Abstract The oil and gas industry is moving into offshore territory known for a high degree of sensitivity and complexity. For all operators, a prudent system of managing biodiversity and ecosystem services is quickly becoming a key success factor, but also a key responsibility. There are many forums for identifying best practices. IPIECA has delineated parts of the process through the "Begin yesterday" and "Locate and assess sensitive areas" principles. CSBI supports the broader goals of innovative and transparent application of the mitigation hierarchy in relation to biodiversity and ecosystem services, while UNEP-WCMC works to improve global data and strengthen business approaches for biodiversity management through the Proteus Partnership. However, neither global data nor methodologies are standardized. UNEP-WCMC has put a lot of effort into mapping critical marine habitats and has developed an online GIS-viewer, the Ocean Data Viewer. Equally, during 2014 IPIECA presented the Marine Geospatial Bibliography; a knowledge sharing platform collecting and making available information on oil, gas and the environment for industry, science and public. Finally, the CSBI, having identified the weakness of lacking standardization, created a biodiversity data collection work stream that aims to produce a practical guide on what ecological information is needed to sufficiently inform the biodiversity baseline assessment for projects. Different activities within the oil and gas sphere are performed in the marine environment and potential impacts inevitably vary. Standardization within differing contexts is a challenge the industry faces. This paper will present scientific case studies highlighting the methodologies that can be adapted by the oil and gas industry for baseline and monitoring: recording with hydrophones vocalizing fauna and using underwater acoustics and ROVs for studying benthic communities (multibeam echo sounder, sidescan sonar and subbottom profiler). Furthermore, implemented and tested "good practices" regarding coral reef surveys, deepwater and shallow water baseline methodologies will be shared.