The European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) is the European Union's in situ marine data service, managed by the European Commission (EC) Directorate-General Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (EC DG MARE) and funded by the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund. Established in 2009, EMODnet plays a pivotal role as a trusted source of in situ marine environmental and human activities data and data products, serving a diverse user base across various sectors. Covering seven disciplinary themes – bathymetry, geology, physics, chemistry, biology, seabed habitats and human activities – EMODnet spans the entire marine environment from coast to open ocean, surface to deep seafloor, whilst also offering data and information on the Blue Economy operations, from vessel density and offshore platform sitings, to hosting EU Member State Maritime Spatial Plans.

This data was obtained through a partnership with IMF, as part of IMF's World Seaborne Trade Monitoring System (Cerdeiro, Komaromi, Liu and Saeed, 2020). The data analysis was supported by the World Bank’s ESMAP and PROBLUE programs. The dataset contains 6 density layers, with vessel types aggregated to suit the needs of the WBG Offshore Wind Development Program: 1) Commercial ships 2) Fishing ships 3) Oil & Gas [note: this is just platforms, rigs, and FPSOs] 4) Passenger ships 5) Leisure vessels 6) GLOBAL ship density layers of all ship categories combined