​​​​​​​​​​​"We've been collecting bottom-trawl survey data for decades, and it's gold for understanding our ocean," says Carsten Hvingel, who leads the new IMBUS project at DTU Aqua. "But right now, too much of that gold is underutilized: we are not using the data to improve the quality of the data collection itself, and we are constraining the group of potential users because of the specialist skills that are required." 

IMBUS (Implementing more and better use of ICES survey data) is a two-year EU-funded project built around a simple idea: the DATRAS​ database holds answers to urgent questions about climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable fisheries, but we need to make sure that the data quality is right and that it is easier for people to actually use it.

​ICES at the heart

ICES isn't just a partner in IMBUS, it's the backbone. ICES Data Centre leads the work on sustainability and integration, ensuring everything IMBUS builds becomes part of the permanent ICES infrastructure. "This isn't about creating standalone tools that fade away when EU funding ends," explains Vaishav Soni from ICES Data Centre. "We're embedding these capabilities directly into DATRAS and our Shiny servers. When IMBUS finishes, these tools stay—maintained, updated, and available to everyone." The project will work closely with key ICES working groups like the International Bottom Trawl Survey Working Group (IBTSWG), Working Group on Beam Trawl Surveys (WGBEAM), Workshop on fish distribution (WKFISHDISH), and Workshop on the Development of Quantitative Assessment Methodologies for Data-limited Stocks (WKLIFE), from design through testing to ensure the tools solve real problems ICES scientists face. 

Two big improvements

First, IMBUS is developing standardized quality control tools that work for survey vessels when they are out at sea. Instead of catching errors when uploading data to DATRAS, scientists will validate measurements in real-time during surveys. Each haul gets checked against expected values immediately. 

"We've all had that sinking feeling when you realize there's a problem with your data, but the survey ended three months ago," says David Stokes from the Marine Institute in Ireland, who coordinates this work. "Real-time QC means we can fix things while we still can." 

Second, IMBUS creates accessible interfaces for the DATRAS data. Shiny applications will assist ICES scientists, Advisory Councils, and fisheries organizations explore species distributions, generate biomass indices, and track climate-driven changes, without needing to dive into the ​​technical details of the data. Behind the scenes, IMBUS handles the hard work of integrating surveys with different gears and protocols.

Looking ahead
IMBUS connects to broader efforts. It feeds into FISHGLOB, the UN Ocean Decade initiative for global survey data. The Stakeholder Advisory Board includes four Advisory Councils and representatives from fishing companies. Martin Pastoors, one of the initiators for IMBUS, and working on the project with DTU, says: "Many groups could make good use of survey data if it is available in a comprehensible way. IMBUS makes sure we build what people actually need."

Find out more about IMBUS​.