Partner Case Studies

We work with partners across all sectors of society to tackle unresolved ocean data and technology problems, applying the technology of ODP to meet those needs.

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  • Ahead of REV Ocean’s 2027 scientific mission to the Vitória-Trindade Seamount Chain, HUB Ocean is supporting the Brazilian research consortium working to advance protection of this unique marine region. Through ODP, we bring existing and newly collected data together in a shared environment, helping turn ocean science into accessible evidence that can inform systematic conservation planning and protection decisions.

    Sector
    Governance / Conservation
    Partners
    REV Ocean · Conservation International Brazil
    Data on ODP
    Biodiversity, habitat, oceanographic and human-activity data from existing global, national and local datasets, alongside new expedition research.

  • The challenge

    Commercial fishing vessels collect valuable hydroacoustic data, but turning these observations into continuous, interoperable data flows for science and fisheries management requires shared infrastructure, quality assurance, and trusted frameworks for data sharing and reuse.

    What changed

    Hydroacoustic observations collected routinely by fishing vessels can become a trusted new data stream for science and fisheries management. The project is developing interoperable data flows, processing and sharing mechanisms that can turn commercial fishing fleets into a distributed ocean-observing network.

    Sector
    Fisheries
    Partners
    FHF · SINTEF · NTNU · Institute of Marine Research · Kongsberg Discovery · HUB Ocean · fishing industry partners
    Data on ODP
    Hydroacoustic data and derived data products from fishing and research vessels.

  • The challenge

    Coastal management depends on information spread across fragmented datasets, systems and organisations. For municipalities, building a complete and trusted evidence base for planning and management can therefore be difficult.

    What changed

    Coastal data and knowledge are being brought together into a shared, searchable data foundation, making it easier for municipal users to find, combine and reuse relevant information. The project also tests AI-assisted search and decision support, exploring how shared ocean data infrastructure can support better coastal planning and management.

    Sector
    Governance / Coastal management
    Partners
    Arendal Municipality · Institute of Marine Research (HI) · Geodata · University of Agder · Arendal videregående skole · HUB Ocean
    Data on ODP
    Coastal and marine datasets relevant to Arendal, including local planning and environmental information and selected municipal water and wastewater operational data

  • The challenge

    Students need practical experience working with real ocean data and the tools and workflows they will encounter beyond the classroom.

    What changed

    Around 80 marine ecology students at the University of Bergen are using the Ocean Data Platform as part of their studies, learning practical skills in finding, managing, analysing and working with real ocean datasets through ODP Academy.

    Launch announcementHUB Ocean launches ODP Academy to build practical ocean data skillsRead the announcement
    Sector
    Research / Education
    Partners
    University of Bergen · HUB Ocean

  • HUB Ocean is working with the University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) and SeaSketch on a practical online course, Working with Ocean Data in the Cloud (Marine Spatial Planning Edition). The nine-week course, running from 27 August to 30 October 2026, combines self-paced modules with live sessions. It builds on a programme HUB Ocean previously ran in the Western Indian Ocean region.

    What participants learn

    Participants learn to access and explore ocean datasets on the Ocean Data Platform, analyse spatial data using Python, R or GIS tools, and design and evaluate marine spatial planning scenarios in SeaSketch. They also apply AI-assisted coding tools and complete a capstone project using real data from their region.

    Course pageMSP Practical Training — HUB OceanRead more
    Partners
    UFSC · HUB Ocean · SeaSketch
    Format
    Fully online · 9 weeks · self-paced modules with live sessions
    Certificate
    Signed by UFSC, HUB Ocean and SeaSketch

  • The challenge

    Working with ocean data requires practical skills across the whole workflow, from finding and understanding datasets to preparing, analysing, citing and sharing them. Those skills are difficult to build through theory alone.

    What changed

    Students can learn ocean-data workflows using real datasets. So far around 80 University of Bergen marine ecology students are spending 14 weeks finding, understanding, preparing, analysing and sharing real data from research, government and industry.

    Sector
    Research / Education
    Partners
    Accenture · HUB Ocean
    Data on ODP
    Real ocean, climate and biodiversity datasets from research, government and industry.

  • The challenge

    Whale-protection measures exist across different jurisdictions, but were difficult to integrate with vessel routes and other operational data. Shipping companies needed a simpler way to use speed restrictions, routing measures and areas to avoid in digital workflows.

    What changed

    Whale-protection measures that previously had to be interpreted from a chart can now be searched, analysed and combined with vessel routes and other ocean data. API access also means the data can flow into third-party applications and operational workflows, making it easier to use in voyage planning and other decisions.

    Press releaseWorld Shipping Council launch digital global Whale Chart with HUB OceanRead the press release
    Sector
    Shipping
    Partners
    World Shipping Council · HUB Ocean
    Data on ODP
    Mandatory and voluntary governmental whale-protection measures, including speed restrictions, routing measures, areas to avoid and measures addressing underwater radiated noise.

  • Environmental DNA (eDNA) is opening new ways to understand ocean biodiversity, but translating this information into conservation decisions requires connecting it with the wider environmental and human context. HUB Ocean and Minderoo Foundation’s OceanOmics programme are working together to combine eDNA and genomic data with environmental, biodiversity and human-activity data through the Ocean Data Platform, exploring how integrated ecosystem insights can support marine spatial planning, area-based conservation and ocean management.

    Partners
    Minderoo OceanOmics
    Data on ODP
    eDNA and genomic biodiversity data combined with environmental, biodiversity and human-activity datasets.

  • The challenge

    Offshore industry operates sophisticated infrastructure, vessels, sensors and subsea technology in some of the least understood parts of the ocean. The opportunity is to use that existing capability not only for industrial operations, but to generate better environmental knowledge and help address gaps in deep-water observation and understanding.

    What changed

    This is why OceanRise was born, to make existing subsea infrastructure useful for ocean knowledge. Through OceanRise, SLB OneSubsea and HUB Ocean are connecting subsea technology with environmental monitoring, ocean data and research, creating a pathway from observing the ocean to understanding it and supporting better decisions. In Brazil, researchers are identifying and preparing relevant regional datasets for ODP, linking data to scientific and policy questions, and exploring how industry-generated data and existing subsea infrastructure can contribute to better ocean knowledge.

    Press releasePledge Launches to Fill Ocean Data Gaps and Strengthen Marine Protection Efforts in BrazilRead the press release
    Sector
    Energy / Subsea
    Partners
    SLB OneSubsea with Brazilian and Norwegian research institutions
    Data on ODP
    Environmental, biodiversity, coastal and oceanographic data from Brazilian sources, with the ambition to add relevant industry and subsea monitoring data.

  • The challenge

    Offshore wind projects generate valuable ecological monitoring data, but much of its wider value depends on whether it can be discovered, combined and reused beyond the project that collected it.

    What changed

    Ecological observations generated around an offshore wind farm can be reused beyond the project that collected them. Making bird, bat, fish, acoustic, telemetry and abiotic data FAIR and accessible allows researchers, government and industry to combine those measurements with other North Sea data and build a broader understanding of offshore wind and marine ecosystems.

    Press releaseHUB Ocean and Ecowende unlock first offshore wind farm data to accelerate knowledge sharing on North Sea ecologyRead the press release
    Sector
    Energy / Offshore wind
    Partners
    Ecowende · HUB Ocean
    Data on ODP
    Bird and bat observations · fish, bat and songbird telemetry · acoustic data · abiotic data.

  • The challenge

    Environmental assessments are often centred on individual surveys and development sites, while understanding ecological sensitivity requires a broader regional view. Data availability, resolution and licensing restrictions can also prevent valuable datasets from being analysed together.

    What changed

    Environmental assessment can move beyond individual survey areas to see ecological sensitivity across the Greater North Sea. By combining fish, seabird, marine mammal, seagrass, cold-water coral, protected-area and other datasets, the analysis produced a regional nature index showing patterns of relative ecological sensitivity and providing wider context for environmental decision-making. It also identified where licensing, resolution and data availability still constrain that picture.

    Press releaseTotalEnergies EP Denmark and HUB Ocean forge alliance to advance nature and biodiversity insightsRead the press release
    Sector
    Energy
    Partners
    TotalEnergies EP Denmark · HUB Ocean
    Data on ODP
    Fish · seabirds · marine mammals · seagrass · cold-water corals · marine protected areas · Important Marine Mammal Areas.

