Contributing to wetland restoration goals: highlights from the SERE 2024 Conference in Estonia.

LifeWatch ERIC at SERE 2024 with RESTORE4Cs: joint conference on wetland restoration.

On 27th August 2024, LifeWatch ERIC has taken part to the 14th European Conference on Ecological Restoration (SERE 2024) in Tartu, Estonia, as communication and dissemination leader in the RESTORE4Cs European Project, dedicated to coastal wetland restoration. The participation involved the organisation of a booth and a joint session on wetland restoration with three related projects.

Wetland restoration is a key challenge in climate change mitigation strategies. Wetlands are crucial for greenhouse gas and carbon regulation and biodiversity support, making our planet more resilient against extreme weather events. However, 35% of wetlands in Europe have already been lost since 1970. 

As RESTORE4Cs is committed to supporting the implementation of Climate and Biodiversity policies within the European Green Deal, this event is especially important for the initiative, and for LifeWatch ERIC, due to its focus on the EU Nature Restoration law, which was approved earlier this year. The law cites specific goals for restoring peatlands, a specific type of wetland, due to the large contribution of degraded peatlands towards Europe’s carbon emissions.

RESTORE4Cs supports these objectives by gathering data on restoration and land use management actions, upscaling models and integrative assessment tools, structuring a European Community of Practice (ECoP), and co-designing a multi-actor approach.

LifeWatch ERIC has taken part in the conference, represented with a booth overseen by Madeira Scauri (EU Project Communication Officer), and a joint session with the other three wetlands projects ALFAwetlands, REWET and WET HORIZONS, marking the first time the project coordinators have met in person.

Liisa Ukonmaanaho from the Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), who coordinates the ALFAwetlands project, expressed that meeting fellow project coordinators in person after numerous virtual meetings was particularly rewarding. She also highlighted the participants’ strong interest in wetland restoration, biodiversity and climate change.

Vanessa Ferreira de Almeida from IDENER, the coordinator of the REWET project, noted that their participation in SERE 2024 highlights the critical role of collaboration in tackling climate change and biodiversity loss through nature-based solutions.

The four projects focus on different aspects of wetland restoration across Europe, studying various wetland types to provide both general and region-specific data. Their shared goals include addressing knowledge gaps and developing decision support tools for policymakers.

The projects’ research and findings were presented in a dedicated session on wetland restoration at the SERE 2024 conference. Co-chaired by the project coordinators, the session was split into two parts. The first part, led by ALFAwetlands and WET HORIZONS, focused on improving geospatial knowledge and understanding the impacts of wetland restoration on biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, and socioeconomics. The second part, led by REWET and RESTORE4Cs, explored optimising wetland management for carbon sequestration and the effects of restoration on coastal wetlands’ ecosystem services.

One key takeaway from the conference, concerns the importance of collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and other stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions for wetland restoration and climate action.

Read the news and Press Release on the RESTORE4Cs website to learn more: https://www.restore4cs.eu/wetland-experts-come-together-at-the-sere-conference-in-estonia/

The LifeWatch ERIC training platform will continue to provide public access to the BiCIKL project training materials

BiCIKL project

After three years of advancing a cultural shift in identifying, linking, integrating, and re-using biodiversity data throughout the research cycle, the BiCIKL project is coming to a close. 

One of the key outputs of the BiCIKL project is the Biodiversity Knowledge Hub (BKH). Developed as a one-stop portal for understanding the interconnected landscape of European biodiversity research infrastructures, it acts as a knowledge broker for users who want to navigate and access open and FAIR biodiversity data, guidelines, tools, and services. 

Additionally, the BiCIKL project’s partners created training materials and detailed instructions to help users make the most of the linked services and access biodiversity data found in published literature. The training resources are divided into three courses to cater to users with different backgrounds and expertise, enabling them to begin with the fundamentals or concentrate on specific modules as required:

  • The Introduction to BKH course presents the BKH portal and helps users understand the functions offered by BKH and its associated data services.
  • The BKH Services course provides an overview of the services available in the BKH, and explains how to use each of them, with each service having its dedicated module, and offering best practices and recommendations for their use.
  • The Data Liberation and Publishing Tools Course is an advanced training course focusing on a more in-depth version of the multiple services featured on the BKH. This detailed module focuses on data liberation and publishing tools.

