Coastal biodiversity in Europe; the Spanish component of the European Marine Omics Biodiversity Observation Network (EMO BON)

The European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC-ERIC) initiative EMO-BON (European Marine Omics Biodiversity Observation Network), represents a major effort in marine biodiversity observation and environmental genomics. Established in 2021, it is the first coordinated, long-term marine genomic observatory network in Europe. It integrates marine stations across Europe into a unified observational framework and it was endorsed by the UN Decade of the Oceans. EMO-BON enables systematic collection and standardisation through its handbook making protocols for water column and hard substrate benthos publicly available, while analysing marine biodiversity data at unprecedented spatial and temporal scales. The importance of EMO-BON relies in its ability to provide high-quality, harmonised, and FAIR datasets that can be used to support ecosystem research, enhance biodiversity conservation and promote sustainable ocean management at the national and international levels. Sequencing data are deposited in the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA), while metadata are integrated into EMODNet and the Digital Twin of the Ocean. In 2026, EMO-BON is made of 22 coastal observatories across 10 participating countries. Two are placed in Bilbao and Vigo that together with other local observatories (artificial reef monitoring systems deployed in Cadiz) could nucleate a Spanish EMO-BON initiative to better cover national coastal biodiversity. In the Spanish observatories, studies are complimented by in depth classic-taxonomic analysis and quantification of the microbial hydrolytic enzyme activities that play central roles in breaking down N, P, and C enriched polymers. Such long-term and sustainable datasets are essential for tracking changes associated with climate change and predicting future impacts on marine biodiversity. As pressures on ecosystems continue increasing, long-term biodiversity observation becomes essential for safeguarding European/national interests and ensuring the sustainable use of ocean resources for future generations.Acknowledgements: Grant RED2024-154137-E funded by MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and Basque Government fund to PiE-EHU.