Applications open for the MARBEFES Autumn School 2026: learn to use biodiversity assessment tools!
The MARBEFES project (MARine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning leading to Ecosystem Services) is hosting the new edition of its Autumn School in October 2026, after last year’s very successful event in Seville.
Titled “The MARBEFES Toolbox: from marine diversity to societal value”, the School covers topics such as ecological assessment, socio-cultural and economic valuation, cross-cutting decision-support tools, and their uptake in real management settings.
Particular emphasis is placed on the ecological tools developed by the project, and collected in the MARBEFES Toolbox: over three days, participants will learn how to use the Toolbox for measuring and valuing marine biodiversity, and presenting science-based results to decision-makers. Students will also learn how to use these tools to tackle real marine-management problems.
The School takes place in Lecce, Italy, from 27 to 29 October, and will host 20 participants selected among the applicants, covering travel and accommodation expenses. Day 1 focuses on ecological tools, day 2 broadens out to valuation and cross-cutting tools, and day 3 moves on from project outputs to their uptake, sustainability, and integrated application. The programme includes a welcome aperitif and a social dinner.
Who is it for? MSc students, early-career researchers and PhD, as well as practitioners, marine managers and policy makers at various levels, with a focus or interest in marine biodiversity assessment, ecosystem-services valuation, and decision support. School sessions require a general environmental-science background, while no prior experience with the specific tools is required. Several sessions are hands-on, therefore, participants are encouraged to take an active part in the exercises and group work.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Describe how the MARBEFES Toolbox links marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning to ecosystem services and societal benefits;
- Apply selected MARBEFES ecological tools to assess biodiversity, ecological structure, functioning and vulnerability;
- Employ socio-cultural and economic methods to value marine biodiversity in monetary, and non-monetary terms;
- Illustrate how to run cross-cutting tools such as Bow-Tie Analysis and the HG&OG governance and knowledge-graph approach, to support management decisions;
- Explain how to design and develop ecological tools to ensure their FAIRness, following the example of the MARBEFES outputs.
More details on the programme, venue, and terms can be found at: https://www.lifewatch.eu/marbefes-autumn-school-2026
Apply now to learn about the societal value of marine biodiversity, and how the MARBEFES Toolbox can support decision-making in this field: https://zfrmz.eu/UUQQaW5B0ThDa276dDGD.