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This presentation was given by Dick Schaap on 30 June 2023 as part of the Grand Finale of the Ocean Race in Genova, Italy, during the session "Low cost / cost effective technologies for ocean data monitoring and participatory actions" Moderators: P. Gorringe, L. Cocquempot, A. Novellino, Friday, 30 June 2023 - Genova Discover Blue-Cloud

The pilot Blue-Cloud project as part of ‘The Future of Seas and Oceans Flagship Initiative’ of EU HORIZON 2020 combined interests of developing a thematic marine EOSC cloud and serving the Blue Economy, Marine Environment and Marine Knowledge agendas. It deployed a versatile cyber platform with smart federation of multidisciplinary data repositories, analytical tools, and computing facilities in support of exploring and demonstrating the potential of cloud based open science for ocean sustainability, UN Decade of the Oceans, and G7 Future of the Oceans. The pilot Blue-Cloud delivered: Blue-Cloud Data Discovery & Access service (DD&AS), federating key European data management infrastructures, to facilitate users in finding and retrieving multi-disciplinary datasets from multiple repositories Blue-Cloud Virtual Research Environment infrastructure (VRE) providing a range of services and facilitating orchestration of computing and analytical services for constructing, hosting and operating Virtual Labs for specific applications Five multi-disciplinary Blue-Cloud Virtual Labs (VLabs), configured with specific analytical workflows, targeting major scientific challenges, and serving as real-life Demonstrators, which can be adopted and adapted for other inputs and analyses. Since early 2023, Blue-Cloud 2026 aims at a further evolution into a Federated European Ecosystem to deliver FAIR & Open data and analytical services, instrumental for deepening research of oceans, EU seas, coastal & inland waters. The DD&AS already federates leading Blue Data Infrastructures, such as EMODnet, SeaDataNet, Argo, EuroArgo, ICOS, SOCAT, EcoTaxa, ELIXIR-ENA, and EurOBIS, and facilitates common discovery and access to more than 10 million marine datasets for physics, chemistry, geology, bathymetry, biology, biodiversity, and genomics. It is fully based on machine-to-machine brokering interactions with web services as provided and operated by the Blue Data Infrastructures. As part of Blue-Cloud 2026 it will expand by federating more leading European Aquatic Data Infrastructures, work on improving the FAIRness of the underpinning web services, incorporating semantic brokering, and adding data subsetting query services. The Blue-Cloud VRE, powered by D4Science, facilitates collaborative research offering computing, storage, analytical, and generic services for constructing, hosting and operating analytical workflows for specific applications. Blue-Cloud 2026 will expand the VRE by federating multiple e-infrastructures as provided EGI, Copernicus WEkEO, and EUDAT. The seamless expansion will support orchestrating workflows, with algorithms and computing resources, divided over and running at the different e-infrastructures, and making use of the multidisciplinary data, provided through the participating repositories. This way, it will also open the connectivity to applications as developed in other EU projects such as iMAGINE (AI applications for marine domain), and EGI-ACE (applications for ocean use cases). Earlier Virtual Labs will be upscaled and upgraded, and new VLabs will be added. Moreover, the consortium is going to develop, test, validate, and document new Blue-Cloud analytical Big Data WorkBenches generating harmonised and validated data collections of Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) in physics (temperature and salinity), chemistry (nutrients, chlorophyll, oxygen) and biology (plankton taxonomy, functions and biomass). Such EOV collections are highly relevant for analysing the state of the environment. This way, Blue-Cloud 2026 will provide a core data service for the Digital Twin of the Ocean, EMODnet, Copernicus, and various research communities. This presentation was given at the EGI Conference 2023 on 21 June 2023, during the session "Data analytics platforms, tools and VREs for EOSC"

A federated European FAIR and Open research ecosystem for oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters. Data Discovery & Access Service (DD&AS) https://data.blue-cloud.org/ An easy and FAIR service for discovering and retrieving multi-disciplinary data sets and data products managed and provided by leading Blue Data Infrastructures. The federation facilitates sharing of datasets as input for analytical and visualisation services and applications, that are hosted and further developed in the Blue-Cloud Virtual Research Environment. Virtual Research Environment (VRE) https://blue-cloud.d4science.org An Open Science platform for collaborative marine research, using a wide variety of datasets and analytical tools, complemented by generic services such as sub-setting, pre-processing, harmonising, publishing and visualisation. The VRE hosts different Virtual Labs and is going to include thematic Workbenches, which users can access with existing credentials in EOSC, the European Open Science Cloud. Multi-disciplinary datasets retrieved from the Blue-Cloud DD&AS can be exploited in the VRE. All methods and services in the Catalogue are exchanged with the EOSC Portal Catalogue & Marketplace. Virtual Labs & Essential Ocean Variables Workbenches Researchers work closely together with the Blue-Cloud 2026 technical team to describe 5 Virtual Lab workflows and technical requirements, in order to implement them in the Blue-Cloud VRE and further test its capabilities on specific topics. In addition, Blue-Cloud is working on three big data processing Workbenches. These will facilitate the generation of validated and harmonised data collections for selected Essential Ocean Variables (EOV) for physics, chemistry and ecosystems. This poster was presented at the following events: International Ocean Data Conference - II on 20-21 March 2023 OCEANS 2023, Limerick, Ireland, 5-8 June 2023 EGI Conference, Poznan, Poland, 19-23 June 2023

29 November 2022 - Final deliverable pending approval Executive summary intended as supporting material to inform Blue-Cloud Final Conference. The Blue-Cloud project has piloted a digital platform and services showcasing how web-based Open Science can enhance the marine knowledge value chain in support of greater societal objectives, namely those seeking to address Ocean challenges and opportunities associated with the delivery of the EU Green Deal and UN Agenda 2030. It has proved how providing researchers with cloud-based analytical tools and computing resources, coupled with access to marine data openly available across different, existing European data services and research infrastructures, can shorten the research-to-innovation cycle, enabling them to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the transformation of marine data to products, progress more efficient modelling of ocean variables, support environmental analytical data services, inspire and accelerate community-driven innovation and collaborate at a global scale. Blue-Cloud has further showcased the specific applications that these improved capabilities can deliver, advancing solutions towards e.g., monitoring biodiversity; predicting changes in ecosystems; producing marine environmental indicators; or managing fisheries and aquaculture. Blue-Cloud Vision 2030 “To contribute to a European cloud-based knowledge system that provides access to a diverse and dynamic portfolio of analytical, prediction & visualisation capabilities underpinned by seamless access to a wealth of FAIR, transdisciplinary Ocean & freshwater observation data, enabling Open Science to deliver knowledge -including hindcast & forecast simulations-, and to drive innovation -notably through artificial intelligence-, science-based policies and public awareness for a safe, healthy and sustainably productive Ocean, in support of the EU Green Deal & UN Agenda 2030”.

