ANERIS Workshop on Underwater Imaging, Bio-optic and Participatory Technologies

ANERIS workshop

Online

After a very successful workshop on AI basics for image analysis, Euro-BioImaging and its nodes (France Bioimaging and Israel Bioimaging), are excited to announce the organisation of a new series of ANERIS workshop sessions on December 2nd and 4th, 2024, focused on Underwater imaging, Bio-Optics, and Participatory technologies developed within the ANERIS Project (https://www.lifewatch.eu/ANERIS).

Experts from Euro-Bioimaging, the University of Haifa, France-BioImaging, and members of the ANERIS consortium will lead participants through sessions exploring the various technologies and tools developed within the ANERIS project.

This event is open to all researchers, technology developers, users, citizens and stakeholders from the broader scientific and technical community interested in advancing the field of marine science.

 Visit Euro-BioImaging website for more information and the agenda: https://www.eurobioimaging.eu/events/aneris-workshop-2-underwater-imaging-bio-optic-and-participatory-technologies

Register here: https://embl-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJModeuhqj4qGNfM9Omc2plO1L8W-RcIGRKO#/registration

Marine SABRES Serious Game School Competition

serious game competition

Online

The “Serious Game” School Competition organised by the EU-funded project Marine Sabres, takes place this 21st November, on the same day of the World Fisheries Day.

A great chance for students and teachers, to learn or test their knowledge on basic concepts of marine biology and coastal ecology and to increase awareness of the relationship between humans and the ocean.

Registrations are accepted until the day of the event: click here to sign up for the competition.

EMODnet – Open Conference 2023

Brussels, Belgium, 29-30 November 2023.

Over November 29 and 30, EMODnet experts from the full partnership will present the latest developments and innovations in EMODnet’s in situ marine data services, user-interface and infrastructure to meet user and policy needs for a digital and green future.

This will include EMODnet’s key role in the EU Digital Twin Ocean, including the creation of a common data lake between EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service. It will also discuss how the EMODnet offer is evolving in terms of diversifying data collection e.g., citizen science, filling data gaps in existing parameters, resolution and geographical scope, expanding data parameters e.g., genomics, and increasing EMODnet’s offer of marine data and knowledge for societally relevant topics e.g., coastal vulnerability, sea level rise, biodiversity etc.

On 30 November at 9:00 – 10:30, LifeWatch ERIC‘s CEO, Christos Arvaniditis, will present “Current Landscape: Wider Data Infrastructures and Disruptive Technologies” during session 4 “EMODnet, Ocean Observation and the marine knowledge value chain”. Session 4 will showcase EMODnet’s key role within the marine knowledge value chain and EMODnet’s strong connection with the ocean observation and data collection community across Europe and beyond. The session will include a presentation on EMODnet Data Ingestion, dialogue on EMODnet’s key role as an in situ marine data aggregator, publisher and data product producer, and EMODnet’s partnership with Copernicus Marine Service and EuroGOOS via the Marine In Situ Coordination Group.

Data providers, collaborators and users across Europe and beyond will deliver testimonials on the crucial ways that EMODnet’s marine data, information and knowledge currently serves the marine and maritime community. This will include a spotlight on how EMODnet’s marine knowledge is used for regional sea-basin assessments and by Member States to implement EU policy e.g., MSFD, MSP in addition to EMODnet hosting National Maritime Spatial Plans.

EMODnet’s collaboration with the private sector will also be highlighted, showcasing how the Blue Economy depends upon EMODnet services for high-quality marine environmental and human activities data to support operations at sea, and how EMODnet is supporting businesses in data sharing and ingestion efforts, to maximise access to marine data, for the benefit of society. 

EMODnet’s contribution to the Global Ocean Data Ecosystem will also be discussed, including new and emerging partnerships worldwide, EMODnet’s ongoing input to IODE and the Ocean InfoHub in terms of European regional  best practices, and EMODnet’s active role in the UN Ocean Decade, including as an implementing partner.

Consult the full programme here.

ΕΜΟDnet – LifeWatch ERIC Autumn Data School

Lecce and online, Italy, 13-15 November 2023.

Over November 13 and 14, a group of researchers from the African Mediterranean countries will gather in Lecce to join our DATAthon. During this event, they will work collaboratively in teams, applying data science tools and techniques to solve practical problems and generate insights and potential solutions. The focus of the DATAthon will be on imparting knowledge on best practices for data management, covering everything from the collection of the dataset to its publication. Researchers will bring their dataset to work on and follow all the necessary steps to ensure its successful submission to Marine Research Repositories such as MedOBIS and the LifeWatch ERIC Metadata Catalogue, focusing on facilitating its reuse.

