Ocean observation is gaining popularity in the blue economy and attracting international media attention. Although not new, the demand for more data has increased at both national and international levels as policymakers realise it is crucial for managing the ocean economy. Traditionally, ocean data was collected mainly through methods like argo floats, gliders, research vessels, buoys, and sensors. The demand for more data is changing this landscape, with more satellite data, crowdsourced data from the public and companies, and autonomous underwater technologies and AI. Ocean data measures physical, biological, and biochemical observations to assess ocean health and understand climate patterns. Gathering more data will help organisations and governments understand economic risks and drive growth in the blue economy by improving our understanding of the ocean. While some countries are reducing ocean observation, others are investing more, recognising that better ocean understanding supports local economic growth and regional competitiveness. Europe, for example, has identified the blue economy as a key contributor to economic growth. As part of the European Ocean Pact, which is expected to become formal EU policy via the Ocean Act in 2027, over €92 million is being committed to ocean observation. The new European OceanEye initiative, launched earlier this month, will support international ocean observation efforts. This is timely, especially as other major blue economy countries are cutting back due to policy changes. Europe aims to be the leading provider of global ocean intelligence by 2035. This ambitious agenda is feasible given the strategic approach to fast-track efforts by supporting ocean tech startups and attracting private investments. Europe will support the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) to enhance ocean observation alongside countries like India, China, Japan, and Australia. This aligns with the recently enforced United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), or the High Seas Treaty too. One of the four key pillars is capacity building and the transfer of marine technologies to less developed countries to help them manage their marine ecosystems outside their Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ). The aim is to make data accessible to increase international collaboration, especially in areas like the deep seas, where our knowledge is limited.
Ocean data is also increasingly used for maritime defence, and the demand for more data could be argued is being driven by defence and security needs. The term ‘dual-use’ signifies that data can be used for both scientific and security purposes. Current geopolitical realities mean that states are allocating more funding to support ocean observation for this purpose, and this in turn will attract more private investment. The challenge is that for national security reasons, some of this data may become inaccessible to a wider audience, affecting our ability to use it for scientific and commercial purposes.
While the trend towards ocean observation is overdue, startups developing new observation technologies face the challenge of sustaining themselves financially. They must balance investor motivation to allocate capital due to the large returns from the defence industry with the slower gains from the scientific community and other emerging industries in the blue economy. To prevent data from moving from dual-use to mainly supporting defence, which would reduce accessibility, institutions like UNESCO and GOOS need to collaborate to demonstrate the economic value ocean data offers and why democratising its use will support resilient economic growth while ensuring the full potential of data intelligence is realised.
