Request for Proposal (RFP) - Marine data specialist - Mediterannean

GLOBAL, application closes July 1 2026

About the Company

Global Fishing Watch is an international, non-profit organization committed to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency. We create and publicly share knowledge about human activity at sea to enable fair and sustainable use of our ocean. Founded in 2015 through a collaboration between Oceana, SkyTruth, and Google, GFW became an independent non-profit organization in June 2017. Using cutting-edge technology, we create and publicly share map visualizations, data, and analysis tools to enable scientific research and drive a transformation in how we manage our ocean. By 2030, we aim to monitor and visualize the impact of ocean-going vessels, both industrial and small-scale, that are responsible for the vast majority of the global seafood catch. We believe human activity at sea should be common knowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean commons for the common good of all.

Using cutting-edge technology, we create and publicly share map visualizations, data and analysis tools to enable scientific research and drive a transformation in how we manage our ocean. To pursue our unified organisational strategy, by 2030 across 30 countries we aim to empower institutions and people to 1) support the reduction of illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and destructive fishing practices 2) better enforce and protect the rights of 1 million small scale fishers and 3) improve the effective designation and management of marine protected areas and other area based conservation measures. 

Mediterranean countries have committed to the global 30x30 target. Within the European Union, this effort is supported by the Natura 2000 framework, which provides a foundation for designating and managing marine protected areas across EU member states. Beyond EU borders, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) plays a central role in coordinating fisheries governance across both EU and non-EU coastal states, including through the establishment of Fisheries Restricted Areas (FRAs) and Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) - spatial management tools designed to protect sensitive habitats and support the recovery of overexploited stocks. GFW is actively engaged across this diverse regulatory landscape, working with national authorities, regional bodies, and research institutions in both EU and non-EU countries to strengthen monitoring, improve data transparency, and support the effective implementation of spatial protection measures.

The Mediterranean region hosts some of the richest marine biodiversity in the world. However, increasing pressures and insufficient protection have left it vulnerable. Today, only 6.01% of the Mediterranean is covered by protection measures, and just 0.23% is fully or highly protected.

Despite global and regional conservation commitments, significant efforts are still needed to achieve the 30% and 10% protection and conservation targets in an effective and ecologically representative manner.

Professional profile:

GFW seeks to hire a marine data acquisition and integration specialist consultant to support the identification, acquisition, assessment, and preparation of datasets relevant to marine protected area management across the Mediterranean.

The primary objective of this consultancy is to expand the dataset library available through Marine Manager by identifying and obtaining high-value marine datasets that can support conservation planning, monitoring, management, and decision-making. 

The Consultant should have experience working with marine spatial datasets, biodiversity and conservation datasets, geospatial platforms, and marine conservation initiatives related to the Europe/Mediterranean context as described below under Scope of Work (a). Experience identifying, acquiring, licensing, curating, or managing environmental datasets is highly desirable. The consultant should also demonstrate experience preparing datasets for integration into spatial data platforms, including data cleaning, harmonization, metadata preparation, and formatting of large and heterogeneous geospatial datasets. The consultant should also be familiar with working with government agencies, research institutions, and NGOs in the Mediterranean.

Scope of Work:

a) Dataset Identification and Assessment

• Under the direction of the relevant GFW team, the Consultant will:
• Identify regional, national, and site-specific datasets relevant to marine protected area management and conservation across the Mediterranean. Priority will be given to biodiversity, conservation, habitat, and protected area datasets, including species distribution datasets, protected area datasets, key biodiversity areas, important habitats, and other spatial datasets that can support marine conservation planning, monitoring, and management. Specifically including species distribution datasets (e.g. GBIF, OBIS), key biodiversity areas, important marine habitats, and other spatial datasets. Additional oceanographic, environmental, fisheries, and socioeconomic datasets may also be considered where relevant. 
• Contact relevant government agencies, MPA managers, academic institutions, international organizations, NGOs, and experts to identify potential datasets that could be integrated into Marine Manager.
• Assess datasets based on:
• Relevance and usefulness for marine protected area managers and policymakers;
• Accessibility and availability;
• Data ownership and permissions;
• Source credibility and data quality;
• Geographic scope and temporal coverage;
• Data format and technical compatibility;
• Technical requirements for integration;
• Legal, licensing, or regulatory considerations.

