Ocean governance, once dependent on regulatory frameworks and geography, is now being increasingly shaped by information and data. Complex data infrastructures based on seabed mapping, satellite observation, marine spatial planning (MSP), and offshore resource assessments are today determining decisions and policies. Marine data has thus become a strategic asset influencing governance outcomes, economic access, and environmental priorities.
However, despite the growing reliance on marine data, access to and control over it remain concentrated among a few technologically advanced countries and a small set of private actors. For the Global South, this often means depending on externally generated and restricted datasets, which inform national and local decision-making. These asymmetries influence who defines ocean spaces, whose knowledge is recognised, and who ultimately benefits from emerging blue economy opportunities. Such imbalances risk reinforcing existing inequalities within ocean governance systems. Addressing this imbalance demands an urgent shift towards equitable, participatory, and accountable frameworks for ‘mapping with consent’ — data governance systems in which communities and nations are equal stakeholders in how marine data about their territories is collected, used, and shared.
Addressing this imbalance demands an urgent shift towards equitable, participatory, and accountable frameworks for ‘mapping with consent’ — data governance systems in which communities and nations are equal stakeholders in how marine data about their territories is collected, used, and shared.
Advanced economies possess high-resolution seabed mapping technologies, integrated ocean observation systems, and sophisticated data platforms. In comparison, many developing countries, particularly across the Indian Ocean region, continue to face persistent data gaps. While global initiatives such as the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project aim to map the entire ocean floor, participation and data ownership remain uneven, reflecting gaps in technological and data capacity. This contributes to economic exclusion, limiting access to emerging blue economy sectors such as offshore energy, deep-sea mining, and marine biotechnology. In this context, marine data ceases to be neutral. It prioritises interests and underpins knowledge hierarchies, while leaving out local and experiential knowledge systems.
Despite the growing importance of marine data, global governance frameworks remain fragmented and insufficient. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides broad principles for ocean governance, but offers limited clarity on data ownership, access, or equity. Similarly, the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) promotes data sharing and scientific cooperation but relies primarily on voluntary commitments, resulting in weak obligations and limited coordination.
While global initiatives such as the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project aim to map the entire ocean floor, participation and data ownership remain uneven, reflecting gaps in technological and data capacity. This contributes to economic exclusion, limiting access to emerging blue economy sectors such as offshore energy, deep-sea mining, and marine biotechnology.
At the same time, ocean governance remains spatially fragmented, organised around Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ). While the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement seeks to strengthen governance in international waters, it operates within an already complex and fragmented institutional landscape, complicating the generation, sharing, and regulation of data. As data becomes central to governance, these institutional gaps risk deepening inequalities rather than addressing them. For the Global South, this creates additional barriers to accessing, integrating, and utilising marine data.
Some integrated approaches can offer useful lessons for strengthening marine data governance. The European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) illustrates how interoperable, open-access data systems can support coordinated marine governance. By integrating datasets across sectors, it enables more effective marine spatial planning and reduces fragmentation through cross-governance systems and data flows. Similarly, Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) provides a nationally coordinated platform that combines ocean observation infrastructure with open data access, supporting both scientific research and policy decision-making.
However, sustaining such models requires strong institutional capacity, long-term funding, and high levels of technological development, which may be challenging for emerging economies, where development priorities and resource constraints often limit investments in data infrastructure.
Participatory mapping initiatives also provide an alternative, more inclusive pathway. In small-scale fisheries and coastal contexts, community-generated data have been used to improve resource management and strengthen the legitimacy of governance. For example, community-led mapping efforts in Indonesia’s small-scale fisheries have enabled fishers to document customary fishing grounds, influencing marine spatial planning and reducing conflicts over resource use. Such approaches demonstrate that incorporating local knowledge can lead to more context-sensitive and equitable governance outcomes, reinforcing their central role in understanding marine ecosystems.
Technical capacity in India continues to coexist with structural challenges, including institutional fragmentation, limited data accessibility, and insufficient integration of community knowledge systems.
