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1st MARCO-BOLO Community of Practice Event and Co-design/Co-creation Workshop

We are pleased to announce that the first MARCO-BOLO Community of Practice (CoP) event and Co-design Co-creation WorkshopMaking marine and biodiversity observation policy-relevant” was held on Thursday, 23 May 2023

The MARCO-BOLO CoP aims to unite generators and users of marine biodiversity data, products and services within the EU and beyond. This collaboration ensures that project outcomes are stakeholder-driven and match end-user needs, bridging the science-to-policy gap and overcoming existing barriers.  

This mobilisation brought together over 70 experts and stakeholders in marine and coastal biodiversity data. Representatives from the European Commission (DG ENV, DG MARE, DG RTD, and JRC-ISPRA), from Regional Sea Conventions (OSPAR, HELCOM and UNEP-MAP) and the GOOS BioEco Panel shared their perspectives and requirements on current biodiversity monitoring data pipelines, bottlenecks and potential solutions for enhancing access to biodiversity data to better implement EU and global biodiversity legislation. Using the seagrass cover and composition Essential Ocean Variable (EOV) to be presented as a valuable tool for improving and harmonising data collection efforts for reporting to policy frameworks.

MARCO-BOLO experts also showcased possible solutions and products to enhance biodiversity data reporting at national, regional, EU and global levels. Participants engaged in an interactive co-design session that will inform the planning of future co-design workshops and events. The event highlighted the need for continued efforts to synchronise data management and monitoring practices, at national, regional and global levels. These efforts are crucial for shaping effective biodiversity policies and ensuring sustainable outcomes.

Read more about the 1st CoP Event & Co-design/Co-creation Workshop and stay tuned for more news on MARCO-BOLO CoP activities!