A Service-Oriented Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure for Sustainable Ocean Governance

Oceans face urgent challenges exacerbated by fragmented data systems. This paper proposes and validates a service-oriented architecture (SOA) for Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure (MSDI) that operationalises FAIR principles as a real-time decision-support engine. The system reduces data integration time by 60% and accelerates emergency response by 40%. An Oman case study demonstrates the framework’s ability to support 500+ users and streamline coastal permitting from six to two months across seven governance sectors. An AI-assisted tool achieved 89% accuracy in compliance checks. These findings position MSDI as a critical tool for resilient ocean stewardship and sustainable blue growth, with applications for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and arid regions facing capacity and climate threats.