UK's National Facility for Marine Environmental Data
The British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) is the UK’s national facility for managing and distributing marine environmental data. We ensure that high-quality data from UK marine science is preserved, accessible, and reusable, supporting research, operational planning, policy, and innovation across academia, government, and industry. Hosted by the National Oceanography Centre in Liverpool and Southampton, BODC is home to a multidisciplinary team of over 50 experts in marine science and data systems.
Together, we uphold international best practices in marine data management and lead efforts to improve data FAIRness, making it Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. BODC plays a vital role in supporting the UK’s marine science capability and sustaining long-term ocean observations that underpin our understanding of the marine environment and its changing dynamics.
What Services Does BODC Offer?
BODC provides an integrated suite of data services, including:
- National Oceanographic Database (NODB): A searchable and downloadable collection of marine datasets, primarily from UK research institutions.
- UK Tide Gauge Network (UKTGN): Managed by BODC as part of the National Tide & Sea Level Facility (NTSLF), this network monitors tidal elevations at 42 sites around the UK.
- NERC Designated Data Centre: As one of six official centres, BODC manages marine data on behalf of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
- MEDIN Data Archive Centre (DAC): BODC is one of seven accredited DACs in the UK’s Marine Environmental Data and Information Network, with responsibility for water column oceanographic data.
- Project Data Management: BODC provides data services for a wide range of UK, European and international research projects, from planning and collection through to long-term archiving and dissemination.
- Open Access to Data: We ensure marine data is readily available to academic researchers, policy makers, private sector users and the public. The data library catalogue provides access to snapshots of specially chosen datasets that are archived using rigorous version management. Access the catalogue here.
- International Collaboration: BODC contributes to global data exchange frameworks and champions standards and best practice in ocean data management.
History of BODC
BODC First Established
The British Oceanographic Data Service (BODS) was established by NERC at the National Institute of Oceanography in Wormley.
Relocation to Bidston
Relocation to Bidston Observatory, Wirral, as part of the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences.
Marine Information and Advisory Service (MIAS)
Began participation in the Marine Information and Advisory Service (MIAS), managing data from oil rigs, weather ships, and offshore networks.
New Data Management Approach
MDBS (MIAS Data Banking Section) developed a generalised data management approach adopted by the IOC as GF3 format.
Restructure to BODC
MDBS was restructured into BODC with a mission to operate as a world-class data centre for UK marine science.
BODC's New Home
Moved to the new Joseph Proudman Building on the University of Liverpool campus.
Alignment with NOC
Became part of the newly formed National Oceanography Centre (NOC).
NOC's Independence
Continued as a key part of NOC following its independence from UKRI-NERC.
BODC Today
Today, BODC is a trusted national and international authority in marine data curation, committed to supporting the future of ocean science through robust, accessible data systems.
Key Projects
BODC plays a key role in a number of different projects that work collaboratively with research organisations worldwide that all aim to increase our knowledge of the ocean by collecting and processing data.
NERC Vocabulary Server (NVS)
The NERC Vocabulary Server (NVS) provides access to centrally managed, uniquely identified lists of terms used to annotate marine and Earth science data. Managed by BODC and funded by UKRI-NERC as part of its Environmental Data Services (EDS) capability, with additional support from European projects, the NVS plays a crucial role in improving the interoperability and reusability of environmental data.
Controlled vocabularies from NVS are used by data creators, data managers, and software developers to describe and organise data in a consistent, machine-readable way. This enables easier discovery, sharing, and comparison of datasets across institutions, systems, and borders, supporting the wider goals of data FAIRness (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).
ARGO
The Argo programme is a global network of autonomous profiling floats that continuously measure physical and biogeochemical properties of the ocean, providing long-term observations critical to ocean and climate science. These data underpin progress in:
- Climate prediction
- Ocean productivity forecasting
- Global carbon and energy budget assessments
- Understanding ocean ecosystems
BODC serves as the UK Argo Data Centre, acting as a key national partner in managing, distributing and developing Argo data. We support the operational needs of the UK Argo programme, contribute to the development of Argo-based products, and help ensure these vital datasets are accessible for scientific research, policy, and operational use.
General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO)
The General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) project aims to map the entire seafloor of the world's oceans. BODC has been involved in GEBCO since the 1980s and is responsible for maintaining and delivering its digital bathymetric grids and Web Map Services (WMS).
BODC is also involved in the Crowdsourced Bathymetry (CSB) initiative led by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), acting as a Trusted Node to process bathymetric data collected by vessels of opportunity. These contributions are integrated into GEBCO’s datasets to enhance ocean mapping worldwide.
Seabed 2030
In 2017, the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project was launched in support of UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: to conserve and sustainably use the ocean and marine resources. The goal is to compile all available seabed mapping data into a seamless digital map of the global ocean floor by 2030.
BODC acts as the Global Data Assembly and Coordination Centre (GDACC) for Seabed 2030, responsible for collecting, integrating and delivering global bathymetric data contributed by regional partners. A new global grid is released annually and made available to the international community.
Access Data from BODC
As the UK's National Oceanographic Data Centre (NODC) and marine data centre within the Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) Environmental Data Service (EDS), BODC data helps provide answers to both local questions such as the likelihood of coastal flooding, or global issues such as the impact of climate change.