  • The challenge

    We are working with OceanPact to make ocean data more accessible and useful for science, industry and public decision-making in Brazil. Our partnership combines OceanPact’s deep operational and environmental knowledge of Brazilian waters with HUB Ocean’s data expertise and ODP, creating pathways to identify data gaps, structure and connect fragmented datasets, and make valuable ocean information easier to discover, analyse and reuse. The longer-term ambition is to build on this foundation to mobilise more public and industry-generated data and strengthen the evidence available for sustainable ocean management and protection.

    What changed

    Through the partnership, OceanPact helped identify, structure and publish 24 Brazilian datasets covering more than 325,000 records and mapped features on ODP. The data adds important regional context across biodiversity, coastal sensitivity, protected areas, environmental monitoring and emergency response, making previously fragmented information easier to discover and reuse.

    Press releaseHUB Ocean and Brazil's OceanPact Partner to Strengthen Ocean Protection, Restoration, and Data InnovationRead the press release
    Sector
    Energy / Marine services
    Partners
    OceanPact · HUB Ocean
    Data on ODP
    Environmental emergency response · marine-mammal observations · beach-monitoring biodiversity · environmental monitoring from offshore seismic activities · Brazilian protected areas.

  • The challenge

    Industry works in deep and far-offshore waters that scientific mapping has not yet reached, but the operational data it collects rarely gets to scientists or decision-makers. In Brazil, that leaves gaps in the ocean knowledge needed to protect it.

    What changed

    OceanPact and HUB Ocean launched a pledge at a COP30 roundtable in Belém, bringing together industry, science, policy, philanthropy and technology. Ocean-related companies that join commit to identify and responsibly share relevant data following FAIR principles, working with national agencies, research institutions and scientific partners, and receive guidance on data mapping, governance and responsible sharing. The aim is a long-term, nationally scaled model for open ocean data collaboration that supports Brazil’s progress toward the global 30×30 protection target. Shared TGS data has already increased available information on marine mammals in one section of Brazil’s ocean territory by 50%.

    Press releasePledge Launches to Fill Ocean Data Gaps and Strengthen Marine Protection Efforts in BrazilRead the press release
    Sector
    Cross-sector / Energy
    Partners
    OceanPact · HUB Ocean · Solstad Offshore · TGS · Mercuria · SLB OneSubsea · Equinor · AKOFS Offshore, supported by Minderoo Foundation and Accenture Nordics
    Data on ODP
    Industry-held ocean data shared under FAIR principles, including TGS marine mammal data for Brazil’s ocean territory.

  • The challenge

    Ocean biodiversity remains difficult for investors to account for because relevant data is often fragmented and not structured around financial use cases. This makes it difficult to understand how companies and investments are exposed to sensitive marine ecosystems, and to incorporate ocean-related risks, impacts and dependencies into financial decisions.

    What changed

    HUB Ocean and GIST Impact are connecting science-based ocean data with company and asset-level information, making it possible to assess where corporate activities intersect with sensitive marine areas. Ocean data accessed through ODP can be integrated into GIST Impact’s analytics to support portfolio screening, exposure analysis, nature-risk assessment and reporting.

    In practiceClimate and Nature Report 2025 — Storebrand Asset ManagementA banking partner working with GIST Impact, using data from ODP.Read the report Press releaseGIST Impact and HUB Ocean partner to deliver science-backed ocean data for investorsRead the press release
    Sector
    Finance
    Partners
    HUB Ocean · GIST Impact
    Data on ODP
    Marine protected areas, Ocean Sensitive Areas aggregated data including habitats and areas of biodiversity significance, such as coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass, seamounts.

  • The challenge

    Offshore energy assets continuously collect valuable ocean and weather observations for operational purposes, but their wider value depends on making them accessible and reusable beyond the systems in which they were originally collected.

    What changed

    Ocean and weather observations from six offshore assets on the Norwegian Continental Shelf are openly available through ODP, turning operational measurements into a reusable resource for scientists, engineers and other ocean users. The data covers around 3,000 time-series attributes, including waves, currents, wind, cloud and temperature observations, and can support environmental monitoring, climate research and further innovation.

    Press releaseAker BP Shares Ocean Data to Boost Transparency and InnovationRead the press release
    Sector
    Energy
    Partners
    Aker BP · HUB Ocean
    Data on ODP
    Metocean time series from Ivar Aasen · Skarv · Valhall · Alvheim · Edvard Grieg · Ula, including wave parameters · ocean currents · wind characteristics · temperature · cloud data.

  • The challenge

    Shipping companies need to understand how their operations intersect with marine ecosystems, looking beyond decarbonisation to other environmental pressures and nature-related impacts.

    What changed

    Vessel movements can be viewed against sensitive marine habitats rather than assessed only through traditional efficiency and emissions metrics. Combining KCC's AIS data with biodiversity layers creates a basis for identifying where operational activity overlaps sensitive nature and where operational choices may help reduce exposure.

    Press releaseKCC enters collaboration with HUB Ocean to map direct impact on marine ecosystemsRead the press release
    Sector
    Shipping
    Partners
    Klaveness Combination Carriers · HUB Ocean
    Data on ODP
    AIS vessel data · biodiversity and habitat-sensitivity layers.

  • The challenge

    Large areas of the ocean remain observationally sparse, while people working at sea and living along coastlines regularly encounter marine wildlife, pollution and other conditions that are valuable to document.

    What changed

    People working and spending time at sea can contribute observations from places where scientific monitoring is sparse. Wildlife and pollution sightings captured on ordinary phones become geolocated ocean data that can help fill observational gaps and be reused alongside other information on ODP.

    Press releaseHUB Ocean and Mercuria launch 'Citizen Sea'Read the press release
    Sector
    Research / Citizen science
    Partners
    HUB Ocean · Mercuria · Minerva Bunkering
    Data on ODP
    Marine wildlife sightings · marine pollution observations.

  • The challenge

    Global shipping operations intersect with very different marine ecosystems, making it difficult to identify where nature impacts and risks are most material and where action should focus.

    What changed

    A global shipping company can systematically identify where its operations interact with sensitive nature, use those findings to prioritise locations for deeper assessment, and connect the evidence to biodiversity strategy, mitigation and the pathway toward nature-related targets and reporting.

    Sector
    Shipping
    Partners
    Wallenius Wilhelmsen · HUB Ocean
    Data on ODP
    Shipping routes · protected and sensitive marine areas · biodiversity and habitat data.

  • The challenge

    Researchers and practitioners across the Western Indian Ocean need practical ways to find, manage, analyse and share ocean data, while strengthening local-to-regional data workflows and collaboration.

    What changed

    HUB Ocean and WIOMSA have used hands-on ODP training to move users from data discovery through management and cloud-based analysis. The programme connects regional capacity building with practical ocean-data workflows that participants can apply in research and marine planning.

    Sector
    Research / Capacity building
    Partners
    WIOMSA · HUB Ocean, with engagement across the wider Western Indian Ocean science and marine-planning community.
    Data on ODP
    Regional and global ocean datasets, plus users' own private, shared or published data.

  • The challenge

    Financial institutions need better ways to bring ocean nature into financial decision-making. This requires translating complex scientific and spatial data into insights and indicators that can help them understand nature-related exposure and inform risk management and reporting. DNB and HUB Ocean are exploring how ocean data can be made more useful for the financial sector, connecting science with financial analysis and reporting and testing practical applications through the Ocean Data Platform.

    What changed

    New ways of using ocean data for financial analysis have been tested, combining shipping activities at large scale with biodiversity and regulatory data to calculate nature-related exposure metrics. Shipping provided a practical use case for exploring how these capabilities could support TNFD-type assessments and financial decision-making.

    Press releaseDNB and HUB Ocean Partner to Drive Innovation and Sustainability in Ocean Industries Through DataRead the press release
    Sector
    Finance / Shipping
    Partners
    DNB · HUB Ocean
    Data on ODP
    AIS vessel movement · coral reefs · cold-water corals · seagrass · mangroves · seamounts · marine protected areas · Important Marine Mammal Areas · management layers.

  • The challenge

    Years of valuable biodiversity and oceanographic observations are collected during commercial offshore surveys, but the data can remain distributed across projects and formats and unavailable for wider scientific use.

    What changed

    Years of marine mammal, turtle and oceanographic observations collected during commercial offshore surveys are now available for scientific reuse rather than remaining locked in project files. The biodiversity contribution increased the volume of comparable observations available in OBIS for the same geography by 50%, helping fill gaps in knowledge of Brazil's offshore ecosystems.

    Press releasePledge Launches to Fill Ocean Data Gaps and Strengthen Marine Protection Efforts in BrazilRead the press release
    Sector
    Energy / Geoscience
    Partners
    TGS · HUB Ocean
    Data on ODP
    Marine mammal and turtle observations · CTD profiles.

  • The challenge

    Commercial echosounders generate an enormous record of the Antarctic ecosystem, but the raw acoustic files are complex and require specialised processing before scientists can work with them.

    What changed

    More than 500,000 acoustic files collected by commercial krill vessels can now be used to investigate the Southern Ocean ecosystem. The data has already supported published research on encounters between krill predators and fishing vessels, with derived research data made available again through ODP, demonstrating how operational industry data can become new scientific knowledge.

    BlogListening to the Antarctic: What Krill Fishing Acoustics Reveal About Predators and BiodiversityRead the blog
    Sector
    Fisheries
    Partners
    Aker QRILL Company · HUB Ocean
    Data on ODP
    EK60/EK80 echosounder data · acoustic krill observations · derived research datasets.

  • The challenge

    Salmon-lice information is fragmented across Norwegian aquaculture, consuming time in data collection and making it harder to compare conditions and interventions across production sites.

    What changed

    Fish-health professionals can work from one shared data foundation covering more than 1,000 aquaculture production sites, rather than repeatedly assembling fragmented information themselves. Combining lice counts and treatments with environmental and production data makes comparison easier and creates a stronger foundation for understanding which interventions work under which conditions.

    Press releaseNorway's seafood industry sharing large quantities of dataRead the press release
    Sector
    Fisheries / Aquaculture
    Partners
    OPS Sjømat · HUB Ocean, supported by the Norwegian Seafood Federation and the Norwegian Seafood Association
    Data on ODP
    Lice counts · treatment data · temperature · currents · preventive measures · production conditions.

  • The challenge

    The ILIAD Digital Twin of the Ocean is a flagship European initiative, funded through the EU’s Green Deal, bringing together 56 partners from 18 countries to create a virtual, data-driven twin of the ocean. It is built from many separate digital twins, data sets and models, and technical, legal and cultural barriers to data sharing can keep these from being used together.

    What changed

    HUB Ocean supports ILIAD through the Ocean Data Platform, focusing on interoperability: connecting and coordinating existing projects, data and models so that the different digital twins within ILIAD can be ingested, harmonised and analysed. HUB Ocean has contributed to open standards, APIs and scalable ingestion pipelines, integrating earth observation, industry and citizen-science data and making it accessible for science, industry and policy. The project has also promoted responsible data governance and open, FAIR data standards, and run webinars, hackathons and training sessions to build capacity. ILIAD’s pilots, including Ballast Water Monitoring, Ship Routing & Harbour Safety, Jellyfish Swarm Forecast and Oil Spills, show how digital twins can turn existing data and infrastructure into actionable insights.

    Impact storyIliad - Digital Twin of the OceanRead the story
    Sector
    Research / Digital twins
    Partners
    ILIAD consortium (56 partners, 18 countries) · HUB Ocean
    Data on ODP
    Earth observation · industry · citizen-science data.

  • What it is

    Blue-Cloud 2026 is a federated digital research environment in support of the European Digital Twin Ocean.

    The challenge

    European ocean data and analytical services sit across many different infrastructures, making interoperability essential.

    What changed

    HUB Ocean joined the 40-partner Blue-Cloud consortium, which is building a federated European ecosystem for FAIR and open ocean data and analytical services. HUB Ocean contributed work around platform interoperability and metadata standardization.

    Impact storyBlue-Cloud 2026Read the story
    Sector
    Research
    Partners
    Blue-Cloud 2026 consortium (40 partners) · HUB Ocean

  • The challenge

    Finance needs credible ways to understand how economic activity impacts, and depends on, ocean nature.

    What changed

    Supported by the Velux Foundation, Making Oceans Count II developed blue indicators and metrics to measure impacts and dependencies on ocean nature, with a particular focus on the finance sector. The work focused on Denmark and the Nordics, while aiming for wider global relevance.

    Press release"Making Oceans Count" Initiative to Expand Ocean Asset Metrics and Data for a Sustainable Blue EconomyRead the press release
    Sector
    Finance
    Supported by
    Velux Foundation

  • The challenge

    Marine spatial planning needs information not only on ecosystems, but also on the human activities putting pressure on them.

    What changed

    HUB Ocean provided AIS-based shipping data used in WIO Symphony, an ecosystem-based marine spatial planning tool for the Western Indian Ocean. The data helped map shipping activity and associated pressures, including an estimate of underwater noise.

    NewsSharing shipping data with WIO SymphonyRead the article
    Sector
    Governance / Marine spatial planning
    Partners
    WIOMSA · HUB Ocean
    Data on ODP
    AIS-based shipping data, used to map shipping activity and associated pressures, including an estimate of underwater noise.

Related products and services

Helping companies locate and act on ocean nature impacts and dependencies

The challenge

Important nature data about the ocean is not reaching the people who need it most. Data gaps and scattered information limit knowledge, which makes it harder to measure and reduce human impacts on ocean ecosystems. There is no global dataset mapping vital ocean ecosystems.

What it is

Ocean Sensitive Areas are global data products mapping critical marine habitats and species, enabling impact assessments of human activities. They combine and harmonise diverse ocean datasets in a standardised approach that scales from local to global.

Impact-ready use cases

Nature-based reporting. Financial institutions and companies assess their risk to ocean biodiversity. Asset data is overlaid on Ocean Sensitive Areas and assessed against a sensitivity matrix, producing risk metrics for each ecosystem component.

Designating areas for protection. Governments and NGOs identify where protection is needed, based on where nature is and the impact of different pressures.

Environmental Impact Assessments. Companies assessing development sites optimise site selection by minimising risk to sensitive areas.

Built for
Policymakers, industry leaders and scientists
Coverage
Global, scaling from local to global
Built on
Diverse ocean datasets, harmonised and assessed with a sensitivity matrix

The challenge

Offshore industries hold valuable environmental data, but it sits in project-specific formats and silos, with unclear ownership and poor interoperability with existing ocean data. Managing it takes time and money, and many companies lack the knowledge and resources to share it.

What it is

Ocean Data Harmonized is a HUB Ocean service that makes ocean data usable for reporting, operations and sharing, and accessible for science in FAIR formats. It runs in three steps: data advisory on standards and metadata, data transformation and harmonisation, and impactful sharing through the Ocean Data Platform and global data repositories.

Built for
Offshore industries, such as offshore wind and energy geoscience
Partners
Ecowende · PGS · TGS · Aker BioMarine
Examples
15 years of PGS survey data from Brazil · around 10 years of Aker BioMarine echosounder data from krill fishing missions in the Southern Ocean
Getting started on the Ocean Data Platform: Visit our Webinar library Documentation

HUB Ocean is a member of the Ocean Decade Corporate Data Group

The Corporate Data Group has already made a great contribution to the Decade, unlocking industrial data and pushing it to flagship repositories like OBIS, GBIF and EMODnet.

The gap3%

of ocean biodiversity data in global repositories comes from the private sector.

Delivered

Bathymetry Data Sharing Guideline

A practical framework for companies to share seabed mapping data with platforms like GEBCO and Seabed 2030.

Coming soon

Marine Mammal Observations Guideline

Helping companies share biodiversity observations collected during offshore operations.

Report

Tides of Transparency

The first global mapping of industrial ocean data sharing, co-authored by HUB Ocean.

Types of nature positive initiatives that HUB Ocean has contributed to and helps execute on through real world use cases with our private sector partners

Indicators & metrics

State of Nature indicators and metrics

Nature Positive Initiative

Consensus building on a credible, practical set of indicators and metrics to measure the state of nature and help secure nature-positive outcomes.
Sector guidance

Marine transport and cruise lines

Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures

Draft sector guidance, January 2025. Open for consultation and feedback.