In India, growing investments in marine data systems reflect both opportunities and constraints. Institutions such as the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) have developed significant capabilities, providing ocean forecasts, fisheries advisories, and early warning systems. These applications show how marine data can support development, livelihoods, and climate resilience. However, despite this progress, technical capacity in India continues to coexist with structural challenges, including institutional fragmentation, limited data accessibility, and insufficient integration of community knowledge systems.
Addressing these challenges calls for a transition to a more coherent, rights-based and just framework grounded in four key principles.
Marine data must be treated as a shared public good rather than a restricted resource. Expanding open-access platforms, promoting fair data-sharing agreements, strengthening equitable financing mechanisms, and developing benefit-sharing mechanisms — especially in areas beyond national jurisdiction — are essential. Global initiatives such as the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s Ocean Data and Information System (ODIS) are beginning to move in this direction by improving access to interoperable ocean data. However, ensuring that such systems are inclusive and accessible to developing countries remains critical to addressing structural imbalances. OECD’s Sustainable Ocean for All initiative highlights the need to ensure that developing countries are not left behind in ocean economy data systems and benefit-sharing frameworks, particularly in terms of capacity, access, and participation in global ocean governance.
Marine data governance must move beyond top-down models. Coastal and indigenous communities should be recognised as stakeholders in data generation and decision-making. Incorporating principles analogous to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), alongside participatory mapping approaches, can enhance both equity and legitimacy. For instance, in Chennai, fishing communities have undertaken participatory mapping of coastal villages and resource-use patterns, documenting fishing zones, settlement boundaries, and coastal commons to inform Coastal Zone Management Plans. In Mumbai, the Koli fishing community has long sought recognition and demarcation of traditional fishing zones and coastal spaces, highlighting the importance of local spatial knowledge in governance processes. Though their effectiveness has been frequently uneven, such efforts underline how embedding consent and community knowledge can contribute to more inclusive, context-sensitive coastal governance.
Bridging data gaps requires sustained investments in infrastructure, training, and research. Strengthening domestic capabilities, while fostering regional cooperation, can reduce dependence on external actors and enable more autonomous decision-making. For instance, frameworks such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Blue Economy emphasise regional cooperation in ocean science, data sharing, and capacity building among member states. Such collaborative models demonstrate how shared investment in skills and infrastructure can strengthen technological sovereignty across developing coastal economies.
Fragmentation across agencies remains a critical barrier. Developing a national marine data policy that integrates institutions, standardises data protocols, and improves interoperability is essential. Greater coordination between scientific, regulatory, and local governance bodies can ensure that data systems are both efficient and inclusive. For example, Norway’s integrated ocean governance model brings together fisheries, environment, and mapping authorities through shared digital marine data platforms, enabling more coordinated decision-making across sectors.
Reframing marine data governance through the lens of equity and consent is imperative. As the global community advances towards a data-intensive blue economy, approaches rooted in ‘mapping with consent’ offer a pathway towards more inclusive, participatory, and sustainable ocean governance.
Marine data is rapidly becoming a central pillar of ocean governance, shaping decisions on conservation, resource use, and economic development. However, without deliberate efforts to address asymmetries in access, capacity, and participation, it risks reinforcing existing power imbalances. Therefore, reframing marine data governance through the lens of equity and consent is imperative. As the global community advances towards a data-intensive blue economy, approaches rooted in ‘mapping with consent’ offer a pathway towards more inclusive, participatory, and sustainable ocean governance. India and the wider Global South must work towards shaping emerging data regimes in ways such that the benefits of ocean knowledge do not remain confined to a few advanced economies but are shared, governed, and applied in a more just and equitable manner.
Anusha Kesarkar Gavankar is a Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation.
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Dr. Anusha Kesarkar-Gavankar is Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation. Her research spans the maritime economy, with a focus on sustainability, infrastructure, port-led development, ...
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