Slides presented by Blue-Cloud Technical Coordinator Dick Schaap at the Ocean Best Practices Workshop VI on 18 October 2022. Discover Blue-Cloud

The Blue-Cloud project is part of ‘The Future of Seas and Oceans Flagship Initiative’ of the European Commission and runs since October 2019. It has established a pilot cyber platform, providing researchers access to multi-disciplinary datasets and derived data products from observations, in-situ and satellite-based, analytical services, and computing facilities essential for blue science to better understand & manage the many aspects of ocean sustainability. A number of core services have been delivered and are now in a phase of wider dissemination and uptake by marine researchers. Core services are the Federated Data Discovery & Access Service (DD&AS), the Blue-Cloud Virtual Research Environment (VRE), and five Blue-Cloud Virtual Labs. Slides presented by Massimiliano Assante, CNR-ISTI, at 2022 IEEE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON METROLOGY FOR THE SEA, MetroSeain Milazzo, Italy Discover Blue-Cloud

The Blue-Cloud project makes substantial progress providing a collaborative cyber platform with smart federation of an unprecedented wealth of multidisciplinary data, analytical tools, and computing facilities to explore and demonstrate the potential of cloud-based Open Science and address ocean sustainability. Blue-Cloud is undertaken within the "Future of Seas and Oceans Flagship Initiative" of EU HORIZON 2020 programme and is deploying the thematic EOSC for the marine domain. Federation of data resources has been achieved by developing and deploying the Blue Cloud Data Discovery and Access service (DD&AS). It facilitates sharing of datasets from blue data infrastructures (BDIs) with a common interface. The DD&AS uses web services and APIs, as provided and maintained by BDIs. M-to-M interactions serve harvesting metadata, submitting queries, and retrieving resulting metadata, data sets and data products. The DD&AS has broker components for metadata and data and a common interface for discovery and retrieval of data sets and data products from each of the federated BDIs. The query mechanism has a two-step approach: Firstly, interesting data are discovered at collection level in a common metadataformat, with free search, geographic and temporal criteria; Secondly, users drill down within identified collections to get more specific data at granule level, by including additional search criteria; Finally, users can retrieve the data sets using a shopping mechanism. Currently, the DD&AS gives access to more than 10 Million data sets for physics, chemistry, geology, bathymetry, biology, biodiversity, and genomics from EMODnet, CMEMS, SeaDataNet, Argo, EuroArgo, ICOS, SOCAT, EcoTaxa, ELIXIR-ENA, and EurOBIS. The DD&AS can be expanded by federating additional BDIs, this way providing a harmonised and easy discovery and access for the European ocean and marine data space. Moreover, it is planned to expand the functionality with sub-setting at data level, require additional APIs at each of the BDIs. Browse the Blue-Cloud DD&AS This presentation was delivered at EGI 2022 during theLightning talks: Data Spaces & Data Lakes session on 22 September 2022

The H2020 project Blue-Cloud is developing the thematic EOSC for ocean science, through a collaborative virtual environment to enhance FAIR and Open Science. Blue-Cloud federated leading European marine Research Infrastructures and e-Infrastructures, allowing researchers to combine, reuse, and share quality data across disciplines and countries with their existing MarineID account. The project has developed three main assets: The Blue-Cloud Data Discovery and Access Service (DD&AS) facilitates access to 10+ million multi-disciplinary datasets. The DD&AS functions as a broker both for metadata and for data access, interacting with web services and APIs from each of the Blue Data Infrastructures federated in Blue-Cloud. This way, it enables users to discover first at the collection level which infrastructures might have data sets interesting for their use case, and next, to identify and download relevant data sets at granule level from those selected infrastructures, by means of a common interface. The Blue-Cloud Virtual Research Environment (VRE) enhances collaborative research. Services include Data Analytics (Data Miner, Software and Algorithms Importer (SAI), RStudio, JupyterHub), facilitating to build and run analytical pipelines, Spatial Data Infrastructure to store, discover, access, and manage vectorial and raster georeferenced datasets, and services for provenance, documenting, and either sharing with selected colleagues or make available online any generated product (e.g. analytical methods, workflows, data products, publications, notebooks). The VRE is also accessible through the EOSC federated login. This innovation potential is explored by a series of domain-specific Virtual Labs developed by five teams of experts, addressing societal challenges related to biodiversity, genomics, marine environment, fisheries, and aquaculture. These assets, including specific services developed within the VLabs, are also available via the EOSC Marketplace. The poster highlights key services developed within the Blue-Cloud technical framework and their potential impact on marine research, ultimately promoting a sustainable and data-driven ocean management. This poster was first presented at EGI Conference 2022.

