{"id":3229,"date":"2025-09-10T08:57:27","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T08:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?p=3229"},"modified":"2025-09-10T08:57:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T08:57:27","slug":"inside-europes-virtual-ocean-platform-a-game-changer-for-marine-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/3229\/inside-europes-virtual-ocean-platform-a-game-changer-for-marine-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Europe\u2019s virtual ocean platform: a game-changer for marine protection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Europe is building a virtual twin of the ocean to allow scientists, policymakers and citizens to test ideas, fight pollution and protect marine life \u2013 without even getting wet.<\/p>\n

By<\/em> Michael Allen<\/p>\n

Imagine predicting how an oil spill will spread, or which cleanup strategy will work best, without ever touching the water. What if we could test solutions for protecting the world\u2019s oceans before putting them into action?<\/p>\n

That vision is already becoming reality through the\u202fEuropean Digital Twin Ocean (DTO) \u2013 an initiative where EU-funded researchers are creating a powerful virtual replica of the seas. It will be like having a high-tech ocean laboratory on your screen, ready to run what-if scenarios for real-world challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith this platform, we can anticipate challenges and act together for a healthier ocean,\u201d said Alain Arnaud, head of Digital Ocean at Mercator Ocean International, a non-profit organisation\u00a0in France that leads the DTO\u2019s development.<\/p>\n

The latest demonstration phase of the European Digital Twin of the Ocean \u2013 its core infrastructure known as EDITO \u2013 was unveiled at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, in June 2025.<\/p>\n

This promises to transform how scientists, policymakers and citizens understand and manage marine environments. Potential applications are many, from predicting pollution hazards to identifying the most efficient shipping routes across the Pacific.<\/p>\n

Another possible use is tackling plastic pollution. EDITO can trace whether rubbish is flowing down a river or drifting in on the tide and model the best ways to stop it, from cleaning up a particular beach to tackling waste upstream.<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s behind this ocean twin?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Behind these advanced capabilities is a network of leading European institutions.<\/p>\n

The DTO\u2019s core technology was developed by Mercator Ocean International, running the EU\u2019s Copernicus Marine Service, and the Flanders Marine Institute in Ostende, Belgium, representing the 120 partners of the European Marine Observation and Data network (EMODnet).<\/p>\n

They have merged these two key European ocean data systems \u2013 Copernicus Marine and EMODnet \u2013 into one scalable framework. In the future, it will be linked with the EU\u2019s \u201cDestination Earth\u201d digital twin of the whole planet.<\/p>\n

The platform will recreate the ocean\u2019s past and present, as well as plausible futures, using satellite data, marine sensors, advanced simulations and AI. This will allow scientists, policymakers, and even curious citizens to experiment and make better decisions.<\/p>\n

Arnaud described the platform as more than just a technological achievement: \u201cIt\u2019s our shared compass for navigating the future of our vital marine ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n

A consortium of leading oceanographic, climate and computational science institutions across Europe is now designing next-generation ocean models that will let DTO users create real-world management scenarios. This initiative \u2013 the EDITO-Model Lab \u2013 began in 2023 and runs until the end of 2025.<\/p>\n

Model scenarios, from pollution to turtles<\/strong><\/p>\n

The plastic pollution tracker is just one application created by the EDITO-Model Lab researchers. Several other models are also able to generate informative what-if scenarios.<\/p>\n

These include seasonal pollution hazard maps for the Mediterranean, programmes to highlight the optimal locations for windfarms and simulations showing how different climate change scenarios will impact fish stocks. There is also a model studying the best marine habitat locations for different species, such as marine turtles.<\/p>\n

\u201cStarting from the beach where they hatch, we can model where they will go during their juvenile life and then their adult life, before coming back to the beach,\u201d said Yann Drillet, director of research and development at Mercator Ocean International.<\/p>\n

This helps conservationists decide which nesting sites and marine areas to prioritise.<\/p>\n

Accessible ocean intelligence<\/strong><\/p>\n

EDITO is a key component of the European Ocean Pact<\/a>, launched in June 2025 to unite all EU ocean actions in protecting the seas and promoting a thriving blue economy based on the sustainable use of oceans.<\/p>\n

Its main strength lies in its accessibility. Large-scale models of ocean systems already exist. According to Drillet, however, EDITO offers unprecedented volumes of data and is designed for both experts and newcomers.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur aim is to create a digital twin that is completely open so everyone will be able to access it,\u201d he said. \u201cUntrained users can explore basic scenarios, while advanced users can develop their own programmes using the platform\u2019s tools or their own datasets.\u201d<\/p>\n

The DTO brings together real-time and historical observations from thousands of marine sensors and satellites. It started with the consolidation of data from the Copernicus Marine Service and EMODnet, but it aims at an even broader range of data sources, including socioeconomics.<\/p>\n

By using AI and high-performance computing, it can model the impacts of both natural events and human activities. Users can adjust parameters to explore how different scenarios might unfold.<\/p>\n

Optimising shipping routes<\/strong><\/p>\n

One EDITO model analyses shipping routes between America and Asia, and addresses two critical issues for shipping: time and fuel efficiency.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe show how to optimise the journey across the Pacific from the US west coast to Asia using environmental information,\u201d said Drillet.<\/p>\n

Maritime traffic produces 3\u20134% of the EU\u2019s total CO2 emissions each year. By factoring in ocean currents and weather, the DTO can suggest routes that cut fuel use, emissions and costs.<\/p>\n

The EDITO-Model Lab research has also headed in the direction of Japan, where it is being showcased at the World Expo in Osaka (April\u2013October 2025).<\/p>\n

Visitors will have a chance to explore the marine plastic pollution simulation, as well as another that models the best places to develop seagrass meadows for coastal protection in the Adriatic Sea and along the German North Sea coast.<\/p>\n

A new wave of marine research<\/strong><\/p>\n

By simplifying and modernising how ocean simulations are built and run, EDITO should facilitate more marine research, said L\u0151rinc M\u00e9sz\u00e1ros from Deltares, an independent, not-for-profit applied research institute in Delft, the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt enables ocean scientists to work with modern cloud-based technologies, even if they are not well versed in ICT,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The hope is that researchers and policymakers will use the platform to explore effective, sustainable ways to protect marine and coastal habitats, support the blue economy and respond to climate change.<\/p>\n

By 2030, the DTO is expected to be operational, offering an even more powerful decision-support system for tackling global marine challenges.<\/p>\n

As Arnaud put it, \u201cwith this platform, we can anticipate challenges and act together for a healthier ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Research in this article was funded by the EU\u2019s Horizon Programme. The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u200bThis article was originally published\u202fin\u00a0Horizon<\/a>\u00a0the EU Research and Innovation Magazine.<\/em><\/p>\n

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