcomed by the European Council in 2007, announced that the European Commission would take steps to set up a European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) to improve access to high quality marine data for private bodies, public authorities and researchers.

A set of preparatory actions (2009-2011) on biological data, hydrographic data, chemical data, geological data and broad scale habitats has been launched for a limited set of Sea Basins. They aim to determine how a European marine observation and data network should be developed in order to support the new European integral marine strategy in an optimal manner. VLIZ is responsible for the biological pilot project. It will use the existing European atlas with distribution data of marine species (EurOBIS) as a basis and further complete it. VLIZ is also involved in the chemical pilot project of EMODNET.

The project website http://bio.emodnet.eu/ provides information on the progress of the biological preparatory action and gives access to the marine biological data portal and metadata catalogue. The EMODNet Biological data portal is built on the EurOBIS datasystem.