On November 15, EMODnet trainers and the invited researchers will organize a hybrid Training Session to familiarise themselves and the registered participants with Citizen Science platforms like Zooniverse and the LifeWatch Citizen Science Platform. During this session, participants will learn how to create a Citizen Science project and engage volunteers in the historical data rescue and standardisation process. The Workshop organisers will select a historical dataset for participants to work on during this session.

Agenda (November 15)

09:00
09:30		Registration
09:30
09:40		Opening Welcome
Overview of the workshop’s objectives and structure
Dimitra Mavraki (HCMR)
09:40
10:00		Presentation of the LifeWatch Citizen Science Platform
Marco Elia (LifeWatch ERIC)
10:00
11:00		Introduction to the Zooniverse platform.
Case studies of a Zooniverse project focused on marine data transcription.
Ioannis Rallis (HCMR)
11:00
11:30		Coffee Break
11:30
12:30		Hands-On Session – Create Your Own Zooniverse Project
12:30
13:30		Lunch Break
13:30
15:00		Hands-On Session – Act as Citizen Scientist 
15:00
15:30		Coffee Break
15:30
16:30		Hands-On Session – Act as Citizen Scientist 
16:30
17:00		Questions and closure of the workshop

DOORS Mobilisation and Mutual Learning Workshop

DOORS Workshop

Constanta, Romania, 6 April 2023.

The first round of the DOORS project’s Mobilisation and Mutual Learning (MML) workshops will kick off on April 6, 2023, in Constanta, Romania. The goal of the workshop is to bring together experts and users of marine products, to raise awareness and share knowledge and skills, using Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles.

Objectives of the workshop

  • To engage Black Sea citizens and stakeholders in highly participatory training and co-creation activities to ensure suitability of existing and future Research Infrastructure services to the Black Sea region;
  • To train researchers and companies on how to use existing specific services, tools, data, EU data aggregation infrastructures and services (e.g. EMODnet) and protocols offered by the European Marine Research Infrastructures, to make the most of existing data and monitoring initiatives that can feed into the Blue Economy and political decision making for the region;
  • To set in motion inclusive mechanisms for international sharing of knowledge, building common understanding and cocreating solutions to marine societal challenges and base them on the RRI principles and socio-technical approach.

Session Topics

Sessions include plenary expert talks, round table discussions and hand-on practical exercises to explore existing pan-European marine data infrastructures including:

  • The European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) and how to navigate the marine products catalogue, identify relevant products for the specific users and how to use them.
  • The Marine Litter Watch (MLW), a citizen-based app that aims to help fill data gaps in beach litter monitoring.
  • DOORS Observation Mapping Tool which illustrates the main marine observing capacities and marine data infrastructures identified in the Black Sea.
  • The DOORS #BlackSeaLitterFree Campaign which raised awareness about marine litter, problems and solutions.
  • An introduction to the DOORS System of Systems (SoS), in a working beta version, demonstrating how to access marine data on the platform .

Introducing our System of Systems (SoS)

In DOORS, the foundation of our work will be our System of Systems (SoS) platform which will revolutionise how we handle, process and understand data from the entire region. One of our main goals is to harmonise scientific approaches for gathering data, integrating all existing data as well as new satellite data into a consolidated system that works for everyone.

Video: A short working demo of the System of Systems interface. © DOORS Black Sea

Register for the Event

This workshop is suitable for anyone responsible for collecting or managing marine environmental data in the public sector, industry for education or research. Please remember to share the event widely within your networks.

Big Seashell Survey 2023

Big Seashell Survey 2023

LifeWatch Belgium invites you on Saturday 25 March 2023 to one of the 10 coastal municipalities along the Belgian coast for the sixth Belgian Big Seashell Survey. On that day, hundreds of amateur scientists and citizens will determine which shells have washed up on the beaches. This can give us a better picture of the changes in marine life in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Like effects of climate change, human constructions, or the arrival and spreading of non-indigenous species…

You will be collecting shells, admiring them and trying to figure out what species they are. At the same time, you will also give science a boost. In each of the ten coastal municipalities, shell experts will help you collect and identify your hundred beach shells at the counting stations between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. When hundreds of enthusiasts do so, we all learn a lot more about these fascinating marine animals. Experienced or not, anyone can become a (marine) scientist for one day!

On site, there are also some fun activities tailored to children (in Dutch only). More information at www.groteschelpenteldag.be (in Dutch only).

The Big Seashell Survey goes international!

The Netherlands and northern France will also be using the same technique on Saturday 25 March. Will we find the same shells in northern France as in Belgium or the Netherlands? The Big Seashell Survey is an initiative of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), the Province of West Flanders, EOS magazine, the Strandwerkgroep, Natuurpunt, Kusterfgoed and the coastal municipalities.