At the 2025 EuroGEO Workshop, GEO Blue Planet introduced a draft strategy for the establishment of a new EuroGEO Marine and Coastal Action Group in a dedicated parallel session.
The Marine and Coastal Action Group will aim to support Europe’s need for coordinated, user-oriented Earth Observation solutions across marine and coastal domains. Piloted by the EU offices of GEO Blue Planet and GEO AquaWatch, the group brings together European projects that integrate marine and coastal observation and prediction data to inform resource management, resilience, and policy.
Read the Marine and Coastal Action Group Strategy here
The Action Group will strengthen Europe’s data–information–knowledge framework by mapping existing initiatives, supporting project engagement, and promoting the sustained delivery of Earth Observation-based intelligence. It draws on major European capabilities such as the Copernicus Marine Service, the Copernicus Coastal Thematic Hub, and EU research efforts, including toward the EU Digital Twin of the Ocean through the EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters research program. The Action Group strategy aligns with key EU priorities, including the European Green Deal and the European Ocean Pact.
The Action Group is being piloted Operating under EuroGEO, the region’s contribution to the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). The EU offices of GEO Blue Planet and GEO AquaWatch have drafted its initial strategy. Membership is open to interested stakeholders across research, public bodies, and the private sector.
Moderated by Dr Ghada El Serafy (Deltares), the session introduced participants to the initial vision and structure of the Action Group, highlighted existing European GEO activities with marine and coastal components, and invited them to provide feedback on the Action Group’s strategy and priorities, as well as join and help co-design the initiative.
Spotlight on GEO AquaWatch’s European activities
Dr El Serafy presented AquaWatch Europe, a key contributor to the Action Group that works to advance water-quality monitoring. It builds on experience from major EU research efforts, including MONOCLE, CERTO, DANUBIUS-RI, DOORS Black Sea, Water-FORCE, PRIMEWater, and EO4UKWater. Dr El Serafy explained that AquaWatch’s approach is to bring together in situ observations, modelling, satellite Earth Observation, and citizen science within a data-to-knowledge pathway designed to support management and policy decisions. An ongoing challenge remains how to address data and capacity gaps needed to support operational services.
Spotlight on GEO Blue Planet’s European Node
The European Node of GEO Blue Planet, supported by the EU4OceanObs Horizon project, also featured in the session. GEO Blue Planet’s work focuses on transforming marine data into information that directly responds to societal needs. The initiative covers marine litter, sargassum blooms, coastal change, eutrophication, and climate adaptation. Key activities include statehooder engagement, capacity building and cooperation and co-design. These activities underpin GEO Blue Planet’s flagship initiatives, the Sargassum Information Hub and the Integrated Marine Debris Observing System (IMDOS).
Developing the Strategy: Mapping, Engagement, and Sustainability
Participants reviewed the draft Marine and Coastal Action Group, which is structured around three pillars:
- Mapping: analysing EU marine and coastal programmes, policies, and data-to-knowledge pathways to identify actors, tools, and services supporting marine applications for policy.
- Engagement: working with EU-funded projects contributing to GEO, promoting co-design, and helping translate scientific outputs into policy-ready knowledge.
- Sustainability: developing practical guidelines for sustaining data, tools, and knowledge frameworks, and measuring impact.
Participants discussed priorities and identified missing elements. Suggestions included the need for a clear operational implementation plan toward 2028–2030, a stronger emphasis on wetlands and biodiversity, and greater integration across disciplines, including the social sciences. Many early-career participants expressed a strong interest in engaging with the Action Group.
Participants also proposed several key actors for collaboration, including AquaWatch Australia, NECCTON, EMODnet, HELCOM, DEIMOS / Indra, and others.
What the Session Achieved
Overall, the session reinforced strong support for establishing the Marine and Coastal Action Group. Participants agreed that a more integrated and coordinated approach is needed to link observation systems, scientific insight, and societal needs. They also emphasised the value of keeping the process open, inclusive, and user-driven.
As a result of the session, several specific recommendations have been made to EuroGEO:
- Formally recognise the Action Group and develop a clear operational roadmap toward 2030.
- Improve integration across domains, linking marine and coastal data with inland, biodiversity, and climate initiatives, and incorporating social-science expertise to better connect Earth Observation information with societal needs.
- Deepen collaboration and co-design, particularly with European and international partners.
- Build capacity and inclusiveness, maintaining a focus on stakeholder engagement, citizen science, and opportunities for early-career contributors.
- Ensure long-term sustainability and transparency, including the development of practical guidance to support open access and measurable impact for marine and coastal EO tools.
The Marine and Coastal Action Group represents a significant step toward a more unified European approach to marine and coastal observation and knowledge generation. Those interested in contributing can contact the GEO Blue Planet EU office: euro [at] geoblueplanet [dot] org.