Blue-Cloud: An Open Science platform for tackling global ocean challenges The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) initiative was launched by the European Commission to provide researchers with a virtual environment with open and seamless access to services for storage, management, analysis and re-use of research data, across borders and disciplines. The H2020 project Blue-Cloud, as the "Future of Seas and Oceans Flagship Initiative", is the thematic EOSC for ocean science. Blue-Cloud delivers a collaborative virtual environment to enhance FAIR and Open Science. Started in October 2019, Blue-Cloud deployed a cyber platform via a federation of an unprecedented wealth of multidisciplinary data repositories, analytical tools, and computing facilities to explore and demonstrate the potential of cloud-based Open Science and address ocean sustainability. Blue-Cloud federated leading European marine Research Infrastructures (SeaDataNet, EurOBIS, Euro-ARGO, EcoTaxa, ICOS, SOCAT, ENA, EMODnet, CMEMS) and e-Infrastructures (EUDAT, D4Science, WEkEO DIAS), allowing researchers to combine, reuse, and share quality data across disciplines and countries. The project has developed three main technical outputs: The Blue-Cloud Data Discovery and Access Service (DD&AS) facilitates access to multi-disciplinary datasets. The DD&AS functions as a broker both for metadata and for data access, interacting with web services and APIs from each of the Blue Data Infrastructures federated in Blue-Cloud. This way, it enables users to discover first at the collection level which infrastructures might have data sets interesting for their use case, and next, to identify and download relevant data sets at granule level from those selected infrastructures, by means of a common interface. The Blue-Cloud Virtual Research Environment (VRE) enhances collaborative research. Services include Data Analytics (Data Miner, Software and Algorithms Importer (SAI), RStudio, JupyterHub), facilitating to build and run analytical pipelines, Spatial Data Infrastructure to store, discover, access, and manage vectorial and raster georeferenced datasets, and services for provenance, documenting, and either sharing with selected colleagues or make available online any generated product (e.g. analytical methods, workflows, data products, publications, notebooks). This innovation potential is explored and unlocked by a series of Virtual Labs developed by five teams of experts, addressing societal challenges in the domains of biodiversity, genomics, marine environment, fisheries, and aquaculture. The Virtual Labs showcase how Blue-Cloud can foster collaborative research in support of the EU Green Deal, the new EU Mission “Restore our ocean and waters”, and key international initiatives, such as the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The poster highlights the key services developed within the Blue-Cloud technical framework and their potential impact on marine research, ultimately promoting a sustainable and data-driven management of the ocean. This poster was presented at TNC 2022 and SciDataCon 2022

The Blue Cloud data discovery and access service will be one of the components of the Blue-Cloud technical framework. It will serve federated discovery and access to blue data infrastructures for external users and also interact with the Blue-Cloud Virtual Research Environment(the component federating computing platforms and analytical services)for populating the VRE data pool. The pilot Blue-Cloud project aims at federating initially in total 10 blue data infrastructures. Each of these existing infrastructures have been described earlier in deliverable [D2.1 -Blue Data Infrastructures –Services Description Report](https://data.d4science.org/ctlg/Blue-CloudProject/blue_data_infrastructures_-_services_description_repor), in particular with a focus on their current data discovery and access mechanisms. While a further analysis of the architecture and concept for the Blue Cloud data discovery and access service has been described in deliverable D2.6 –Blue Cloud Architecture (1stRelease). The Blue Cloud data discovery and access service will provide a common interface, both by web services as by GUI, for discovery and retrieval of data collections from the federated blue data infrastructures. Thereby, conceptually it is planned to set up the query mechanism as a two-step approach, whereby the first step will focus on identifying interesting data collections and products using a common set of search criteria, while the second step will focus on drilling down and sub-setting within the identified collections, in order to get more specific datasets. For the second step, geographic and temporal criteria will be instrumental, next to additional criteria which could be specific per blue data infrastructure. There are also cases, when one step can be sufficient, such as in case of specific data products, that a user wants to download as a complete file. Finally, users should be able to download and store the retrieved data collections on their own machines or in a data pool as part of the Blue Cloud VRE. Implementing this conceptual approach Blue Cloud data discovery and access service will largely depend on the machine-to-machine interfaces of blue data infrastructures, that should be supportive. For that purpose, further analysis activities have been undertaken by MARIS and CNR-IIA for each of the blue data infrastructures concerning the functioning of the existing web services, and in how far these web services are already fit for purpose for the Blue Cloud data discovery and access service. The analyses have been undertaken by try-outs of the earlier given GUI's and web services, and by a series of bilateral web meetings and e-mail communication with the technical contact persons of each of the blue data infrastructures. Moreover, the draft findings and further actions have been presented and discussed at the third TCOM meeting which took place 20-21October 2020. As a follow-up, this draft deliverable D2.2 -Blue Data Infrastructures –Services Analysis Report has been prepared by MARIS and CNR-IIA, describing the results of the analyses and formulating actions for each of the blue data infrastructures, where required. The draft D2.2 has been circulated to the TCOM in order to gather further feedback, and to finalise the draft for submission. On short term, the formulated actions as listed in Chapter 4 should be followed up by technical staff of relevant blue data infrastructures for making their web services fit for purpose, while the technical team of the Blue-Cloud data discovery and access service should continue their planned developments. The ultimate aim is to establish an operational Blue-Cloud data discovery and access service by M18 (end March 2021). This is only feasible if the web services / APIs are well-functioning and fit-for-purpose at each of the blue data infrastructure.

In the ENVRI-FAIR project brief on implementation of Open Science and EOSC targets the current achievements and planned activities in ENVRI-FAIR are summarised with regard to a) Integration with the EOSC infrastructure b) FAIR principles implementation and repositories c) Technical, semantic, legal and organisational interoperability d) Stewardship of data and e) Cross-cluster collaboration activities and achievements.

This deliverable D2.7 describes the Blue Cloud architecture as it is known at Month 20. It is the second release of the architecture and an update of the earlier 1st release of the Blue-Cloud architecture document D2.6. It is expected that there will be further developments and refinements to the Blue Cloud system. For that purpose, one more release of the architecture document is planned, namely report D2.8 in Month 27. In order to make it easier for readers and reviewers, a table is included as part of Chapter 1, which indicates the elements and sections of this Deliverable 2.7, which have been updated or added in comparison with the earlier Deliverable 2.6. The technical framework of the pilot Blue-Cloud features: the Blue Cloud Data Discovery and Access service component to serve federated discovery and access to blue data infrastructures the Blue Cloud Virtual Research Environment (VRE) component to provide a Blue Cloud VRE as a federation of computing platforms and analytical services. In this report, the current architecture and functionalities of each of these components are described in detail as well as the roles of partners that are developing and hosting modules. The Blue Cloud Data Discovery and Access service architecture is based upon a combination of the DAB metadata broker service of CNR-IIA, and the SeaDataNet CDI service modules as developed by MARIS, IFREMER, and EUDAT in the framework of the EU SeaDataCloud project. For the Blue-Cloud Data Discovery and Access service and its modules, additional developments were needed such as adapting and upgrading of existing services, adding new services, testing modules, integrating modules, and testing the integrated service, in order to achieve the planned functionality. The Blue Cloud VRE is largely based upon the existing D4Science e-infrastructure as developed and managed by CNR-ISTI. This e-infrastructure from the start hosted already multiple Virtual Labs and offered a variety of services. These services have been adopted and adapted for the Blue Cloud and new services have been added, while also new Virtual Labs have been constructed and deployed as part of the Blue-Cloud Demonstrators. The D4Science e-infrastructure also already had proven solutions for connecting to external computing platforms and means for orchestrating distributed services, which are instrumental for smart connections to the other e-infrastructures in the Blue-Cloud system. The Blue Cloud demonstrators are developed as Virtual Labs embedded in the D4Science VRE e-infrastructure and supported by data input from the Blue Cloud Data Discovery and Access service and other data resources, and additional computing services. The demonstrators are worked out in a cooperation between WP3 and WP4, analysing their scientific workflows and technical set-up, and considering the D4Science VRE infrastructure and services that provide the basis platform. As part of their development, the demonstrators have required upgrading of existing functionality and development of additional services. This is described, where relevant, in this document. In addition, consideration is given to integration aspects, such as two-way linking between the 2 Blue Cloud components, and expanding the VRE with additional platforms for computing and algorithms, and where needed for specific demonstrators, direct access to data infrastructures. Moreover, aspects of authentication and monitoring are considered on full Blue Cloud scale. The Blue Cloud architecture as described in this report, is designed to be scalable and sustainable for near-future expansions, such as connecting additional blue data infrastructures, implementing more and advanced blue analytical services, configuring more dedicated Virtual Labs, and targeting more (groups of) users.