The courses, fully open and accessible to everyone, offer training materials that benefit various stakeholders. Research institutions can learn how different research infrastructures connect their data and add value for new user communities. Biodiversity researchers can explore new data sources, reduce errors in taxonomic name usage, and conduct complex queries. Taxonomists can compare name usage across checklists, access newly published information on a taxon, and create custom taxonomies. Biodiversity informaticians can discover data links, access guidance on identifiers and APIs, and compile complex datasets. Managers of biological collections can understand how their data is utilized and access linked data such as taxon names and sequences. Additionally, publishers can obtain guidelines, best practices, and tools for semantic publishing and implement persistent identifiers and workflows for Linked Open Data.

LifeWatch ERIC, via its Training Platform, will continue to host publicly accessible training materials even after the project’s conclusion, thus ensuring their long term sustainability. To learn more, please visit our Training Platform: https://training.lifewatch.eu/international-projects/resources/?category=32

RESTORE4Cs at the 14th European Conference on Ecological Restoration 

SERE 2024

RESTORE4Cs –  the EU-funded project on coastal wetland restoration in which LifeWatch ERIC is leading communications and dissemination – will participate in the 14th European Conference on Ecological Restoration (SERE 2024) from 26 to 30 August 2024, in Tartu, Estonia. Representatives from the project’s coordinator, the University of Aveiro, will be present as speakers as the scientific focal point of the project. LifeWatch ERIC will also be present with a booth to showcase the project to the participants.

About SERE 2024

SERE 2024 is a biennial international conference organised by the European Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) in Europe. Scientists, practitioners, and policy-makers of ecological restoration will gather in Tartu to share knowledge and discuss the future of European nature. RESTORE4Cs will hold a session on Wetland Restoration alongside its Sister Projects, ALFAwetlands, REWET and WET HORIZONS.

SERE 2024 will bring together stakeholders from across Europe to collaborate on effective approaches for the long-term recovery of nature. This event will serve as a platform for sharing ideas, knowledge, and experiences restoring various ecosystems, including wetlands, grasslands, forests, rivers, agroecosystems, urban areas, and marine ecosystems. The sessions will cover the theory and practical applications of ecological restoration and the socioeconomic and political contexts. There will be a specific focus on discussions related to developing national restoration plans in line with the new EU law.

To learn more about RESTORE4Cs’ participation at SERE 2024, please visit this page: https://www.restore4cs.eu/restore4cs-at-sere-2024/.

About RESTORE4Cs and The Sister Projects

The restoration of wetlands is crucial for climate change mitigation. The Four EU-funded projects (RESTORE4Cs, ALFAwetlands, REWET and WET HORIZONS) are working together to restore wetlands and enhance their long-term mitigation capabilities. They will outline their initiatives in a special session and presentations from open abstract submissions. Their session will also include an interactive segment to create a roadmap for expediting restoration opportunities and maximising impact.

RESTORE4Cs is committed to supporting the implementing of Climate and Biodiversity policies within the European Green Deal through various initiatives. These include gathering data on restoration and land use management actions, upscaling models and integrative assessment tools, structuring a European Community of Practice (ECoP), and co-designing a multi-actor approach.

Navigating the Blue Economy: key takeaways on ocean monitoring ahead of the G20

On July 8, the European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC) hosted a webinar as part of the G20 Ocean Dialogues titled “Navigating the Blue Economy: Insights from Ocean Observation Data.” This virtual event, moderated by EMBRC’s Executive Director Nicolas Pade, brought together a diverse panel of experts to explore the crucial role of ocean observation in advancing marine conservation and sustainable economic practices.

Dr Kilaparti Ramakrishna – Director of Marine Policy Center and Senior Advisor to the President on Ocean and Climate Policy of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution – set the stage by underscoring the ocean’s increasing significance globally, shifting the focus from economic and financial agendas. He highlighted initiatives supported by the United States National Science Foundation, advocating for a science-informed approach among G20 nations to promote ocean sustainability and resilience. Ramakrishna stressed the need for G20 countries to adopt science-driven approaches to ensure ocean sustainability and resilience, urging collaboration among scientific communities and civil society to shape inclusive development policies.

The webinar featured contributions from various stakeholders, offering different perspectives on leveraging ocean observation data for biodiversity conservation and sustainable economic development. During one of her interventions, Claire Jolly, Head of Ocean Economy at OECD, emphasised the need of comprehensively tracking ocean health, focusing on living organisms, while advocating for enhanced coordination and long-term political commitment to achieve common goals. Pooja Mahapatra, Principal Advisor, Climate & Nature at Fugro, highlighted the transformative role of public-private partnerships, citing their initiative to map Italy’s coastline using cutting-edge technologies. Regarding ocean observation, Ralph Rayner, Professional Research Fellow at the London School of Economics, advocated for a nuanced understanding rather than mere data accumulation, underscoring gaps in crucial data like marine carbon dioxide removal. Zoi Konstantinou, Policy Officer at the European Commission, addressed the challenge of fostering inclusive dialogue among diverse stakeholders in ocean observation and data management, underlining the importance of initiatives that promote transparency and collaboration. Fabrice Not, Senior Researcher at the Station Biologique de Roscoff, discussed advancements and challenges in biodiversity observation, emphasising the complexity of monitoring microscopic diversity and advocating for comprehensive ecosystem health assessments using advanced technologies.

