IOGP’s Post

This paper is examining the current state of marine invasive alien species (IAS) in Europe, addresses strategies and proposes recommendations for enhanced management. #MarineIAS #InvasiveSpecies #Conservation #MarineEcosystems #ResearchPublication #biodiversity

Today we showcase our client Celtic Sea Power and their impactful journey in offshore wind, seamlessly enhancing biodiversity data collection without disrupting ongoing site operations. Celtic Sea Power applied offshore biodiversity monitoring by leveraging their existing buoy maintenance trips to collect eDNA. The team were able to access: 👉 Rapid aquatic sampling kits – minimal disruption to regular operations 👉 DNA analysis - from microbes to mammals (we even detected Fin Whale!) 👉 Impactful insights - to inform offshore renewables planning Read about the transformative tech that's delivering scalable and regular offshore biodiversity tracking: #OffshoreBiodiversity #BiodiversityMonitoring #EIA #NatureIntelligence #NatureMetrics

Thanks NatureMetrics! #eDNA sampling is ideal for establishing a baseline of environmental data - helping to enable a more strategic approach to #FloatingOffshoreWind development in the #CelticSea. #OffshoreBiodiversity #RegionalCharacterisation #StreamliningDevelopment

In reality, there is already plenty of data out there right now to measure, report and act on biodiversity, but much of it is not sufficiently processed or formatted for end users and their specific needs, workflows and decisions. That said, can never have too much raw biodiversity data and more hardware dedicated to the task can't hurt. #biodiversity #earthobservation #nature https://lnkd.in/eFFMfPt6

While I argue for the importance of biodiversity data and monitoring and I support this cause myself, I would also draw the attention once again to the need to focus on taking bold ACTION to halt extinction, biodiversity loss and degradation, based on the already existing data and following the precautionary principle. Data is often not the main issue. We know enough to take action and we fail to act, to implement the necessary measures (due to complex reasons). Data collection, action & monitoring need to go hand in hand. Moreover, I believe we need to carefully assess the issues related to data ownership, data access, governance, and the associated risks. "Transforming the relationship with nature" is a long and complex process and biodiversity data can only have a small contribution to achieving this goal. "In 2022, governments pledged to transform their relationship with nature by the end of the decade. From halting extinctions caused by human behaviour to restoring nearly a third of the planet’s degraded ecosystems, countries signed up to 23 targets to stop the rapid decline of life on Earth. But a growing number of scientists warn that data about the health of the planet’s seas, soils, forests and species are so flawed, it will be impossible to know if we have been successful at meeting the agreed-upon targets. Despite major advances in monitoring the climate, information on the Earth’s biodiversity is comparatively poor, they say. To overcome the issue, researchers have proposed the creation of a new system to monitor the biosphere akin to how humans monitor the weather, regularly “taking the pulse of the planet”.

We are happy to announce the kick-off of another EU-funded project involving #MercatorOcean:    BioEcoOcean (Feb 2024 - Jan 2028), is a #HorizonEurope project led by Uppsala University, aiming to advance the ways we observe the Ocean to improve biodiversity and climate assessments.   This initiative contributes to the advancement of ocean observation methodologies, particularly in the realm of biological and ecosystem observations.   #MercatorOcean will contribute to demonstrating operational workflows for zooplankton, turtles and fish Essential Ocen Variables (#EOVs).  These EOVs can inform changes in ecosystem dynamics and carbon sequestration under different environmental and climate conditions.  Through this project, essential #BioEco ocean observation tools will be further developed, thus contributing to the enhancement of the integrated ocean observing system.

Marine invasive alien species in Europe - examining the current state, proposing strategies to address the problem, and offering recommendations for enhanced management

Experts are proposing a global satellite scheme to monitor #biodiversity, and better protect #nature.🌏 Read more by Patrick Greenfield for The Guardian: https://lnkd.in/gnaDvBfU Watch this space for updates about the upcoming IPBES #MonitoringAssessment.

In an innovative fight against Climate change and its detrimental effects on coral reefs, scientists have embarked on a mission to safeguard the future of these vital marine ecosystems through #cryopreservation. Coral reefs, which nurture a quarter of all marine life, stand as some of the planet’s most ancient and biodiverse habitats. Their value spans from bolstering coastal defenses against storms to contributing billions to the global economy through tourism, fisheries, and potential pharmaceutical discoveries. To learn more: https://lnkd.in/d2edt26a #CoralReefs #Biobank #Biobanking #Biodiversity #ClimateChange #Conservation #Preservation #Endangered #Biorepository #Corals Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute | One Green Planet

Biodiversity from the Surface to the Deep: #USGS webinar on Assessing Biodiversity in Offshore Marine Environments with eDNA 🌊 🐟 🦐 🐡 🦀 🐢 🐬 🐳 🦈 Date: Friday, June 28th from 2:00-2:30 pm Eastern Speaker: Alexis Weinnig, USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center At a time when environmental degradation is outpacing efforts to survey extant biodiversity, environmental DNA (eDNA) sequencing offers a powerful application for biomonitoring. Given the potential to identify organisms throughout the Tree of Life, the addition of environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring systems as a complement to traditional field surveys is anticipated to form a vital cornerstone of a comprehensive marine ecosystem observation network. As part of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC) Coral Propagation and Habitat Assessment and Evaluation projects, eDNA samples were taken at nine mesophotic reef sites in the Pinnacles Trend and DeSoto Rim areas to complement and inform restoration investments for coral communities in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and provide the necessary baseline characterization to disentangle natural versus human-impacted seasonal shifts in biodiversity. This research project is a collaboration with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration https://lnkd.in/g4DVgY5e The USGS Friday's Findings series is open to the public! Please feel free to forward to those who may be interested. #biodiversity #OceanMonth #eDNA #sealife #energyandwildlife #robots #OceanScience