The Blue Cloud data discovery and access service is one of the components of the Blue-Cloud technical framework. It serves federated discovery and access to a range of blue data infrastructures for external users and also will interact with the Blue-Cloud Virtual Research Environment (the component federating computing platforms and analytical services). The pilot Blue-Cloud project aims at federating initially in total 10 blue data infrastructures. Each of these existing infrastructures have been described earlier in deliverable D2.1 - Blue Data Infrastructures – Services Description Report, in particular with a focus on their current data discovery and access mechanisms. And further analyses have taken place concerning the web services and APIs that each of the existing infrastructures are providing for machine-to-machine interactions. The results of those analyses have been described in deliverable D2.2 - Blue Data Infrastructures – Services Analysis Report. The conceptual approach and architecture for the Blue Cloud data discovery and access service have been further developed and are described in deliverables D2.6 – Blue Cloud Architecture (1st Release) and D2.7 – Blue Cloud Architecture (2nd Release). Part of the concept is to rely fully on machine-to-machine interactions between the Blue-Cloud service and each of the blue data infrastructures. Another part of the concept is a two-step approach to discovery from data collections to data granules, where possible, and applying search criteria from coarse (level 1) to fine (level 2), while the second level can be completed by actual ordering and retrieval of associated data sets. The underlying report describes the actual development and deployment of the Beta-version of the Blue-Cloud Data Discovery and Access service. Implementing the conceptual approach has largely depended on the existing and available web services and APIs at the blue data infrastructures. Therefore, this report describes what services and what solutions were adopted overall as well as per blue data infrastructure to deploy the requested concept and functionality. The actual launch of the Beta-version of the Blue-Cloud Data Discovery and Access service is planned in the middle of June 2021.

9th EuroGOOS International Conference: Advances in Operational Oceanography : Expanding Europe's Ocean Observing and Forecasting Capacity, 3 -5 May 2021, .-- 6 pages, 3 figures, Eurofleets+ adopted a Data Policy making EF+ cruise data findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR). Data management (DM) is integrated and deployed in synergy with SeaDataNet, a European network of NODCs. The DM strategy is to ensure metadata and data of TA (Transnational Access) cruises to become available for dissemination and inclusion in major European and global marine data exchange systems. To achieve this, research teams are required to formulate their cruise DM plans, and use components designed for deploying the EF+ DM strategy: 1) equip RVs with a shipboard system (EARS) to gather and transfer metadata and data as acquired during cruises, both by automatic systems and manual entries; 2) assign DM experts (NODCs) to assist principal investigators and vessel operators, before, during, and after the TA cruises; 3) validate and archive all gathered metadata and data at NODCs for long term stewardship, and wider distribution, using SeaDataNet for exchange and publishing at several European and international portals. A central distinction is made between ‘en-route’ data acquired by fixed sensors, and ‘manual’ data from human operations, which requires post-processing, e.g. analysing samples. EARS will gather ‘en-route data’ for regular transfer and publishing at EF+ EVIOR portal in a dynamic vessel tracking interface, using SWE techniques