• Develop and present a prioritized list of datasets recommended for acquisition and integration into Marine Manager.

b) Dataset Acquisition and Integration (Primary Focus)

The Consultant will:

• Lead efforts to obtain access to priority datasets from relevant institutions, organizations, and data providers.
• Assess licensing requirements, permissions, and conditions associated with dataset use.
• Support the curation, cleaning, harmonization, formatting, and documentation of datasets for integration into Marine Manager.
• Work closely with the GFW technical team to facilitate dataset integration.
• Ensure appropriate metadata and supporting documentation are provided for each dataset.
• Identify opportunities and recommendations for future dataset acquisition and integration.

c) Analytical Support

As a supporting activity, the Consultant will:

• Develop and deliver two analytical reports that combine Global Fishing Watch datasets with newly acquired datasets to demonstrate practical applications relevant to marine protected area management, monitoring, conservation planning, or decision-making in the Mediterranean.
• Prepare maps, visualizations, and supporting analytical outputs as needed for each report.
• Work with the GFW team to identify and refine analytical questions, approaches, and outputs.

For each analytical report, the Area(s) of Interest (AoI), time period, data sources, analytical approach, and other relevant variables will be defined jointly with GFW through an agreed analysis plan.

The Consultant will submit draft reports for review by GFW. Following review, the Consultant will address comments, suggestions, and questions provided by GFW and submit revised reports for final approval.

Collaboration and Coordination

The Consultant will:

• Participate in regular coordination meetings with the GFW team.
• Provide updates on progress, challenges, opportunities, and recommendations related to dataset acquisition and integration.
• Support knowledge sharing related to newly acquired datasets and their potential applications.

Deliverables:

The consultant will be responsible for delivering the following outputs:

a) Work Plan

A work plan describing the proposed activities, timeline, and priority dataset categories to be targeted.

b) Dataset Identification  and Acquisition Report

A report summarizing:

• Inventory of datasets identified;
• Assessment of relevance and feasibility;
• Prioritized recommendations for acquisition and integration;
• Status of acquisition efforts;
• Summary of datasets successfully obtained;

• Stakeholders and institutions consulted.

c) Dataset Integration Report

A report describing:

• Datasets acquired and prepared for integration;
• Integration status and recommendations;
• Metadata and dataset descriptions;
• Summary of dataset preparation and integration activities.

d) Analytical Report

A brief report describing:

• Two case studies demonstrating the use of Marine Manager and integrated datasets for marine protected area management in the Mediterranean;
• Associated maps, visualizations, and analytical outputs.

Timeline and Deliverables:

This will be a fixed-term consultancy of approximately 3–4 months. 

Payments will be made after approval by GFW of each of four products mentioned above:

1. Work Plan: 15%
2. Dataset Identification  and Acquisition Report: 30%
3. Dataset Integration Report: 35%
4. Analytical Report: 20%

Consultant Qualifications

1. University degree in marine science, oceanography, fisheries, marine policy, geography, environmental science, or a related field.
2. Minimum five years of professional experience in marine conservation, fisheries management, marine spatial planning, environmental data management, or related fields.
3. Experience working with large and heterogeneous marine spatial datasets and geospatial platforms.
4. Experience identifying, acquiring, managing, licensing, or curating environmental datasets.
5. Experience preparing datasets for integration into spatial data platforms, including data cleaning, harmonization, metadata preparation, quality control, and formatting of geospatial datasets.
6. Strong analytical skills and familiarity with GIS tools such as QGIS, ArcGIS, or similar platforms.
7. Experience supporting marine protected area management, conservation planning, or marine monitoring initiatives is highly desirable.
8. Experience working with government agencies, research institutions, NGOs, or regional initiatives in the Mediterranean is highly desirable.
9. Strong communication and report-writing skills.
10. Fluency in English and French is preferred.

Submission requirements

Interested individuals should submit a proposal including a detailed plan and budget. The proposal should consist of:

• A cover letter explaining the provider’s interest and qualifications for the consultancy, including a description of previous experience with the types of work proposed in the RFP.
• Resume/CV
• A descriptive budget in an Excel file

Submission deadline

Proposals should be submitted by July 1, 2026

Equal Opportunities: Global Fishing Watch is an equal opportunities employer. Global Fishing Watch is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within our organization and in the greater ocean management and conservation community. We believe that diverse backgrounds, skills, knowledge and viewpoints make us a stronger organization. Bringing together professionals who possess broad experiences and a spectrum of perspectives will enable us to reach our goal of improved ocean governance faster. We hire and promote qualified professionals without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or parental status, national origin, age, physical or mental disability or medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Our organizational goals match the urgent challenges facing our global ocean, and our mission is designed to help secure a healthy ocean for all. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of humanity’s diversity, by providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all employees of Global Fishing Watch and for our partners, vendors, suppliers and contractors.