This November, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre is co-organising a workshop titled “The Future of Marine Biodiversity Monitoring in Europe,” which will take place from 5th to 7th November 2024 in Sitges, Spain. This workshop is the second in a series dedicated to improving and harmonising marine biodiversity monitoring across European waters.
Workshop Overview:
The November workshop will bring together experts and stakeholders to discuss recommendations and solutions for improving marine biodiversity monitoring strategies. These discussions will also focus on optimising data pathways to ensure that marine biodiversity data is more accessible and useful for policy-making and conservation efforts.
The workshop builds on the outcomes of the first event, held in June 2024, which explored the current state of marine biodiversity monitoring in Europe and identified gaps and challenges in existing methodologies and data flows.
Who’s Involved?
The study is a collaboration between the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and a consortium of leading institutions from across Europe, including ACTeon (France), the Institut de Ciències del Mar of Barcelona (ICM-CSIC, Spain), the Estonian Marine Institute of the University of Tartu (Estonia), and the University of the Aegean (Greece).
While participation in this second workshop is by invitation only, it represents an important step in the ongoing efforts to harmonise biodiversity monitoring across Europe. This work will be of great interest to the broader marine research community, as it aims to enhance the scientific basis for informed policy and conservation decisions.
Catch Up on the June Workshop
For those interested in learning more, the synthesis of the first workshop, “The State of Marine Biodiversity Monitoring in Europe,” held in June 2024, is available here. The document provides key insights into the current gaps, challenges, and potential solutions identified during that event, offering valuable context for the ongoing discussions.