Webinar Ocean Literacy 2 | How Industrial Data Can Bridge Critical Ocean Knowledge Gaps

Official webinar webpage: https://blue-cloud.org/events/ocean-literacy-series-2-how-industrial-data-can-bridge-critical-ocean-knowledge-gaps

This webinar was the second one in a series of three Blue-Cloud 2026 Training Academy webinars on Ocean Literacy.

Industrial actors generate some of the most spatially and temporally rich ocean datasets in the world, yet much of this information remains under-utilised for science, policy, and conservation. According to Tides of Transparency report  (2024), only 3% of the data in global biodiversity repositories originated from industry. 

Partnering with industry to share their ocean data is essential for sustainability. These rich datasets can fill critical knowledge gaps, guide conservation, and enable smarter, science-based management of our oceans. As countries accelerate efforts toward sustainable ocean management and 30×30 target, that is, the effective conservation and management of at least 30% of the Earth's land, inland waters, and coastal/marine areas by 2030 (as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework) for high-quality, harmonised data has never been greater. 

This webinar explored how industry, science, public repositories, and digital platforms can work together to unlock the value of ocean data and strengthen global knowledge systems. By working together, these players can combine industrial data, scientific research and open-access platforms, to create a more faithful picture of ocean health. Cross-collaboration is a must to enabling evidence-based decision-making, improving conservation outcomes and accelerating progress toward sustainable management of marine resources. 

Through perspectives from leading organisations, we examined why companies choose to share their data, how technical workflows can transform and harmonise diverse datasets, and why global repositories (such as Ocean Biodiversity Information OBIS and EMODnet) and the research community are strengthened when companies do share. The webinar concludes with a call to action for broader collaboration across sectors as part of the Blue-Cloud 2026 initiative.