The Horizon 2020 Blue-Cloud (B-C) project launched in October 2019, aiming to demonstrate the potential of web-based Open Science in the marine domain. To deliver on this objective, it is piloting the development of a web-based cyber platform that will provide marine scientists with enhanced analytical capabilities. It will facilitate their engagement in collaborative research and will provide them with access to powerful cloud-computing resources, a range of analytical tools and simplified access to multi-disciplinary data from in situ and satellite-derived observations to model outputs. B-C is co-designed by, and builds on, existing European capability, including trusted data services EMODnet, CMEMS and other key research and data infrastructures and e-infrastructures. In the short-term, the project is building this cyber platform by means of a smart federation of selected, multidisciplinary data repositories, analytical tools and computing facilities. The added-value of web-based Open Science will be demonstrated by five specific, multidisciplinary "demonstrators" or use-cases. In the medium- and long-term future, B-C aspires to upscale this cyber platform, its resources, services and applications, together with a thriving community of Open Science service providers and users. B-C will evolve to further align with wider developments at European level to catalyse transformative solutions to priority societal challenges and unravel new opportunities for innovation, in support of the EU Green Deal and UN Agenda 2030. To guide the long-term capitalization and further development of this ambition into the future, the Blue-Cloud Project is producing a roadmap to 2030, which is being developed as a co-designed, community-oriented policy document with substantial stakeholder consultation and input. This document is a first draft Blue-Cloud Roadmap to 2030, that will be further updated and summarised in Spring 2021, ready for public consultation in June 2021. For this reason, this document should not be seen as a preliminary blueprint, but rather as an intermediary step towards gathering input, feedback and insight from the B-C Community towards its evolution and grounding, benefiting from wide stakeholder consultation. Sections 1 and 2 introduce the process followed towards the development of the roadmap, as well as the policy context, opportunities and challenges that motivate the Blue-Cloud's efforts, exploring the emergence of Open Science in the context of the digital age and how it can contribute to support the European Green Deal and the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. It analyses relevant developments shaping Europe's marine knowledge value chain and reflects on some of the outstanding challenges currently hindering its potential to leverage on Open Science to deliver on the objectives of these policy frameworks. Section 3 describes the added value that Blue-Cloud will bring to this landscape by 2022, and the overarching, strategic objectives guiding its realization. Sections 4 and 5 look deeper into the practical, technological and demonstrative assets that the project will deliver. Section 6 reflects on the community of "early practitioners" of Open Science that is emerging around these efforts in the marine domain, as another key asset into the future. Section 7 reflects on the overarching vision that could guide the future capitalization and further development of these results, as well as strategic, high-level actions towards achieving a shared vision. As the first early draft "roadmap", this document is extensive and does not yet include policy recommendations, which will be the core content of the final roadmap. The final version of the B-C Roadmap to 2030 (see box below) will be more concise, focusing on translating the road ahead in practical terms of policy actions and recommendations, bringing its key messages forward. This current format is used for a better understanding of the Blue-Cloud efforts, inviting feedback and contributions from the B-C Project Consortium, the B-C External Stakeholder Expert Board, the myriad of related projects and initiatives with whom the project is in dialogue, but also from organizations and professionals not yet directly engaged in its efforts, but who could be interested in joining in the future. The policy recommendations for the final B-C Roadmap to 2030 will be drafted from community responses to the public consultation, in particular to the following key questions: How should Blue-Cloud evolve to support a thriving environment for web-based Open Science and Open data in the marine domain? What governance mechanisms are most appropriate and desirable to ensure broad engagement of the marine community and to ensure widely accepted rules of participation? What applications of Open Science in the marine domain could have a higher probability of success, given current availability of data, models and actors willing to engage in collaborative science, across a broad range of topics? Which of such applications should be prioritized towards addressing current user needs and delivering highest societal impact? How should B-C's Open Science environment and services evolve to be fit-for-use not only for scientists, but also for other Open Science users such as policy makers and blue economy SMEs and industry? What needs do these users have that B-C could evolve to address? What incentives can contribute to bring Open Science practitioners on board? How can B-C evolve to further connect with marine data infrastructures and research infrastructures to deliver full interoperability of marine data through the B-C Data Discovery & Access Service, aligning and in collaboration with other international efforts? What actions would be required to enable B-C's Catalogue of analytical methods, algorithms and applications to be deployed in EOSC, but also in other infrastructures -closer to data- or across supercomputing platforms in Europe? How should B-C's assets evolve to align with future EU pilot DTO and DestinE developments?

International Conference on Marine Data and Information Systems (IMDIS 2021), 12-14 April 2021.-- 3 pages, 2 figures, Eurofleets+ is a consortium of 42 research vessel operators aiming to provide access to ship-time for high-quality marine campaigns, including equipment and remote sampling access. From the start, the project has given data management a central place. This approach acknowledges the important drivers of efficient data management: a) broad acquisition by means of a data management plan, b) adequate transformation by software agents and c) integrating the exchange technology used by data repositories such as SeaDataCloud, all three designed to work together. [...]

Since its third phase (dated 2016), EMODnet Chemistry's scope of attention has been expanded with gathering data and developing access to data and data products for Marine Litter. This document gives background information about EMODnet strategy for marine litter (beach and seafloor) data collection, its synergy with existing information systems and achievements of EMODnet Chemistry so far. Thereafter it gives detailed information on how to deal with marine litter data from beaches and seafloor trawlings and, in particular, the formats to be used for gathering and describing this type of marine litter data sets by EMODnet Chemistry participants on a European scale. Published We acknowledge the fundamental contribution of EMODnet Chemistry Steering Committee and Technical Working Group, MSFD Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter, Regional Sea Conventions (OSPAR, HELCOM, UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention, BSCS Black Sea Commission), ICES, ARPA FVG, CEFAS. We also acknowledge the contribution of the following EU-projects: BASEMAN, PERSEUS, MEDITS, DeFishGear, EMBLAS. Refereed Current 14.1 Marine debris Mature International Method Specification of criteria

Since its third phase (dated 2016), EMODnet Chemistry's scope of attention has been expanded with gathering data and developing access to data and data products for Marine Litter. This document gives background information about EMODnet strategy for marine litter (beach and seafloor) data collection, its synergy with existing information systems and achievements of EMODnet Chemistry so far. Thereafter it gives detailed information on how to deal with marine litter data from beaches and seafloor trawlings and, in particular, the formats to be used for gathering and describing this type of marine litter data sets by EMODnet Chemistry participants on a European scale. Published We acknowledge the fundamental contribution of EMODnet Chemistry Steering Committee and Technical Working Group, MSFD Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter, Regional Sea Conventions (OSPAR, HELCOM, UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention, BSCS Black Sea Commission), ICES, ARPA FVG, CEFAS. We also acknowledge the contribution of the following EU-projects: BASEMAN, PERSEUS, MEDITS, DeFishGear, EMBLAS. Refereed Current 14.1 Marine debris Mature International Method Specification of criteria

