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Strengthening Europe's Capability in Biological Ocean Observation

The marine scientific and operational oceanographic communities currently utilize a wide array of biological ocean observation infrastructures, tools and techniques. These range from marine stations and taxonomic analyses to autonomous sensors, hydrophones, animal platforms, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and -omics technologies. Flagship projects such as the European FP6 MarBEF network, the Census of Marine Life and the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment have contributed to progress on the understanding of marine biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and the goods and services they provide. As a result, marine ecosystem and biodiversity observations are now considered crucial for understanding ecosystem change and the impacts of human and natural pressures on marine ecosystems.

Working Group Objectives

High level goal: Recommend gaps and priorities for enhancing the current biological ocean observing capacity as a component of the wider European Ocean Observing System (EOOS) that is fit-for-purpose in the context of user needs and societal benefits.

A working group on this activity would produce a Roadmap for strengthening Europe's biological ocean observing capacity that assesses gaps and recommends actions to achieve a multi-purpose integrated biological ocean observing capacity for Europe. Such a system would underpin a move from science-driven to societal needs-driven observation that is policy relevant and forms a key component of the wider European Ocean Observing System (EOOS).

Members

See the list here

  • Chair - Professor Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi, CoNISMa, Italy

Meetings

Kick-off meeting, 22-23 June 2017, Pisa, Italy

WG contact at Marine Board Secretariat: Ángel Muñiz Piniella Email.