About the Ocean Dialogues

Part of the Brazilian G20 Presidency’s OCEANS20 initiative, they play a key role in harnessing the ocean’s potential to address global challenges. They highlight the essential role of the ocean in ecosystem balance, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods and integrate scientific evidence with traditional knowledge for effective ocean management. These dialogues generate critical recommendations for financing ocean-climate initiatives and facilitating the transition to a blue economy. By convening experts and leaders, the dialogues advocate for policies that promote equitable food systems, accessible renewable energy, and multilateral cooperation on biodiversity and finance.

If you’re interested in viewing the entire webinar, the recording is available on YouTube on the EMBRC channel.

BioDT presents the new Digital Twin prototype to preserve honey bees’ performance and environmental biodiversity

honey bees

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are crucial pollinators and producers. Despite their key role in agriculture, food production and security, and ultimately in human health and ecosystem well-being, they face multiple threats: habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, pollution, pesticides, pests and pathogens, changes in land use and climate change impacts are putting at risk their survival, causing their decline worldwide. 

On May 25, BioDT presented its prototype Digital Twin (pDT) for Pollinators during the online event Biodiversity in Focus. By combining real-world data with advanced simulation techniques, the new prototype provides practical insights into honey bee performance and honey production by evaluating landscape quality. The goal of the BioDT project – in which LifeWatch ERIC is one of the partners – is to push the current boundaries of predictive understanding of biodiversity dynamics by developing a Digital Twin that provides advanced modelling, simulation, and prediction capabilities.

The DT for Pollinators aims to address honey bees’ challenges, such as intensive agriculture, diseases, and fluctuations in nectar and pollen availability. Based on the BEEHAVE model, this prototype supports use cases involving large input data, like analysing datasets from multiple countries. 

The health of honey bees depends on their environments, where consistent availability of nectar and pollen is vital, particularly during times when mass-flowering crops such as oilseed rape are not in bloom.

This Digital Twin prototype represents a fusion of advanced technology and practicality to allow a generic assessment of agricultural areas for honey bee health, says Dr Jürgen Groeneveld from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ in Leipzig. By providing tools that are accessible, scalable, and adaptable, we aim to empower biodiversity researchers and conservationists in their mission to protect our planet’s vital ecosystems.

On the technical side, the prototype relies on a solid foundation. Custom scripts specify input data and transform it into readable input files. Researchers can deploy all necessary software components into a Docker container image on the LUMI supercomputer and cloud platforms. For more information on its development, you can consult the repository page on GitHub.

In future updates, BioDT plans to include land cover data, land cover types converted into nectar and pollen resources, and weather data, adapting it for diverse geographic areas. This way, researchers and conservationists worldwide could leverage BioDT’s capabilities in their biodiversity conservation efforts. Jesse Harrison, Developer Manager at CSC and former Project Manager of BioDT, highlighted the Pollinators DT’s potential for biodiversity conservation and announced that further versions of this prototype will expand BioDT’s mission beyond honey bee performance. He said to envision the development of further prototype Digital Twins, each addressing critical biodiversity challenges.

Test the first BioDT prototype Digital Twin on pollinator! 
Source: BioDT press release – To learn more about the Digital Twin for Pollinators and to test it, please visit this page: https://biodt.eu/news/first-operational-prototype-digital-twin-biodt

Advancing Global Energy Solutions at the first EULAC Energytran Virtual Thematic Event

energytran project

The EULAC Energytran project held its first Virtual Thematic Event on 26 and 27 June, titled “Strengthening Europe – Latin America Cooperation in the Energy Transition“. The event brought together stakeholders from Europe, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. The participants – around two hundred – included representatives from scientific communities, universities, policymakers, research infrastructures, project managers and private sector actors, alongside the consortium partners. Our Ana Mellado and Maite Irazábal participated to represent LifeWatch ERIC’s role in the project.