As part of the EU H2020 Blue-Cloud project activities are undertaken for developing and deploying a Blue-Cloud cyber infrastructure with smart federation of multidisciplinary data repositories, analytical tools, and computing facilities. This infrastructure will facilitate exploration and demonstration of the potential of cloud based open science, supporting research for understanding and better managing the many aspects of ocean sustainability, ranging from sustainable fisheries to ecosystem health to pollution, in support of the EU Green Deal and also in connection with UN Decade of the Oceans and G7 Future of the Oceans initiatives. This document provides an initial version and guidance towards the delivery of a final Blue-Cloud Service Exploitation and Sustainability Plan for the Blue-Cloud assets. While these Blue-Cloud assets are still under development, the process of defining the way forward for their future exploitation after Project end (2022) will benefit from an early consideration and discussion, engaging all Project Partners. Also, additional input from external stakeholder dialogue and consultations as being undertaken in the framework of the Blue-Cloud Roadmap to 2030 development needs to be taken into account. The Roadmap analyses will provide recommendations for the future capitalization and further development of the results of the Blue-Cloud Project in the medium (2025) and long-term (2030). This document is the first release of the Blue-Cloud Service Exploitation and Sustainability Plan and it gives present understanding as well as will serve as guiding framework for further analyses, discussion, and identifying the key elements that will need to be addressed during the remainder of the Project with input and feedback from all Partners. This process should deliver the 2nd and final release of the Blue-Cloud Service Exploitation and Sustainability Plan by July 2022. The goal of the final Blue-Cloud Service Exploitation and Sustainability Plan is at one hand, to define an exploitation model and to secure with partners the operation and exploitation of the Blue-Cloud results in the 3 years following the project end, and on the other hand, to explore and pave the way to longer sustainability, supported by major stakeholders. For the latter there is clear synergy and interaction with the Blue-Cloud Roadmap 2030 development. Moreover, sustainability perspectives will motivate partners to ensure and commit to the planned short-term operation and exploitation. The path to definition of the Blue-Cloud sustainability model is a process founded on 3 main pillars, supported by the project outcomes and research results and obtained with a consortium-wide commitment: Pillar 1: problem/solution fit and vision/solution fit of the Blue-Cloud framework – demonstrating ability to solve needs of target end-users, moving up the MRL (Market Readiness Level) scale to show proof of traction. This pillar is equivalent to MRL 5 and 6 ("open beta with pipeline customers" and "market traction"). Pillar 2: demonstrating customer understanding of Blue-Cloud, gathering evidence of satisfaction through validation scoring and marketing evidence of concrete benefits gained (e.g. testimonials from pilots and their users; subsequently through the open pilot stream). Equivalent to MRL 7 ("proof of satisfaction: both for customers and within the team"). Pillar 3: Proof of scalability with evidence of satisfied market needs and evidence of willingness to cover resources needed for a post-project continuation of services. Equivalent to MRL8 ("proof of scalability") demonstrated through the Blue-Cloud joint exploitation plan. Throughout its duration, Blue-Cloud will seek for demonstration of early market traction, which it will subsequently transform into a business plan. For this purpose, the current workplan of the Blue-Cloud project includes not only scientific and technical developments on the planned Blue-Cloud services, but also extensive activities for marketing and promotion of the Blue-Cloud assets to all major stakeholders, from project partners, targeted users, and potential funders. This includes activities for evaluating the defined MRL through KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) on the market penetration and the fitness of the market model for establishing a stable position, demonstrating incremental growth and anticipated added-values and impacts. Therefore, this initial Blue-Cloud Service Exploitation and Sustainability Plan identifies and describes all elements which are considered relevant. Also, it identifies where further activities are needed to provide firm answers and decisions. The document starts with describing the overall methodology and process that have been followed to prepare this plan, making optimal use of the Horizon Result Booster (HRB) instrument of the EU and provided business consultancy services, while engaging all Blue-Cloud beneficiaries in the process. It continues with sketching the European marine data landscape and the foreseen position of the Blue-Cloud platform and its services. The overall aims and concept are formulated, and a description is given of the planned Blue-Cloud services, the so-called Key Exploitable Results (KER). Next, an initial market analysis is worked out, reporting on the results of a Joint Workshop with Blue-Cloud beneficiaries to draft a Lean Canvas Business Model, and identifying different Blue-Cloud stakeholders and their interest and potential benefits. This is followed by giving an overview of the Marketing Media Mix (MMM), an extensive portfolio of marketing and promotion activities, which is applied in the Blue-Cloud project, since its start, to reach out to potential stakeholders and to make them aware and informed about the Blue-Cloud developments and resulting services and to collect KPIs relevant for the three pillars (see above). The next chapter looks into the organization of management and operation of each of the planned Blue-Cloud services and the associated roles and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of beneficiaries. Although this is still premature, since the majority of Blue-Cloud services are under development, whereby the organisation of their exploitation is still to be determined. Next, categories of costs for the exploitation phase are explored, followed by assessing the expected added-values and impacts of the Blue-Cloud services for different stakeholders and considering ways for measuring these as KPIs. Overall, the Blue-Cloud philosophy is not to aim for commercial services, but for public services, which are valued and appreciated by authorities, such as EU and Member States as major stakeholders, in a positive balance. This requires achieving success towards potential users and collecting convincing evidence of usage and impacts (see three pillars above). Aligned with this, another interactive Joint Workshop with all Blue-Cloud beneficiaries was held to brainstorm about these added-values and impacts and ways for monitoring. Finally, a draft is given of the initial exploitation and sustainability strategy and a summary of actions, which need to be deployed in the remaining project period in order to provide further answers and insights. This initial Services Exploitation and Sustainability Plan makes use of a number of already available Blue-Cloud deliverables [1], [2], [3], and [4], and the insights that these provide. Also use is made of the discussions between Blue-Cloud WP6 core partners in their regular WP6 meetings. And a lot of synergy is found in the activities and discussions for formulating a Blue-Cloud Roadmap 2030 with ambitions for the medium and long term, and organising input and engagement from major stakeholders for a future upscaling and funding of the Blue-Cloud services, aiming for a long-term sustainability and expansion of the Blue-Cloud initiative, e.g. by means of a portfolio of EU funded projects and synergies with other projects and initiatives. Complementary, the Blue-Cloud exploitation and sustainability plan is aiming for making arrangements for securing the short term (3 years after the project) with an outlook to the medium term. For that reason, the Blue-Cloud Service Exploitation and Sustainability Plan aims for developing a set of agreements between the respective Blue Cloud operators, in which they will guarantee that each of the Blue-Cloud services will be kept operational and available for use by researchers for at least 3 years after the Blue-Cloud project end, under prevailing conditions. However, currently there are still a number of questions which need to be answered as part of planned project activities. These should give sufficient input for completing the exploitation and sustainability insights and upgrading this initial plan into a final plan, Deliverable D6.5, as planned later near the end of the Blue-Cloud project.

