PlanBlue

We're #hiring an Electronics Engineer in Bremen! Are you ready to make a significant impact? Join us at PlanBlue as go to person for electronics development. You will be part of the FieldTools team, the team that works on everything that goes underwater. You’ll be part of the technical exchange and translate requirements into a hardware electronics roadmap which you will own from creation to execution. Find all details here: https://lnkd.in/eCxxbVVB Apply now and be a part of our mission.

During this fall, there have been multiple opportunities to connect with PlanBlue. After WindEnergy Hamburg, COP16 Colombia, there are two events next week where you get in touch with us. You can meet Hannah Brocke (PhD) at Sustainable Ocean Summit in Barcelona organised by the World Ocean Council. But you can find us also at Hydro2024 in Rostock, where I will present PlanBlue technology and its application for seagrass mapping within the Fugro session "Multi-Scale Hydrographic and Ecosystem Mapping: Scaling Up the ISPRA Mediterranean Ecosystem Restoration (MER) Project" on the 6th November. If you plan to attend Hydro2024, please get in touch with me to know more about PlanBlue and its seafloor intelligence solutions.

Reflections from #COP16: Are We Losing Focus on the Bigger Picture?    Being here at COP16 Colombia has been incredibly inspiring. The conference is filled with passionate, knowledgeable people who have dedicated their lives to protecting our planet's biodiversity. Yet, I can’t help but wonder if, in our deep dives into specific details, we might be losing sight of the larger goal of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF): to prevent biodiversity loss, restore ecosystems, and address global challenges like climate change.    Shifting Our Focus to Ecosystem Health  Ecosystem health should be our priority — finding and removing the stressors threatening these systems, rather than getting diverted by technicalities, such as how to monitor biodiversity. The question that should guide us is: How can we achieve fast, large-scale improvements?    Monitoring biodiversity is vital to the GBF, and there are active discussions among technology providers, data platforms, policymakers, international organizations, and financial groups on how to make it possible. However, I’ve noticed a tendency to get stuck in debates. Some key points of contention include: Biodiversity Assessments:  Defining biodiversity: What exactly is a species and do we detect all? Philosophical debates on this can delay actionable steps.  Ecosystem variability: Each ecosystem is unique, making it difficult to apply a one-size-fits-all approach. Shifting baselines: We usually lack historical data on what ecosystems looked like before degradation, and there’s little consensus on how to address this.  Biodiversity Credits: There’s agreement on the need for credible, transparent credits to support financing, but no clear alignment on how to implement them effectively. Open Access Data: There’s a strong push for open data and data fusion, yet platforms often disagree on the best approach, each advocating for their own solution. Additionally, many indigenous groups do not want to share data and open data could be also used for destructive industry.    This raises a crucial question: are we focusing on the right things, especially given our urgent need to #ActNow? The main goal of the GBF is to create measurable impact at scale, and we must ensure our efforts are directed toward achieving that.    The Path Forward: Actionable, Scalable Solutions  I believe that focusing on ecosystem health is the answer. We need innovation that quickly identifies stressors and presents changes in a transparent, actionable way. Providing clear, timely information that decision-makers and communities can easily understand will be key. By recording and visualizing progress, we can demonstrate that real action leads to real change, fostering trust in the process. #Biodiversity #COP16 #GlobalBiodiversityFramework #EcosystemHealth #Sustainability #BiodiversityCredits #Innovation #Conservation

One week into COP16 Colombia (and World Biodiversity Summit), it’s time to reflect from the ocean’s perspective. While much of the discussion has focused on terrestrial issues, we must remember that #NatureIsAlsoBlue, not just green. Surprisingly, the ocean hasn’t received the attention it deserves in this critical forum, and I can’t help but ask why? 🌊 The ocean often becomes a dumping ground for our problems—out of sight, out of mind. Issues such as agricultural runoff, sewage discharge, and (plastic )waste disappear into the vast seas, masking the damage we're causing. 🌊 We still have less than 1% of the seafloor mapped in terms of biodiversity. This lack of data makes it difficult to fully understand the economic and ecological losses we are facing. 🌊 Our marine ecosystems are degrading rapidly, with significant shifts in baselines and a disturbing lack of historical data to track changes. The extent of mass extinctions in our oceans is most acutely felt through the lens of fisheries, with 50% or more of global fish populations lost since the 1970s. 🌊 The central challenge is our limited ability to assess and quantify the impacts. Without adequate assessments, it's hard to grasp the full scope of what's happening below the surface and what this consequential means for us. I cannot stress enough that the ocean, covering two-thirds of our planet, holds one of the greatest potentials for addressing global challenges such as climate change mitigation and food security. The ocean is a powerful ally if we #ActNow. I commend the dedicated ocean community here at #COP16 for their efforts in organizing the #OceanDay here today. A special shoutout also to the Small Island Developing States (or better #LargeOceanStates) who continue to push the charge for ocean protection. Let’s do better to focus on our oceans, raise awareness, and elevate these discussions in the global arena. Please help spread the word on the vital importance of our oceans. UN Ocean Decade World Economic Forum Sustainable Ocean Alliance World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance Seaworthy Collective #hydrospatial Geo Tech Green Alliance Nature Tech Collective 1000 Ocean Startups @creativedestructionlab Climate-KIC @ocean flotilla #OrganizationofEasternCaribbeanstates #Carribeanbiodiversityfundcbf