OBSERVER: Celebrating 10 years of the Copernicus Marine Service
evan
Fri, 30/05/2025 – 10:41
The Copernicus Marine Service, implemented by Mercator Ocean International on behalf of the European Commission, is the marine service of the Copernicus Earth Observation component of the European Union Space Programme. Launched in 2014 and fully operational since 2015, it provides free, authoritative, and systematic information on the state of the Blue (physical), White (sea ice) and Green (biogeochemical) ocean, on both global and regional scales.
The official launch of service marked the culmination of years of scientific effort, innovation, and collaboration, setting off a new era for operational oceanography. Today, a decade later, Copernicus Marine stands alone as one of Europe’s most trusted sources for open, science-based marine data, serving policy development, ocean conservation, climate science, and industry.
In the framework of the upcoming Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, the European Digital Ocean Pavilion will showcase the Copernicus Marine Service alongside other EU assets and technologies for ocean knowledge and monitoring. The pavilion will host the 10th anniversary celebration of the service, recognising its importance to EU ocean science and governance.
Innovation at its Core: From MyOcean to Copernicus Marine
The service traces its roots back to the MyOcean project (2009–2014), a research initiative funded under the European Commission’s FP7 R&D programme. With a 60-partner consortium spanning Europe, MyOcean was a part of the GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) framework, the precursor of Copernicus, and aimed to unify Europe’s fragmented monitoring efforts under a single, interoperable system. It laid the foundation for an operational network of scientists and engineers, turning complex data into actionable knowledge.
This foundational work led to the launch of the Copernicus Marine Service in 2014 and its entry into full operational status in 2015 under Mercator Ocean’s coordination. The service transitioned from R&D to full operations, providing global and regional ocean data and forecasts. With it came a shift in how institutions approached marine governance. Scientists, policy makers, maritime authorities, and private actors alike now had a common reference point: a unified, continuously updated picture of the ocean.
Sentinel Eyes on the Sea
The success of the Copernicus Marine Service is based on the Copernicus Sentinel satellite missions, built for the needs of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme. The GMES programme, which was initially supported by so-called “Contributing Missions”, foresaw a series of dedicated satellites called the Sentinel missions to provide information services for environmental and security applications.
The Sentinel-1A radar satellite was the first Copernicus satellite to be launched and started providing data for the Copernicus Marine Service. Sentinel-2A (2015) expanded the data available. In 2016, Sentinel-3 represented a major leap, providing high-resolution measurements of sea surface temperature, sea level, and ocean colour data, thanks to instruments such as the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI), which extended observation coverage from covered coastal areas to the open Ocean. Launched in November 2020, Sentinel-6 is also providing vital data to the Copernicus marine service. Sentinel 6 took over the role as reference altimetry mission and extends the unique record of mean sea level rise.
A Decade of Progress
Since its launch, the Copernicus Marine Service has grown steadfastly, with a significant rise in user uptake, punctuated by several significant milestones:
- 2017: Launch of the annual Ocean State Report (OSR), providing key insights into ocean health.
- 2018: Launch of the WEkEO platform during the 20th anniversary of Copernicus, giving streamlined access to Copernicus Marine data.
- 2019: Addition of Green (biogeochemical) variables to the Copernicus Marine product catalogue, including nutrients, chlorophyll, and oxygen levels.
- 2022: Copernicus Marine Service played a crucial role in launching the OceanPrediction Decade Collaborative Centre (DCC) at the Ocean Decade Forum in Lisbon, and the EU Digital Twin Ocean (EU DTO), a virtual representation of the ocean which enables to run what if scenarios.
- 2023: Major digital improvements. Launch of the Ocean Climate Portal, which provides insights into climate trends. Introduction of the Copernicus Coastal and Arctic Hubs, which integrate Copernicus data into a single platform for improved data access and monitoring.
- Since 2024: Major upgrades have been implemented in the MyOcean Viewer and Marine Data Store, including new in situ data, improved base maps, and dashboards.
An important growth enabler has been the National Collaboration Programme (NCP). By fostering cooperation with national marine monitoring systems, supporting EU environmental policy, and promoting international collaboration, the NCP has so far engaged 46 organisations across 18 countries.
Looking Ahead
As the service enters a new chapter, Copernicus Marine Phase 2 is now underway, with preparations for Copernicus Marine 3.0 already in progress. The service will soon benefit from data collected by upcoming Sentinel Expansion Missions and scientific results from Horizon Europe projects. Further integration with the EU Digital Twin Ocean will enhance Europe’s leadership in digital environmental governance.
As the Third UN Ocean Conference convenes in Nice later this year, the Copernicus Marine Service will mark its 10-year milestone with the EU Digital Ocean Pavilion. The event is more than a celebration. It is a reminder that in a rapidly changing world, sustained, science-based observations of the ocean are not a luxury: they are a necessity.
Fri, 30/05/2025 – 12:00