This deliverable D2.7 describes the Blue Cloud architecture as it is known at Month 20. It is the second release of the architecture and an update of the earlier 1st release of the Blue-Cloud architecture document D2.6. It is expected that there will be further developments and refinements to the Blue Cloud system. For that purpose, one more release of the architecture document is planned, namely report D2.8 in Month 27. In order to make it easier for readers and reviewers, a table is included as part of Chapter 1, which indicates the elements and sections of this Deliverable 2.7, which have been updated or added in comparison with the earlier Deliverable 2.6. The technical framework of the pilot Blue-Cloud features: 1) the Blue Cloud Data Discovery and Access service component to serve federated discovery and access to blue data infrastructures 2) the Blue Cloud Virtual Research Environment (VRE) component to provide a Blue Cloud VRE as a federation of computing platforms and analytical services. In this report, the current architecture and functionalities of each of these components are described in detail as well as the roles of partners that are developing and hosting modules. The Blue Cloud Data Discovery and Access service architecture is based upon a combination of the DAB metadata broker service of CNR-IIA, and the SeaDataNet CDI service modules as developed by MARIS, IFREMER, and EUDAT in the framework of the EU SeaDataCloud project. For the Blue-Cloud Data Discovery and Access service and its modules, additional developments were needed such as adapting and upgrading of existing services, adding new services, testing modules, integrating modules, and testing the integrated service, in order to achieve the planned functionality. The Blue Cloud VRE is largely based upon the existing D4Science e-infrastructure as developed and managed by CNR-ISTI. This e-infrastructure from the start hosted already multiple Virtual Labs and offered a variety of services. These services have been adopted and adapted for the Blue Cloud and new services have been added, while also new Virtual Labs have been constructed and deployed as part of the Blue-Cloud Demonstrators. The D4Science e-infrastructure also already had proven solutions for connecting to external computing platforms and means for orchestrating distributed services, which are instrumental for smart connections to the other e-infrastructures in the Blue-Cloud system. The Blue Cloud demonstrators are developed as Virtual Labs embedded in the D4Science VRE e- infrastructure and supported by data input from the Blue Cloud Data Discovery and Access service and other data resources, and additional computing services. The demonstrators are worked out in a cooperation between WP3 and WP4, analysing their scientific workflows and technical set-up, and considering the D4Science VRE infrastructure and services that provide the basis platform. As part of their development, the demonstrators have required upgrading of existing functionality and development of additional services. This is described, where relevant, in this document. In addition, consideration is given to integration aspects, such as two-way linking between the 2 Blue Cloud components, and expanding the VRE with additional platforms for computing and algorithms, and where needed for specific demonstrators, direct access to data infrastructures. Moreover, aspects of authentication and monitoring are considered on full Blue Cloud scale. The Blue Cloud architecture as described in this report, is designed to be scalable and sustainable for near-future expansions, such as connecting additional blue data infrastructures, implementing more and advanced blue analytical services, configuring more dedicated Virtual Labs, and targeting more (groups of) users.

International audience; Data products, based on in situ temperature and salinity observations from SeaDataNetinfrastructure, have been released within the framework of SeaDataCloud (SDC)project. The data from different data providers are integrated and harmonized thanksto standardized quality assurance and quality control methodologies conducted at various stages of the data value chain. The data ingested within SeaDataNet are earlier validated by data providers who assign corresponding quality fl ags, but a Quality Assurance Strategy has been implemented and progressively refi ned to guarantee the consistency of the database content and high quality derived products. Two versions of aggregated datasets for the European marginal seas have been published and used to compute regional high resolution climatologies. External datasets, the World Ocean Database from NOAA and the CORA dataset from the Copernicus Marine Service in situ Thematic Assembly Center, have been integrated with SDC data collections to maximize data coverage and minimize the mapping error. The products are available through the SDC catalogue accompanied by Product Information Documents containing the specifi cations about product’s generation, characteristics and usability. Digital Object Identifiers are assigned to products and relative documentation to foster transparency of the production chain, acknowledging all actors involved from data providers to information producers.; Des produits de données, basés sur les observations in situ de température et de salinité de l'infrastructure SeaDataNet, ont été publiés dans le cadre du projet SeaDataCloud (SDC). Les données provenant de différents fournisseurs de données sont intégrées et harmonisées grâce à des méthodologies normalisées d'assurance et de contrôle de la qualité menées à différentes étapes de la chaîne de valeur des données. Les données ingérées dans SeaDataNet sont préalablement validées par les fournisseurs de données qui attribuent les fl ags de qualité correspondants, mais une stratégie d'assurance qualité a été mise en œuvre et progressivement réajustée pour garantir la cohérence du contenu de la base de données et des produits dérivés de haute qualité. Deux versions de jeux de données agrégées pour les mers marginales européennes ont été publiées et utilisées pour calculer des climatologies régionales à haute résolution. Des jeux de données externes, la World Ocean Database de la NOAA et le jeu de données CORA du Copernicus Marine Service in situ Thematic Assembly Center, ont été intégrés aux collections de données de la DDC afin de maximiser la couverture des données et de minimiser l'erreur de cartographie. Les produits sont disponibles dans le catalogue de la DDC, accompagnés de documents d'information sur les produits contenant des spécifications sur la génération, les caractéristiques et l'utilisation des produits. Des identifiants d'objets numériques sont attribués aux produits et à la documentation correspondante afin de favoriser la transparence de la chaîne de production, en reconnaissant tous les acteurs impliqués, des fournisseurs de données aux producteurs d'informations. fournisseurs de données aux producteurs d'informations.

Proposal to adopt SeaDataNet CSR XML encoding as the reference XML implementation of SeaDataNet CSR metadata model. The SeaDataNet infrastructure, its standards, services and products started to build since the mid-1990s under the EU MAST Programmes with the precursor EDMED, EURONODIM, MEDATLAS projects and continued with the EU-FP5 SeaSearch project (2002-2005). Under EU-FP6 Programme, the distributed SeaDataNet system was set up (2006-2011) and continued into its second phase under the EU-FP7 SeaDataNet II project (2011-2015). In the EU HORIZON 2020 SeaDataCloud project, the infrastructure is being upgraded and expanded making use of cloud services, High Performance Computing technology and taking into account the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) challenge. SeaDataNet CSR XML encoding has been drafted, published and firstly implemented in the context of SeaDataNet, the leading infrastructure in Europe for marine & ocean data management. Its wide implementation, both by data centres within SeaDataNet and by external organizations makes it also a de-facto standard in the Europe region. The acknowledgement of SeaDataNet CSR XML encoding as a recommended standard by IODE/JCOMM will further favour interoperability between European data centres and outreach to the broader marine community. Published Refereed Current 14.a N/A Multi-organisational Method Specification of criteria Reports with methodological relevance

