Our oceans play a vital role in maintaining the health of our planet. Not only do they regulate our climate, support biodiversity and influence weather patterns, they also provide essential resources such as food, energy and medicine. According to the United Nations, oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth’s surface and produce at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen. Their importance cannot be overstated.
However, human activities pose significant threats to these vital functions. Rising sea temperatures, plastic pollution and overfishing all contribute to the degradation of marine environments.
The marine community must take proactive steps to better understand and protect them as pressures on our oceans increase and they play a role in mitigating climate change. This includes improving the availability and accessibility of ocean scientific data.
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The power of oceanographic data
Ocean data is a significant contribution to a safer, more liveable world. According to research conducted in partnership with Economist Impact, two-thirds of the marine-based climate change economy relies on ocean observation data, and this reliance could increase as climate change exacerbates the unpredictability of ocean conditions and weather.
Ocean observing systems can provide real-time data, allowing the community to monitor marine ecosystems and better understand their health and resilience. Armed with this knowledge, we can then identify stressors (such as pollution or climate change) that are affecting marine life and assess the impact of efforts to decarbonize the ocean. This information is vital for implementing and optimizing mitigation strategies.
It is also crucial for oceanographers to analyze currents, temperature fluctuations and circulation patterns. This information can be used to refine climate models and improve our ability to predict extreme weather events such as hurricanes or severe storms.
Furthermore, ocean floor mapping (also known as bathymetry) can deepen our understanding of underwater landscapes. High-quality data collected using remote technology can reveal submarine ridges, seamounts and potential hazards such as underwater volcanoes or landslides – helping to plan sustainable infrastructure and/or protection measures.
Knowledge of the private sector
To accelerate progress, the marine community must actively promote the sharing of ocean scientific data. This requires a coordinated effort, combining the knowledge and resources of governments, academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector.
Companies involved in offshore energy exploration, marine infrastructure development, and scientific research hold a wealth of valuable information. By moving to a model where this information is freely available, the private sector can play a key role in providing scientists, decision makers, and the general public with insights to better understand ocean health. This approach will also help overcome a key barrier: limited and sporadic government funding to support such initiatives.
Collaboration and challenges
In the coming years and decades, industry working groups will play a critical role in shaping strategies and best practices to facilitate collaboration and democratize ocean data.
These groups should not only highlight the societal benefits of sharing ocean data, but also identify practical solutions to technical challenges. For example, while ownership of ocean data often lies with the companies authorized to collect it, or with governments that grant permission, data sharing is not always at the sole discretion of data owners. Even when companies are willing to share their data, national governments must approve its release if it was collected within a country’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Despite national governments’ endorsement of the Ocean Decade, obtaining such approval remains a significant hurdle.
Additional challenges include inefficient data collection, inconsistent methodologies, and a lack of standardized global protocols, which hampers data discovery and accessibility. The World Economic Forum has emphasized that ocean data reporting should be as quantitative and standardized as possible, based on recognized metrics and policies. This will enable deeper and more accurate data analysis, thereby increasing the impact of data sharing.
Several groups have already been formed to promote private sector data sharing. For example, the 2016 Forum for Future Ocean Floor Mapping advocated for the sharing of bathymetric information to create a global baseline bathymetric database. In addition, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission has been a leader in coordinating global ocean data and improving access to private data. This collaborative effort includes a consortium of leading maritime companies that acquire or own ocean data.
By joining forces, industry players can overcome barriers and pave the way for private ownership of ocean science data to be used for the greater good. By bridging gaps and pooling expertise, we will be in a much stronger position to protect our planet.
The stakes are high and stakeholders must show a collective commitment to bring together research, technology and innovation to restore the health of the ocean. This will ultimately help create a safer, more livable world.
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