<p>The Indian Ocean-rim hosts many of the underdeveloped and emerging economies that depend on the ocean resources for livelihood of the millions residing. Operational ocean information services cater to the requirements of managers and end-users to efficiently harness those resources, and to ensure safety. However, fishery information isn't the only operational services that will be needed empower such communities in the coming decades. Coral bleaching alerts, SCUBA-assist advisories, conservation or ecotourism assist services (e.g. Turtle-watch/Whale-watch), poaching/bycatch reduction support, jellyfish/microplastic/oil-spill watch are to name a few, but not an exhaustive list. This paper reviews existing tools, and explores the ongoing research that has potential to convert the findings into operational services in near-to-mid term.</p>