2nd CoP Co-design/Co-creation Workshop
Solutions for Improving Marine Biodiversity Monitoring
Wednesday 06 November 2024
Sitges (Spain) 16:30-19:00 CET
About the event
This is the second mobilisation of MARCO-BOLO’s Community of Practice (CoP).
The purpose of this 2nd CoP Workshop was to:
- Advance the process of stakeholder consultation for the creation of MARCO-BOLO products as key solutions to the challenges currently facing marine biodiversity, ensuring that the needs and requirements of end-users are met.
The project’s Data Management Plan and new technology based on tools such as eDNA, artificial intelligence and 3D image analysis, were addressed in detail. The subsequent discussions included input from stakeholders to guide further development.
The meeting counted on the collaboration of the OBAMA-NEXT project as a relevant sister initiative.
This second Co-Design/Co-Creation Workshop was part of the event “The Future of Marine Biodiversity Monitoring in Europe” organised by the ACTeon research consultancy for the Joint Research Center.
Brief Summary
The 2nd Co-design/Co-creation Workshop of the MARCO-BOLO project took place on 6th November in Sitges, as part of The Future of Marine Biodiversity Monitoring in Europe, an initiative launched by the European Commission under the Joint Research Centre (JRC).
The workshop brought together approximately fifty stakeholders, including representatives from JRC, DG MARE, DG ENV, and various institutions responsible for biodiversity monitoring across EU Member States. Participants also included representatives from organisations such as OSPAR, HELCOM, OBIS, Biodiversa +, EMODnet Biology, and GOOSBioEco, alongside researchers from universities and research centres across Europe.
The event focused on presenting various tools and information products currently under development within the MARCO-BOLO project, aimed at improving marine biodiversity monitoring. It also featured the participation of the OBAMA-NEXT sister project, which contributed by addressing issues related to innovative tools and their respective strengths and weaknesses.
Engaging with stakeholders during the workshop provided valuable feedback to enhance MARCO-BOLO’s products. Key topics discussed included the role of artificial intelligence in data management, potential technical solutions for simultaneously collecting eDNA samples and seabed mapping data, countries already using eDNA for biodiversity monitoring, and the reliability of citizen science.
The workshop underscored the importance of concise and well-targeted presentations, which are essential to the co-design/co-creation process—a proven approach for effectively involving stakeholders in product development.
Final Agenda
Wednesday 06 November 2024
Time
Item
Speaker
16:30 – 16:40
Welcome, agenda, housekeeping, and icebreaker
The present Workshop will advance the process of stakeholder consultation for the creation of MBO data products that better ensure the end-user needs and requirements.
Isabel Sousa Pinto, CIIMAR-UP
Vicente Fernández, Seascape Belgium
16:40 – 16:50
Connecting the Biodiversity Data Ecosystem
Through active engagement, co-development, and streamlined adoption of global data standards, the Data Management Plan (DMP) developed in MARCO-BOLO is a powerful tool for unlocking data, increasing the evidence base and building data literacy within the biodiversity community.
Dan Lear, MBA
16:50 – 17:00
Questions & Answers
17:00 – 17:10
Accelerating the Uptake of Deployable Technologies for Biodiversity
Scaling up the sensitivity of DNA insights with machine learning, and creation of 3-D georeferenced and annotated datasets are examples of advanced technology for cost-effective, timely, and accurate biodiversity observations in coastal and marine regions.
Nicolas Pade, EMBRC
Julie Robiedart, NOC
17:10 – 17:20
Questions & Answers
17:20 – 17:30
eDNA-Based Tools for Biomonitoring and Pathways to Solutions
Validating and tuning eDNA-based approaches for biodiversity monitoring across functional groups (from microbes to vertebrates) constitutes a key research area still in development. With a focus on marine organisms, some of the challenges to integrate eDNA data to biodiversity indicators, and the different angles to tackle them, will be presented.
Emilie Boulanger, UNESCO
Daniel Morais, UiT
17:30 – 17:40
Questions & Answers
17:40 – 17:50
Innovative Tools for Monitoring and Assessing Biodiversity Status and Impacts of Multiple Human Pressures in Marine Systems. Connecting with Other European Projects
Environmental DNA, drones, imaging, and artificial intelligence are some tools that, in an innovative way, OBAMA-NEXT is developing to monitor the ocean. The validation of these novel methods needs the comparison with benchmark technologies, and their subsequent integration into long-standing time series for data continuity. This requires transition periods and careful planning, which can be achieved through an intense collaboration of current and future European projects for marine biodiversity and ecosystem health assessment (e.g. GES4SEAS).
Ángel Borja, AZTI
OBAMA-NEXT
GES4SEAS
17:50 – 18:00
Questions & Answers
18:00 – 18:10
What Solutions Can New Technologies Bring to Marine Biodiversity Monitoring?
New technologies offer data streams with the potential for high spatial, temporal and taxonomical resolution, but also challenges in the translation into specific information relevant to support marine biodiversity policies. This presentation highlights the strengths/weaknesses and opportunities/threats for a range of different new technologies
Jacob Carstensen, AU
OBAMA-NEXT
18:10 – 18:20
Questions & Answers
18:20 – 18:50
Interaction/Discussion with Stakeholders on Co-design of Products
Isabel Sousa Pinto, CIIMAR-UP
Vicente Fernández, Seascape Belgium
WRAP UP & CLOSURE @ 18:50-19:00