Abstract
Protecting our oceans and advancing a sustainable blue economy require in-depth understanding of marine systems, driven by robust ocean observation, monitoring and valuation. Yet collecting reliable data remains time- and resource-intensive. This data is vital for scientists, emergency responders, and decision-makers to support early-warning systems and emerging tools like digital twins. Stronger support is therefore needed for data collection and its integration into systemic, innovative, and stakeholder-engaged ocean observation efforts.