Making ocean data more findable and accessible is a key part of ocean science and management, and a goal of the current UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Ocean data portals are one way people have tried to increase findability and accessibility. However, many people don't know these portals exist, and they don't always show up in web searches. We've compiled this list of data portals as a starting point for the public to highlight the need for better connectivity and interoperability across data sources and platforms.
Looking for a more formal ocean data search engine? Try the IOC Ocean Data and Information System "Catalogue of Sources": ODIS Catalogue
Do you have an ocean data repository or platform to add to this list? Please submit an issue in this GitHub repository using the Ocean Data Resource Suggestion template, or e-mail [email protected]
- The following resource list was initially developed based on the supplemental materials from Disrupting data sharing for a healthier ocean, with additional work from the HUB Ocean team, Andrea Sanchez Davidson, Kyla Van Maanen, Kate Wing, and Schmidt Ocean Institute.
- Please ensure data used from any of these resources follows the attribution suggested by the owner organization.
| Name | Owner-Steward | Owner-Steward Name | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Ocean Observing System | NGO/GOV | Integrated Ocean Observing System within NOAA | Alaska |
| AlgaeBase | Academic | National University of Ireland | Global |
| Argo Data | Academic | University of California at San Diego | Global |
| Australian Bureau of Statistics | GOV | Australian Bureau of Statistics | Australia |
| Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) | GOV | Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA) | Australia |
| Australian Marine Parks Science Atlas | GOV/Academic | Commonwealth of Australia/University of Tasmania | Australia |
| Australian Ocean Data Network | GOV | Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) | Australia |
| BarentsWatch | GOV | Norwegian Coastal Administration | Norway |
| Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office | GOV/Academic | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | Global |
| CetSound - Underwater Noise and Marine Life | GOV | NOAA | United States |
| CLS Ocean Surveillance | Private | CLS | Global |
| Coastal Data Information Program | GOV/Academic | UC San Diego | United States and Pacific Islands |
| Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources | NGO | Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources | Antarctic |
| Continuous Plankton Recorder | GOV/NGO | Marine Biological Association | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coriolis | NGO/GOV | Coriolis Project | Global |
| Data.gov - Oceans | GOV | U.S. General Services Administration | United States |
| Data Mermaid | NGO | Data Mermaid | Global |
| DeepData Database | GOV | International Seabed Authority | Clarion Clipperton Zone |
| EarthData NASA | GOV | NASA | Global |
| European Tracking Network | Other | Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) | Europe |
| EMODnet | GOV | European Commission Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries | Europe |
| EPA Technical Resources about Beaches | GOV | Environmental Protection Agency | United States |
| European Atlas of the Seas | GOV | European Commission Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries | Europe |
| EuroStat - Fisheries | GOV | European Commission | Global |
| FathomNet | NGO | MBARI | Global |
| FAO - Fisheries Data | GOV/NGO | Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Global |
| FAO - Global Aquaculture Production | GOV/NGO | Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Global |
| FishBase | NGO | Quantitative Aquatics / Incorporated | Global |
| Free GIS data | Private | Robin Wilson | Global. Individually country/area datasets |
| General Bathymetry Chart of the Oceans | GOV | British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) | Global |
| GEO Portal | NGO/GOV | European Space Agency | Global |
| Global Fishing Watch | NGO | Global Fishing Watch | Global |
| Global Fishing Watch - AIS Vessel Data | NGO | Global Fishing Watch | Global |
| Global Integrated Shipping Information System | NGO | International Maritime Organization | Global |
| Global Ocean Data Analysis Project | GOV/Private/Academic | Bjerknes Climate Data Centre and the ICOS Ocean Thematic Centre | Global |
| Google Earth Engine | Private | Global | |
| Google Ocean | Private | Global | |
| Havforksningsinstituttet - GeoData | GOV | Institute of Marine Research/Norwegian Marine Data Centre | Norway/ Arctic |
| IUCN - Red List / Marine Distributions | NGO | International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources | Global |
| Ireland Digital Ocean | GOV/NGO | Marine Institute Ireland | Ireland |
| Internet of Water/ | NGO/Academic | Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University | Global |
| International Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (ICOADS) | GOV | NOAA | Global |
| JAMSTEC Data Search Portal | GOV | Japan Agency for Marine Earth Science Technology | Japan |
| Marine Bio | NGO | MarineBio Conservation Society | Global |
| Marine Geoscience Data System | Academic | Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University | Global |
| Marine Regions | GOV | Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) | Global |
| Marine Spatial Atlas for the Western Indian Ocean | GOV | Coastal Oceans Research and Development / Indian Ocean / East Africa (CORDIOEA) | Western Indian Ocean |
| MiCo.eco | Academic | Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab (MGEL) / Duke University | Global |
| Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute | NGO | Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute | West Coast United States |
| MPAtlas | NGO | Marine Conservation Institute | Global |
| Navigation Data Center | GOV | US Army Corp of Engineers | |
| NOAA World Ocean Database | GOV/NGO | International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) | Global |
| NMDC - Norsk marint datasenter | GOV | Norwegian Marine Data Centre | Norway |
| NOAA PMEL Carbon Program | GOV | NOAA | Global |
| NOAA Ocean Carbon Data System (OCADS) | GOV | NOAA | Global |
| NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) | GOV | NOAA | United States |
| NOMAD - NASA bio-Optical Marine Algorithm Dataset | GOV | NASA | United States |
| Northeast Ocean Data | GOV/NGO | Northeast Regional Ocean Council | Northeast United States |
| NSF Arctic Data Center | GOV | National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs | Arctic |
| OBIS | NGO | UNESCO | Global |
| Observing System Monitoring Center | GOV | NOAA | Global |
| Ocean Agency - Coral Reef Bank | NGO | The Ocean Agency | Global |
| Ocean Data Portal | GOV/NGO | International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) | Global |
| Ocean Expert | NGO/GOV | Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO | Global |
| Ocean Health Index | NGO | Ocean Health Index | Global |
| Ocean Observatories Initiatives | NGO/Academic | National Science Foundation/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute | North and South America |
| Ocean + Library | NGO/GOV | UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre | Global |
| Oceanscape | NGO | GEO Blue Planet | Global |
| Ocean Wealth Atlas | NGO | The Naturce Conservancy | Australia / Carribean / Florida / Gulf of Califronia / Gulf of Maine / Indonesia / Micronesia |
| Octopus | Academic | Oxford University | Global |
| Pacific Data Hub | INGO | Geoscience / Energy and Maritime Division (GEM) | Small Pacific Island States |
| Pacific Data Hub | GOV | SPC (Pacific Community) | Pacific Ocean |
| Pacific Ocean Portal | GOV | Pacific Community (SPC) | Small Pacific Island States |
| Pangaea | NGO/Academic | Alfred Wegener Institute and the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences / University of Bremen (MARUM) | Global |
| Polar Data Catalogue | GOV | Canadian Cryospheric Information Network | Polar (Arctic and Antarctic) |
| PlanetOS | Private | Intertrust | Global |
| ReefGIS | NGO | World Fish Center | Global |
| Sea Around Us | Academic | University of British Columbia | Global |
| SeaDataNet | GOV | European Commission | Europe |
| Sea Level Monitoring Facility | NGO | UNESCO/IOC | Global |
| Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) | Academic | Princeton University | Southern Ocean |
| Systema Naturae | NGO | Systema Naturae | Global |
| Tagging of Pelagic Predators | NGO/Academic | Hopkins Marine Station / Stanford University | Pacific Ocean |
| The Centre for Environment / Fisheries and Aquaculture Science | GOV | Centre for Environment / Fisheries / and Aquaculture Science | Global |
| The European Atlas of the Seas | GOV | European Union | Europe |
| The Surface Ocean CO₂ Atlas (SOCAT) | GOV/NGO | Bjerknes Climate Data Centre and the ICOS Ocean Thematic Centre | Global |
| United Nations - Food and Agriculture Organisation | GOV/NGO | Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Global |
| Uplink.weforum.org | NGO | World Economic Forum | Global |
| USGS Water Resources Mission Area | GOV | US Department of the Interior | United States |
| US National Water Quality Portal | GOV | US Environmental Protection Agency | United States |
| US Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Data | GOV | US Environmental Protection Agency | United States |
| UNEP Digital Ecosystem for the Earth project | NGO/GOV | UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre | Global |
| Vannmiljø Vannportalen | GOV | Norway | |
| Virtual Reef Diver Project | NGO/GOV | QUT Data Science Centre | Australia |
| VOTO Baltic glider data | NGO | Voice of the Ocean | Baltic |
| Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | Academic | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute | Global |
| World Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation Centre | GOV/Academic | Environment and Climate Change Canada | Global |
| World Register of Marine Species | NGO | Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (Flanders Marine Institute) | Global |
| World Resources Institute Data Platforms | NGO | World Resources Institute | Global |
| XL Catlin - Seaview Survey | Private | Underwater Earth / University of Queensland / and AXA XL. | Global |