EMBRC’s European Marine Omics Biodiversity Observation Network (EMO BON) has completed the first ever submission of big metagenomic data (species and functions) into the European Digital Twin Ocean (EDITO) through the EU Horizon project DTO-BioFlow. This is the first time marine eDNA metagenomic taxonomic and functional data has been successfully integrated into the EDITO’s marine observation data.

Metagenomic data boosts researchers’ capacity to monitor the ocean because of the in-depth information it provides about a region’s marine life. As well as highlighting which species are present, it can integrate high-resolution data about functional biodiversity and tracking of rare and non-indigenous species, which can often be hard to find and study.

 The EMO BON metagenomic data was sourced over several time points from more than 15 observatories across Europe. Adding this high-resolution information helps to improve the depth and accuracy of the data system’s predictions around changing marine ecosystems.

The EDITO aspires to be the digital representation of the world’s oceans, incorporating simulation scenarios (“what if” questions) and predictions as well as effectively linking marine science with policy and decision-making. High-quality data is vital in achieving this goal.

Successfully integrating this high-resolution biodiversity data will improve the quality, accuracy, and reliability of the EDITO’s predictions.

From EMO BON’s inception, the programme’s data was designed to be compatible with large-scale digital platforms like the EDITO. This milestone not only illustrates the successful realisation of that long-term strategy but also moves EMO BON closer towards the goals set out by its Open Science and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data policy.

The tools and methods are also being made openly available, paving the way for the present and future flow of big genomic data into the EDITO.

This supports EMO BON’s strategy to produce data that holds value for evidence-based policymaking as well as for scientific discovery.

EMO BON is Europe’s first centrally coordinated network of long-term genomic marine observatories. EMBRC created the project to improve marine biodiversity monitoring and fill the knowledge and capacity gap that exists in global ocean observation. Marine experts, policymakers, and industry stakeholders can use EMO BON’s data to better understand complex ecological problems and inform their decision-making around the globe.

EMO BON’s marine stations regularly sample different habitats (water column, soft substrates, hard substrates) from the Arctic to the Red Sea. Researchers follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure consistent, accurate, and reliable data that can be shared openly to encourage collaboration and speed up scientific progress. The network is part of the UN Ocean Decade-endorsed Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON).