Agriculture & Environment
Marine & Aquatic Science Research: Data, Ships, Funders, Societies
Marine and aquatic science research covers oceans, estuaries, lakes, rivers, streams, ponds and wetlands, and their biological, chemical, geological, optical and physical characteristics. In the United States the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences funds biological, chemical and physical oceanography, geological and geophysical processes of the ocean, and U.S. Sub-Seafloor Sampling, including scientific ocean drilling coordinated through the NSF Scientific Ocean Drilling Coordination Office. NOAA Fisheries organises its science around stock assessments, research surveys, acoustics, age and growth, ocean acidification and integrated ecosystem assessment. Internationally, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO has 153 Member States and coordinates the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, 2021 to 2030, while GOOS coordinates observing networks such as Argo, GO-SHIP and OceanSITES.
The data layer is shared and largely open. The World Ocean Database at NOAA NCEI holds more than 18.6 million oceanographic casts in its WOD23 release. OBIS reports 244 million species observations from 7,655 datasets, and WoRMS lists 251,411 accepted marine species. BCO-DMO is the NSF-funded repository for biological and chemical oceanography, and GEBCO publishes the global bathymetry grid. Common standards include Darwin Core for biodiversity records and ISO 19115 metadata in SeaDataNet.
Fieldwork depends on access to ships. UNOLS describes a U.S. Academic Research Fleet of 16 research vessels operated by 14 institutions, with ship time requested through the Marine Facilities Planner. Before starting, a researcher or administrator should settle how ship time will be secured, which repository will hold the data, which taxonomic and metadata standards apply, and which society journals and preprint servers fit the work. Physical, chemical and biological oceanography, geology, fisheries, aquaculture, coral reefs, estuaries and freshwater each have their own hubs.
Reviewed 5 November 2026 by CASRAI Editorial Board
- NSF Division of Ocean Sciences(read 5 November 2026)
- EGU Ocean Sciences division(read 5 November 2026)
- ASLO(read 5 November 2026)
- ICES about(read 5 November 2026)
- ICES expert groups(read 5 November 2026)
- OBIS(read 5 November 2026)
- World Ocean Database(read 5 November 2026)
- Argo programme(read 5 November 2026)
- GOOS(read 5 November 2026)
- SCOR(read 5 November 2026)
- SeaDataNet(read 5 November 2026)
- Ocean Best Practices System(read 5 November 2026)
- UNOLS(read 5 November 2026)
- BODC(read 5 November 2026)
- PANGAEA(read 5 November 2026)
- NOAA Fisheries science and data(read 5 November 2026)
- BCO-DMO(read 5 November 2026)
- WoRMS(read 5 November 2026)
- ECORD(read 5 November 2026)
- GEBCO(read 5 November 2026)
Field at a glance
Journals
- Ocean Science (EGU)
- Interactive open-access journal of the European Geosciences Union; papers appear as preprints with public discussion during review, and content is CC BY 4.0.Website ↗
- Frontiers in Marine Science
- Frontiers Media journal with 19 sections, from Coral Reef Research and Physical Oceanography to Marine Fisheries, Aquaculture and Living Resources; charges apply.Website ↗
Societies
- ASLO (Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography)
- Covers oceans, estuaries, lakes, rivers and wetlands; publishes Limnology and Oceanography and the L&O Bulletin; next Aquatic Sciences Meeting is in San Juan, 2027.Website ↗
- EGU Division on Ocean Sciences
- Organises the ocean science programme of the EGU General Assembly and runs awards including the Fridtjof Nansen Medal; linked to the journal Ocean Science.Website ↗
- SCOR (Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research)
- Interdisciplinary body formed in 1957; runs working groups, research and infrastructural projects and capacity development; secretariat at the University of Delaware.Website ↗
- ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea)
- Advances marine ecosystem science and provides advice, data tools and expert groups; expert groups sit under steering groups such as HAPISG and EAMSG.Website ↗
Funders and programmes
- NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE)
- Funds biological, chemical and physical oceanography, marine geology and geophysics, and U.S. Sub-Seafloor Sampling including scientific ocean drilling via SODCO.Website ↗
- NOAA Fisheries science and data
- Lists stock assessments, research surveys, acoustics, age and growth, ocean acidification, integrated ecosystem assessment, databases and a metadata catalogue.Website ↗
- IOC-UNESCO
- The UN's lead body for ocean science, with 153 Member States; coordinates the UN Decade of Ocean Science 2021-2030 and cites GEBCO and OBIS as examples.Website ↗
- Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)
- IOC-led programme coordinating observing networks including Argo, GO-SHIP, OceanSITES and gliders, with expert panels for physics, biogeochemistry and biology.Website ↗ · Our guide →
- UNOLS (University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System)
- Consortium of 61 institutions; U.S. Academic Research Fleet of 16 vessels; ship time and cruise planning go through the Marine Facilities Planner.Website ↗
Archives, facilities and data
- World Ocean Database (NOAA NCEI)
- Quality-controlled ocean profile data; WOD23 holds over 18.6 million casts and 3.13 billion measurements, openly available through WODselect.Website ↗ · Our guide →
- OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System)
- Marine biodiversity data resource: 244 million species observations, 7,655 datasets and 38 nodes, with an API and data mapper.Website ↗ · Our guide →
- WoRMS (World Register of Marine Species)
- Catalogue of marine names with 251,411 accepted species and 373 editors; hosted by the Flanders Marine Institute, with Match Taxa and web services.Website ↗
- BCO-DMO
- NSF-funded, CoreTrustSeal-certified repository for biological and chemical oceanography, with 7,728 datasets and data submission and data-plan guidance.Website ↗
- GEBCO (General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans)
- Free global seabed grid, latest GEBCO_2026; Seabed 2030 with the Nippon Foundation aims at a complete ocean-floor map by 2030.Website ↗
Standards and formats
- SeaDataNet
- European marine data infrastructure using ISO 19115 metadata, common vocabularies, harmonised transport formats and common quality-control flags; over 110 data centres.Website ↗
- Darwin Core
- Biodiversity data standard maintained by the TDWG Darwin Core Maintenance Group; a vocabulary of terms for taxa, occurrences, events and measurements.Website ↗
- Ocean Best Practices System
- IOC initiative with a repository for submitting and searching ocean methods, supporting the OceanPractices programme of the UN Ocean Decade.Website ↗
Preprints and indexes
- EarthArXiv
- Earth science preprint repository powered by the California Digital Library and Janeway; accepts new submissions after registration.Website ↗
19 pages across 6 topic areas
Laboratory Operations & Safety
- Coastal Wetland: Definition, Types & Field Guide
Explore coastal wetlands: watershed definitions, Cowardin classification systems, tidal salinity zones, blue carbon storage, and field sampling protoc…
- Coral Restoration: Methods, Ecology, and Scale
Coral restoration uses active propagation and habitat stabilization to recover degraded reefs. Explore methods, field protocols, and ecosystem metrics…
- Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture: IMTA
A guide to integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), covering circular nutrient recycling, species balance, operational siting, and coastal biofilt…
- Maximum Sustainable Yield: Models, Reference Points, and Management
Learn how Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) defines harvest limits in fisheries science through surplus production models, B_MSY, and NOAA NS1 rules.…
- Ocean Carbon: Marine Cycle, Pools & Lab Methods
A researcher's guide to ocean carbon reservoirs, the marine carbonate equilibrium, Dickson measurement protocols, and global hydrographic data systems…
- Protected Species: Marine Frameworks & Research Guide
A researcher's guide to protected species legal frameworks, ESA and MMPA scientific permits, APPS protocols, and marine biological specimen compliance…
- Recirculating Aquaculture System: Guide & Specs
Explore recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) engineering: compare component loops, sizing specs, biofilter water chemistry, and operational protocol…
Research Data Management
- NOAA NCEI: Accessing the National Centers for Environmental Information's Climate and Ocean Data
How to access NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI): its role as NOAA's climate, weather, and ocean data archive, its predecess…
- OBIS: The Ocean Biodiversity Information System for Marine Research Data
OBIS is the global open-access platform for marine biodiversity occurrence data, governed under IOC-UNESCO — related to, but organizationally and scie…
- Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI): Data Access, Citation and 2026 Status
How to find and cite Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) data, plus the 2026 array recovery timeline and what stays accessible.…
- PANGAEA: Data Publisher for Earth and Environmental Science Datasets
PANGAEA is an open-access data publisher for earth, environmental, polar, and marine science data, offering DOI-based citation, editorial curation, an…
- The Argo Float Program: Open Oceanographic Data Infrastructure
A guide to the Argo profiling-float program: how ~4,000 autonomous floats collect ocean temperature and salinity data, how it is governed, quality-con…
Research Methods & Statistics
- What Is Fisheries Science and Aquaculture? Research, Funding, and Careers
A plain explanation of fisheries science and aquaculture research: stock assessment, aquatic ecology, fish health and breeding, the agencies and socie…
- What Is Marine Biology? Research Areas, Funding, and Career Paths
A thorough answer to "what is marine biology" — what it studies, its major sub-disciplines, who funds the research (NSF, NOAA, NIH, ONR), typical meth…
- What Is Oceanography? Research Areas, Funding, and Career Paths
A thorough answer to "what is oceanography" — what it studies, its major subfields, who funds the research (NSF, NOAA, ONR, NASA), typical methods and…
Research Integrity & Compliance
- Magnuson-Stevens Act: What It Requires and What Researchers Need to Know
What the Magnuson-Stevens Act requires, its key statutory definitions, and how research vessels and exempted fishing permits work under 50 CFR 600.745…
- Marine Mammal Protection Act: Research Permits
Navigate Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) take permits, NMFS research authorizations, Level A and B harassment, APPS applications, and compliance s…
Grants Management & Research Funding
- NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Guide
Explore NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program grants, Ruth D. Gates funding competitions, 16 U.S.C. 6410 matching rules, and marine restoration complia…
Scholarly Publishing
- Ocean Networks Canada: Data Access & Oceans 3.0
A comprehensive guide to Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), covering Oceans 3.0 data discovery, cabled ocean observatories, Python API queries, and data cit…
