Advancing Socio-Ecological
Digital Twins for Ocean
Sustainability
In response to The European Union’s Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”, a new generation of marine research and innovation has been mobilized. At the heart of this transformation is the development of the European Digital Twin Ocean (EU DTO) – a dynamic, data driven representation of marine systems designed to create an accurate digital model of the Earth on a global scale in order to monitor, simulate, and predict interactions between natural phenomena and human activities. The SEAtwins cluster, officially endorsed by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) under the DITTO programme, plays a pivotal role in this effort.
What is SEAtwins?
SEAtwins is a Horizon Europe project cluster comprising four complementary projects:
SEAtwins aims at empowering policymakers, researchers, and further stakeholders to advance sustainable ocean management by integrating socio-ecological and socio-economic dimensions into the digital twin framework, enhancing societal and ecologic well-being in line with the UN Ocean Decade goals.
Cluster Synergies: Complementary Strengths Across SEAtwins
Each SEAtwins project brings distinct capabilities to the table:
SEADITO:
The overarching objective of SEADITO is to collaborate with end users in developing a targeted set of analytical methods and tools that support the evolution of the European Digital Twin Ocean (EU DTO) into a comprehensive decision-support platform for achieving healthy oceans, seas, coastal, and inland waters by 2030. The project aims to:
- Develop interoperable spatial decision-support components based on co-developed social-ecological models, compliant with current architectural standards and linked to ongoing DTO activities.
- Increase the transdisciplinary capacity of social-ecological models by updating and integrating them for improved Ecosystem Based Management (EBM), applying a multi-actor approach.
- Strengthen the human dimension of social-ecological models by co-designing them with stakeholders in each case study and incorporating expert-based and local knowledge.
- Support the EU DTO with FAIR socio-economic, behavioural, and cultural datasets, including services to ensure their fitness for social-ecological modelling.
- Develop social-ecological what-if scenarios to enhance DTO driven knowledge for inclusive and robust planning, while expanding stakeholder involvement.
SEADOTs:
SEADOTs aims to develop and integrate next-generation socio-ecological models that enable more inclusive, informed, and adaptive decision-making in marine governance. Focusing on three demonstration sites; the Norwegian North Sea, Southern North Sea, and Baltic Sea, the project co-designs, tests, and validates digital solutions in real world contexts, working closely with end users including policymakers, marine managers, and local stakeholders. These demonstrators serve as testbeds for integrated workflows and spatially explicit models that reflect the complex interactions between human activities and marine ecosystems.
A central output is the SEADOTs Explorer platform, which provides a tangible interface for exploring management options and trade-offs. This platform is complemented by learning materials targeting early-career researchers, decision-makers, and the general public, thereby enhancing digital ocean literacy and long term usability. By integrating quantitative and qualitative data, including cultural and behavioural dimensions, SEADOTs contributes to the development of holistic, scalable digital twins aligned with the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters.”
SURIMI:
SURIMI contributes to the development of the European Digital Twin Ocean (DTO) by creating a modular toolbox of nine models, including established systems such as Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE), POSEIDON, and CMSY++, alongside a new system dynamics model and a management strategy evaluation (MSE) model. Incorporating advanced features such as artificial intelligence and natural language processing, the project translates complex outputs into accessible summaries. A visual dashboard enables users to define scenarios and explore outcomes without requiring technical expertise, delivering open source, user friendly tools for stakeholders to run what-if scenarios and assess sustainable solutions for marine ecosystems.
By combining ecological and socio-economic modelling with intuitive interfaces, SURIMI enhances the accessibility and usability of marine data. The project builds on existing data infrastructures including ICES, EMODnet, and Copernicus, and contributes to broader EU efforts supporting the Common Fisheries Policy and Mission Ocean objectives.
EcoTwin:
EcoTwin seeks to make ocean data and knowledge more accessible to a broad audience, including citizens, entrepreneurs, scientists, and policymakers. Through the development of four classes of socio-ecological models and analytical tools – quantitative and qualitative causal models, network models with participatory feedback, and generative AI models – the project aims to improve decision-making and scenario analysis related to ocean health and coastal management.
Using four coastal regions as case studies; the Southern North Sea, Celtic Sea, Thracian Sea, and Waterford Estuary, EcoTwin will test and refine these models in support of EU initiatives to protect marine environments and promote sustainable development. Graph theory is employed to link diverse data types, enabling comprehensive models that capture the complexity of socio-ecological systems.
The models will utilize data from sources such as Copernicus, EMODnet, and EUROSTAT, with the goal of producing interoperable, reliable, and sustainable outputs. The project emphasizes stakeholder involvement through the co-design of tools and processes for effective engagement and policy scenario assessment, ensuring practical relevance for decision-makers. Additionally, EcoTwin will develop AI tools tailored to marine ecosystems, enhancing data accessibility and enabling more efficient decision-making.
Building the Foundations for a Sustainable Ocean Future
In short:
- SEADITO → Anchors the human and policy dimension of the EU DTO through co-designed scenarios and FAIR datasets.
- SEADOTs → Enhances digital ocean literacy and real-world usability, complementing SEADITO’s participatory modeling.
- SURIMI → Operationalizes complex marine data for non-experts, aligning with SEADITO’s accessibility goals and SEADOTs’ governance focus.
- EcoTwin → Adds analytical depth and stakeholder co-design to the cluster, reinforcing SEADITO’s scenario work and SURIMI’s modeling infrastructure.
The SEAtwins cluster exemplifies the EU’s mission oriented approach to research and innovation. By integrating ecological, economic, and social dimensions into the digital twin framework, we are laying the groundwork for resilient, inclusive, and actionable ocean governance. SEADITO is proud to be part of this journey – bridging science, policy, and society to co-create digital tools that support the restoration and sustainable use of our ocean and waters.
For more information about our partners, follow the links below: