The European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water-column Observatory (EMSO) is a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) set up with the Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/1757 of 29 September 2016.

EMSO aims to explore the oceans, to gain a better understanding of phenomena happening within and below them, and to explain the critical role that these phenomena play in the broader Earth systems.

EMSO consists of a system of regional facilities that host observatories placed at key sites around Europe, from North East to the Atlantic, through the Mediterranean, to the Black Sea. Observatories are platforms equipped with multiple sensors, placed along the water column and on the seafloor. They constantly measure different biogeochemical and physical parameters, that address natural hazards, climate change and marine ecosystems.

EMSO offers data and services to a large and diverse group of users, from scientists and industries to institutions and policymakers. It is an extraordinary infrastructure to provide relevant information for defining environmental policies based on scientific data to fight climate change and preserve marine ecosystems.

EMSO achieved the Certification of Compliance to ISO 9001:2015 standard for the “Design, coordination, and development of environmental research activities on seafloor and water-column”