Metocean surveys commonly refer to the combined wind, wave and tidal current conditions. These conditions play an important role in shaping the marine environment and seabed, and can inform forecasting of seabed mobility. For wave and tidal projects, this data forms a critical factor in forecasting energy yield and designing project layout.

Metocean data collection can be challenging . In many cases, it is helpful if measurements are taken during the most extreme weather events so that any offshore structure design is optimised to withstand extreme weather events.

Much of the data held on the MDE is collected by wave buoys to measure wave height and direction, and Accoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) to measure water current velocities over a depth range. Modelled metocean data can then be used to additionally predict the impact of storm events.