From November 2024, the Joint Programming Initiative Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans (JPI Oceans) embarked on a new Joint Action with the title “European Marinas Network”. This was approved by the Management Board of JPI Oceans based on a proposal by EBI and TransEurope Marinas. Co-led by Italy and Greece, this initiative will develop a Knowledge Hub for and with marinas. The primary aim is to create essential infrastructure for marine monitoring and data collection, reinforcing the role of marinas as key players in ocean stewardship.

Europe boasts approximately 10,000 inland and coastal marinas, each not only a launchpad for boaters and water sport enthusiasts, but also a socio-economic nexus involving visitors, marine enterprises. The Joint Action envisions transforming these marinas into a network of monitoring stations for marine data. By harnessing their strategic locations along coastlines, the initiative seeks to foster citizen involvement and advance marine science, ultimately translating local observations into valuable, large-scale ocean data. It will provide an additional benefit underlining the socio-economic benefits of marinas.

The Knowledge Hub aims to deepen the collective understanding of marine ecosystems to better inform decision-making at both regional and national levels. To achieve this, the Joint Action will:

• Establish a European Marinas Network: Select marinas to participate in coordinated monitoring, ensuring diverse environmental data is collected systematically
• Develop Standardised Monitoring Tools: Provide marinas with low-cost, easy-to-deploy sensor packages that measure critical oceanographic and environmental parameters
• Centralise Data and Analysis: Enable marinas to serve as harmonised data-generating nodes, feeding information into a centralized database for researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders
• Enhance Socio-Environmental Insights: Use the network’s comprehensive data collection to better understand conditions in and around marinas, paving the way for informed policy decisions

An international team of experts and institutions underpins this initiative. Researchers and practitioners from Italy, Greece, and Germany - including representatives from the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Kiel University, TransEurope Marinas and EBI - will collaborate to refine the program’s technological tools, data standards, and stakeholder outreach strategies.

Running until approximately December 2028, the European Marinas Network’s work represents an important step toward building a robust, data-driven foundation for marine research, conservation, and sustainable economic activity. For more information or to be involved in the concept development, please contact the EBI Office. More information can also be found on the JPI Oceans website.