As part of the 3rd phase of EMODnet Chemistry, the scope of attention has been expanded with gathering data and developing access to data and data products for marine litter. This document gives background information about EMODnet strategy for marine litter data collection, its synergy with existing information systems and achievements of EMODnet Chemistry so far. Thereafter it gives detailed information on how to deal with marine litter data for the scope of the EMODnet Chemistry 3 project and, in particular, the formats to be used for gathering and describing marine litter data sets by EMODnet Chemistry participants on a European scale. Published We acknowledge the fundamental contribution of EMODnet Chemistry Steering Committee and Technical Working Group, MSFD Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter, Regional Sea Conventions (OSPAR, HELCOM, UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention, BSCS Black Sea Commission), ICES, ARPA FVG, CEFAS. We also acknowledge the contribution of the following EU-projects: BASEMAN, PERSEUS, MEDITS, DeFishGear, EMBLAS. Current 14.1 TRL 1 Basic principles observed and reported Manual (incl. handbook, guide, cookbook etc)

This report D2.6 describes the Blue Cloud architecture as it is known at Month 9. It is the first release of the architecture as it is expected that the actual development and implementation of the Blue Cloud system will provide further challenges and elaborated details. For that purpose, two more releases of the architecture document are planned, namely report D2.7 in Month 15 and report D2.8 in Month 27. The technical framework of the pilot Blue-Cloud will feature: the Blue Cloud Data Discovery and Access service component to serve federated discovery and access to blue data infrastructures the Blue Cloud Virtual Research Environment (VRE) component to provide a Blue Cloud VRE as a federation of computing platforms and analytical services. In this report, the architecture and functionalities of each of these components are described in detail as well as the roles of partners that will develop and host modules. The Blue Cloud Data Discovery and Access service architecture is based upon a combination of the GeoDab metadata broker service of CNR-IIA, and the SeaDataNet CDI service modules as developed by MARIS, IFREMER, and EUDAT in the framework of the EU SeaDataCloud project. For the Blue-Cloud Discovery and Access service and its modules, additional developments will be needed such as adapting and upgrading of existing services, adding new services, testing modules, integrating modules, and testing the integrated service, in order to achieve the planned functionality. The Blue Cloud VRE will be based upon the existing D4Science e-infrastructure as developed and managed by CNR-ISTI. This e-infrastructure already hosts multiple Virtual Labs and offers a variety of services, which can be adopted for the Blue Cloud. The D4Science e-infrastructure also has proven solutions for connecting to external computing platforms and means for orchestrating distributed services, which will be instrumental for smart connections to the other e-infrastructures in the Blue-Cloud system. The Blue Cloud demonstrators will be developed as Virtual Labs embedded in the D4Science VRE e-infrastructure and supported by data input from the Blue Cloud Data Discovery and Access service and other data resources, and possible additional computing services. The demonstrators are being worked out in a cooperation between WP3 and WP4, analysing their scientific workflows and technical set-up, and considering the present D4Science VRE infrastructure and services that will provide the basis platform. However, at this time of development, there is no insight yet whether the demonstrators will require upgrading of existing functionality or development of additional services. Therefore, the described architecture of the VRE concerns the current D4Science e-infrastructure. In addition, consideration is given to integration aspects, such as two-way linking between the 2 Blue Cloud components, and expanding the VRE with additional platforms for computing and D2.6Blue Cloud Architecture (Release 1) algorithms, and where needed for specific demonstrators, direct access to data infrastructures. Moreover, aspects of authentication and monitoring are considered on full Blue Cloud scale. The initial Blue Cloud architecture as described in this report, is designed to be scalable and sustainable for near-future expansions, such as connecting additional blue data infrastructures, implementing more and advanced blue analytical services, configuring more dedicated Virtual Labs, and targeting more (groups of) users.

The Blue-Cloud project aims to pilot a cyber platform bringing together and providing access to: 1) multidisciplinary data from observations and models, 2) analytical tools, & 3) computing facilities essential to support research to better understand and manage the many aspects of ocean sustainability. Data management will be an integrated activity throughout the project lifetime and should be deployed and supported by the Blue-Cloud services as planned. An initial Blue-Cloud Data Management Plan (DMP) has been compiled to serve as a guidance giving directions. This DMP follows the Horizon 2020 guidelines for Data Management Plans as published by the European Commission. It is organised around solutions and approaches aiming at making data findable, accessible, interoperable and re-usable (FAIR). For that purpose, an overview is given of data (to be) managed by the Blue-Cloud project and solutions, both 'existing/already planned' and 'possibly to be developed' are given for applying FAIR principles. In addition, the DMP considers other aspects of data management, such as resources, data security and ethical aspects. This initial DMP will be updated over the course of the project whenever significant changes arise and/or more insights become available as part of the ongoing developments.

The Blue Cloud data discovery and access service will be one of the components of the Blue-Cloud technical framework. It will serve federated discovery and access to blue data infrastructures and interact with the Blue-Cloud Virtual Research Environment(the component federating computing platforms and analytical services). The pilot Blue-Cloud project aims at federating initially in total 10blue data infrastructures. Each of these existing infrastructures have been described in this deliverable D2.1, in particular with a focus on their current data discovery and access mechanisms. From the descriptions and discussions, among others at the first TCom meeting in January 2020, it appears that a number of blue data infrastructures do not have to be federated with direct interfacing to the Blue-Cloud data discovery and access service, but indirectly as some are or will be coupled to another of the blue data infrastructures and that way it will be arranged that their contents will also be present in the Blue-Cloud data discovery and access service. In addition, activities are needed in several cases for providing API's which are suited for serving the planned Blue-Cloud data discovery and access service. In the following months a deeper analysis will be carried out, in order to detail technical specifications of the Blue-Cloud data discovery and access service, and developments required at and by each of the blue data infrastructures. This analysis, technical specification and workplan for the implementation and deployment of the Blue Cloud data discovery and access service will be documented in Deliverable D2.2 at M8. Thereafter, in the months till M17, the actual developments and deployment will take place for establishing an operational Blue-Cloud data discovery and access service by M17.