Methodology - Ocean Central

Ocean Central was born out of a conversation between ocean leaders and Wave founders, who recognized the absence of a single platform to communicate ocean health holistically. To deliver on this vision, the team grounded the platform in a science-based framework. Professor Carlos Duarte’s article, Rebuilding Marine Life, was the foundation needed and the platform was modelled to reflect the different dimensions of his roadmap.

Ocean Central consolidates existing data and science on ocean health to provide a comprehensive view of the ocean. We do not collect first-party data. Instead, we identify, evaluate, and integrate trusted, publicly available datasets from science and research initiatives into a platform designed for accessibility, transparency, and practical use. 

A full list of sources is available on our Data Resources page, with methods and code documented on GitHub. Our open-source approach ensures access for scientists, policymakers, practitioners, and the public.
With the aim of providing a global view of ocean health, we defined clear criteria to select the type of data that would feature on Ocean Central. 

• First, data must be science-based and relevant to ocean health, reflecting the state of marine life and ecosystems or the threats, pressures, and solutions shaping them. The robustness of the data is assessed by Ocean Central’s scientific and data teams and technical partners.
• Secondly, the data layers must be global, with the exception of case studies mentioned under each topic in the Track section. 
• Data must also be well documented and suitable for periodic updates. These considerations guide us in curating data that’s useful and all-encompassing.

Ocean datasets vary widely in format, resolution, and quality. For this reason, we standardize units and geographic coverage where possible, align data to thematic categories, clearly cite original sources, and highlight any calculations we’ve done to the data. This enables meaningful comparison while preserving the integrity of data sources.

Updates depend on the availability of new open-source data and validation of source datasets, so timing may vary from one data set to another.

Building Ocean Central has revealed the depth of existing science and the significant gaps that remain. We have found that data availability and quality vary widely across topics and regions. Some datasets are incomplete, inconsistently updated, or inaccessible behind paywalls. We highlight these data gaps alongside the data we present, and we welcome partnerships to address these gaps.

We believe open access to data is central to enabling collaboration and informed action for the ocean. This is why we’ve made sure that all sources are cited and methods are documented publicly.

We also use interactive visualizations to make complex data understandable and explorable, emphasizing clarity and usefulness without oversimplifying the science.

Ocean Central is designed for NGOs and CSOs, policymakers, environmental consultants, and anyone wanting to understand the state of ocean health and what is needed to restore it. 

Continually looking at the needs of users led to a revamped platform in 2026, featuring an AI query tool, ocean newsfeed, a streamlined experience for tracking global data, deeper insights, case studies, best practices to inspire action, and interactive visuals that make complex data easy to understand and explore. 

To learn more, explore our Data Resources or visit GitHub.