This project addresses common energy challenges between the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean. focusing on improving the sustainability of the energy transition process. The two-day virtual event covered the first two work packages of the Energytran project, about technology and policy innovation. This event is part of a broader effort to promote a sustainable and equitable energy transition in both regions. At the meeting, discussions revolved around five panels:

  1. Knowledge Exchange in Scientific Cooperation between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean.
  2. Challenges and Opportunities in the Energy Sector.
  3. Environmental and Social Impact of Renewable Energies.
  4. Emerging Technologies for Energy Sustainability.
  5. Concentrated Solar Thermal Energy Applications.

The event concluded with key takeaways from OEI, CENAT, CSIC, PUC, and UNNE. It highlighted the importance of knowledge exchange, addressing sectoral challenges and opportunities, and considering the social and environmental impacts of energy transitions. The panels also focused on emerging technologies and applications of solar thermal energy. Ana Mellado – LifeWatch ERIC’s Project Executive Coordinator – gave a conclusion regarding the role of technology and research infrastructures in the energy transition process.

The role of LifeWatch ERIC within the consortium

LifeWatch ERIC will bring its expertise in environmental monitoring and data management, contributing to the project’s transdisciplinary approach. The consortium includes prominent universities and research institutions from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Spain, Mexico, and Portugal. It aims to produce over twenty deliverables, including policy recommendations, and training materials. Moreover, it will create a comprehensive inventory of research infrastructures relevant to the energy transition.
For more information about the Energytran project, please visit the official website: https://energytran.oei.int/

LifeWatch Belgium launched a new and redesigned website for an enhanced user experience

LifeWatch Belgium

LifeWatch ERIC is happy to announce the launch of the newly redesigned LifeWatch Belgium website. This platform offers a sleek, user-friendly interface and enhanced navigation, reflecting LifeWatch Belgium’s commitment to providing accessible, high-quality biodiversity and ecosystem research resources.

LifeWatch Belgium specialises in offering advanced data services and tools for biodiversity and ecosystem research. The website showcases services such as the Biodiversity Data System, Habitat Mapping, Bio-Logging, and more, supporting researchers with cutting-edge technologies and extensive datasets.

Indeed, LifeWatch Belgium’s local observatories generate long-term marine, freshwater, and terrestrial data, which is openly accessible for research. Biodiversity data systems integrate global taxonomic information, providing crucial insights into species and their habitats. Advanced bio-logging and camera trapping services facilitate the study of animal movements, while habitat mapping utilises remote sensing and geospatial analysis to characterise environmental data. The e-Lab application allows users to effortlessly standardise, analyse, and visualise data. Additionally, LifeWatch Belgium provides open-source software packages for data access and analysis and maintains a comprehensive dataset catalogue integrated into the LifeWatch ERIC Metadata Catalogue.

Furthermore, the website features inspiring user stories showcasing the diverse applications of LifeWatch Belgium’s resources. For example, the collaboration with JERICO-NEXT to study plankton in the southern North Sea, investigations into oyster larvae settlement for coastal protection, and how Marine Regions data supported the Ocean Health Index. These and other stories have already been published on the new LifeWatch Belgium website.

To access the shiny new LifeWatch Belgium website, please visit https://www.lifewatch.be/.

Sandy Beaches Symposium: the world’s leading experts gather in Lecce

The IX International Sandy Beaches Symposium was held in Lecce, Italy, on June 24-27 2024. The event was an opportunity to bring the world’s leading experts on sandy coastal ecosystems together in the city.
Past, present, and future of sandy beaches were at the center of the symposium: biodiversity loss, abundance, distribution and dynamics of species of sandy beach ecosystems, climate change impacts, anthropogenic pressures (fisheries, tourism, etc), urbanization, the key role of marine protected areas, and the challenges of creating a network between them, coastal erosion and mitigation strategies, insights from environmental DNA metabarcoding and advanced statistical models, are some of the many topics brought up for discussion by experts from all over the globe.

From Orkney sandy beaches, in Scotland, to the coastal ecosystems of Namibia and Costa Rica, to the sandy beaches of California and Apulia region: the event gathered some of the most renowned experts in the field, offering a unique opportunity to explore the latest research and developments in this disciplinary area, while illustrating to the public the importance of sandy beaches and the challenges we are facing in safeguarding these fragile and threatened ecosystems.

The symposium was an opportunity to present and discuss the state of the art in the field of sandy beach research, from a national, regional and global perspective. The event was organized by the University of Salento, with the support of LifeWatch ERIC.

