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Unlocking European Marine Biodiversity Data

The EMODnet biology data portal provides free access to data on temporal and spatial distribution of marine species and species traits from all European regional seas. EMODnet Biology is part of the EU funded European Marine Observation and Data Network and is built upon the World Register of Marine Species and the European Ocean Biogeographic Information System.

Over 670 biodiversity datasets are accessible, including large regional survey datasets, such as the North Sea Benthos Survey

Free and easy access to 343, 415 distribution records of the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) and to distribution and abundance data of over 20,000 other European marine species

Biological traits and the ‘status’ of species for conservation, introduced or invasive, of fishery or aquaculture interest, harmful, or used as ecological indicator, are collected. This led to the World Register of Introduced Marine Species © 2010 Decleer

Gridded abundance map of cod (Gadus morhua) using geospatial modelling. An animation of this data product shows the temporal evolution of cod abundances, illustrating the dramatic decrease of the stock in the North Sea

The data portal provides a gateway to marine biodiversity data. It includes a search, selection, mapping and download function and is fully OGC compliant.

You can access metadata descriptions of almost 1000 thematic biological databases through the data catalogue, including national marine biological monitoring datasets, scientific field surveys and experiments and data collection studies. Datasets cover marine species of phytoplankton, zooplankton, angiosperms, macro-algae, invertebrate bottom fauna, birds, mammals and fish.

EMODnet is a long term marine data initiative spanning seven broad disciplinary themes: bathymetry, geology, physics, chemistry, biology, seafloor habitats and human activities. The EMODnet Central Portal allows users to access data products from each of these lots under one single interface.