Successful data management: Newly published dataset

Long-term observations are essential for understanding change in our oceans — especially when it comes to variability and extremes.

A great example is this newly published open dataset from the DAM research mission mareXtreme, project ElbeXtreme: Hydrographical time series data of Helgoland, Southern North Sea, 2024 (Fischer et al., 2025), now available via PANGAEA – Data Publisher for Earth and Environmental Science.

The data originate from the Helgoland Margate underwater observatory, a permanent coastal observation platform operated by AWI that has been in place for more than 10 years.

Over the past decade, this observatory has produced multiple large, high-resolution datasets, providing a unique long-term reference for physical, biogeochemical, and ecological processes in the southern North Sea.

Helgoland underwater observatory Margate (Photo: P. Fischer, AWI).

This particular dataset delivers a continuous one-year time series of carefully quality-controlled hydrographical parameters and exemplifies the strong commitment of mareXtreme researchers to open and FAIR data.

Importantly, the dataset also contributes directly to mareXtreme’s cross-cutting topics: it supports early warning systems by enabling long-term baseline analyses, advances technological and digital innovationthrough machine-readable open data, and fosters participation and knowledge transfer by making coastal observations openly accessible.

By publishing data in PANGAEA, researchers create a foundational first step towards AI-ready data, enabling future modelling, integration, and reuse.

Open data today helps us better prepare for tomorrow’s marine extremes.

Reference: Fischer, Philipp; Lienkämper, Miriam; Brand, Markus; Bussmann, Ingeborg; Brix, Holger (2025): Hydrographical time series data of Helgoland, Southern North Sea, 2024 [dataset]. PANGAEA.

Author: Astrid Wittmann (AWI)