Among the scientists invited as high-level keynote speakers were: Prof. John M Baxter, University of St Andrews and Heriot-Watt University; Prof. Omar Defeo, Unidad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay; Prof. Mike Elliott, Professor of Estuarine and Coastal Sciences at the University of Hull, UK; Dr. Shinji Sassa, Chair of the International Technical Committee on Scour and Erosion National Institute of Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology, Japan; Prof. Alberto Basset, Full Professor of Ecology at the University of Salento and LifeWatch ERIC Service Centre Director; Dr. Lucia Fanini, researcher at the University of Salento, etc.

To learn more about the International Sandy Beaches Symposium, please visit the dedicated website: https://isbsymposium.org/

A future for the Critical Zone? Insights from the Gran Paradiso Summer School 2024

gran paradiso summer school

From 19 to 23 June in Valsavarenche, Italy, scientists, researchers, and students from various disciplines are attending lectures, workshops, and fieldwork sessions at the Gran Paradiso Summer School. This year, the school’s theme is “Fundamental Processes in Earth System Dynamics – The Future of Critical Zone”.

Hosted at the Gran Paradiso National Park, the school aims to foster a deeper understanding of Earth Sciences, with lecturers from Europe, the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. Thanks to its interdisciplinary approach, it provides a platform for geologists, ecologists, hydrologists, and scientists working in these fields to collaborate and share their expertise. Our CEO, Christos Arvanitidis, is participating in the Summer School programme, presenting LifeWatch ERIC’s activities in the Special Seminars session.

Participants also have the opportunity to discuss multidisciplinary and cross-domain interactions, which are crucial for developing comprehensive strategies. These conversations aim to bridge the gap between scientific research and practical applications, ensuring that the knowledge gained can inform future actions and conservation efforts.

The international Gran Paradiso Summer School is organised by Timothy White (Pennsylvania State University, USA) and Antonello Provenzale (CNR IGG, Pisa, Italy, and Coordinator of the LifeWatch Italy Joint Research Unit) in the framework of the Belmont Forum ABRESO project and of the Italian project coordinating a network of national nodes from 22 Research Infrastructures (ITINERIS), in collaboration with the Gran Paradiso National Park, LifeWatch ERIC, and eLTER RI. To learn more about the school, please visit this page: https://www.thematic-school.cnr.it/about-the-summer-school/.

A postcard from the European Congress of Conservation Biology

eccb 2024

The European Congress of Conservation Biology (ECCB), organised by the Europe Section of the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB), was held in Bologna from 17 to 21 June 2024. The Congress aimed to facilitate the exchange of conservation science and nature conservation practice and policy to promote the conservation of biological diversity in Europe.

The 7th ECCB focused on achieving a biodiversity-positive status by 2030. This theme presents a positive message and a call to action towards conserving biodiversity. Despite the challenges, new protected areas were established, carbon emissions were reduced, and there is a growing awareness of biodiversity’s importance for survival.

LifeWatch ERIC joined the conference, contributing to its scientific programme and engaging with participants and researchers from Europe and beyond, thanks to its exhibition booth. Cristina Di Muri and Flavio Monti (CNR/LifeWatch Italy) presented two contributions, “Harnessing FAIR biodiversity data and services to assess incidence and habitat vulnerability to non-indigenous species in Italy” and “Enhancing biodiversity conservation analysis through data harmonization” respectively. In parallel, LifeWatch ERIC booth proved to be a valuable means to engage with over 150 representatives of the community of Conservation Biologists gathered at the event, illustrating its offer of services and science tools and understanding their needs for ICT resources, thanks to the dedicated survey administered at LifeWatch ERIC stand.

Moreover, the booth provided the opportunity to present LifeWatch ERIC’s key projects, e.g. the project Marine SABRES – Marine Systems Approaches for Biodiversity Resilience and Ecosystem Sustainability. LifeWatch ERIC illustrated Marine SABRES approaches for managing the many activities and pressures on the marine environment while presenting its user-friendly framework called a simple ‘socio-ecological system’ or ‘Simple SES’, designed and developed with the active participation of local stakeholders to make marine management clearer and more effective.
The stand was an important occasion to show some videos realised by LifeWatch Italy Multimedia Production Centre in the framework of documentary activities; research aims and results achieved so far were also presented with the help of project brochures.

Overall, the European Congress of Conservation Biology provided a platform for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and collaborate toward achieving a sustainable future. By working together and taking action, we can make significant progress in conserving Earth’s biodiversity and achieving a positive biodiversity world by 2030.

For more information about the project, visit Marine SABRES official website: www.marinesabres.eu

Watch our documentary trailer on LifeWatching WebTV platform: www. lifewatching.tv/tv-show/marine-sabres/

Further details about the event can be found on the official website: www.eccb2024.eu