Terms of Service

About Project SeaSense

Project SeaSense is operated by Stichting Project SeaSense, a non-profit foundation registered in the Netherlands. Our mission is to collect and share ocean environmental data for scientific research and public benefit.

Use of our website

You may use our website for lawful purposes only. You agree not to:

• Use the website in any way that violates applicable laws or regulations
• Attempt to interfere with or disrupt the website's functionality
• Transmit malware, viruses, or other harmful code
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to our systems
• Scrape or harvest data from the website without permission

Sharing data with Project SeaSense

If you choose to share environmental data with us through a partner application, you do so voluntarily. By opting in to data sharing:

• You grant Project SeaSense permission to receive, store, process, and share the environmental data as described in our Data Sharing Policy
• You confirm that you have the right to share this data (e.g., you own or operate the vessel)
• You understand that pseudonymised data may be shared with scientists and the public
• You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us

Please read our Data Sharing Policy for full details on what data is collected and how it is used.

Open data and licensing

Project SeaSense makes pseudonymised environmental data available for scientific research and public benefit. Data published by Project SeaSense is made available under open data principles:

• Data is provided free of charge for non-commercial research and educational purposes
• Users of the data should cite Project SeaSense as the source
• The data is provided "as is" without warranties of accuracy or fitness for any particular purpose
• Commercial use of derived products may be subject to separate terms

Specific datasets may be published under defined open data licenses (such as CC BY or CC0). The applicable license will be indicated with each dataset.

Intellectual property

The Project SeaSense name, logo, website design, and original content are owned by Stichting Project SeaSense and protected by intellectual property laws.

You may not use our branding, trademarks, or content without prior written permission, except for fair use purposes such as news reporting or academic citation.

Data accuracy

While we strive for high data quality, environmental data collected through our network is provided for informational and research purposes. We make no guarantees regarding:

• The accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the data
• The suitability of the data for any particular purpose
• The continuous availability of data or services

Disclaimer of warranties

Our website and services are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not warrant that the website will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by Dutch law, Project SeaSense and its directors, employees, and volunteers shall not be liable for:

• Any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages
• Loss of profits, data, or business opportunities
• Damages arising from your use of or reliance on our data
• Decisions made based on information from our website or datasets

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Project SeaSense, its directors, employees, and volunteers from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your violation of these Terms or misuse of our website or data.

Third-party links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or terms of any third-party sites. Your use of such sites is at your own risk.

Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the website after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

Governing law

These Terms are governed by Dutch law. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of our website shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Netherlands.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.