Online
The “Serious Game” School Competition organised by the EU-funded project Marine Sabres, takes place this 21st November, on the same day of the World Fisheries Day.
A great chance for students and teachers, to learn or test their knowledge on basic concepts of marine biology and coastal ecology and to increase awareness of the relationship between humans and the ocean.
Registrations are accepted until the day of the event: click here to sign up for the competition.
Ostend, Belgium
The Marine Station Ostend of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), will be open for visits on Sunday, 24 November 2024, in celebration of the Belgian Science Day 2024. This will be a unique opportunity for anyone interested in marine research, to explore the institution and even step aboard a marine research vessel.
The objective of the event, called “High-T at sea”, is to highlight the high-tech progress of marine research, with a dense agenda including highlights such as ocean digital twins, interactive digital experience labs, and activities for children, including building their own periscope.
LifeWatch Belgium will be present as well, to showcase cutting-edge technological innovations. Additionally, children will be able to participate in the WoRMS sea creature scavenger hunt. There’s something for everyone!
The full programme (in Dutch) is available here: https://www.vliz.be/en/events/science-day-2024-high-t-sea
Online
Organised by the RitrainPlus consortium on 15 November (from 12:00 to 13:00), the event is part of a series of meetings dedicated to the project’s Community of Practice. The focus is be on research infrastructure staff, with Cristina Huertas-Olivares (International Initiatives & Projects Manager) and Joaquin Lopez Lerida (Data e-Science Management Plan & BlockChain Officer), both from the LifeWatch ERIC Statutory Seat and ICT-Core offices in Spain, moderating and presenting during the session.
The goal of the meeting is to promote the efficiency of distributed Research Infrastructures, through highly practical activities: attendants are presented with a suite of digital tools to enhance their daily workflow.
The recording of the meeting is available on the Ritrain Plus dedicated page: https://ritrainplus.eu/2024/10/14/next-cop-online-meeting-technical-tools-to-improve-the-efficiency-of-ris-staff/
Online
Organised jointly by ICOS and ACTRIS in the scope of the RitrainPlus project, the online workshop is dedicated to the management of European projects, and it is organised in three independent sessions on 14, 15 and 29 November. Participants can register for one or more of the sessions, depending on their interest.
The three sessions will cover essential topics: methods for identifying emerging themes and assessing project portfolios; practical strategies for managing multiple projects simultaneously; and ways to ensure the sustainability and long-term legacy of projects.
Please note that space is limited, and registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
For details on this workshop, visit this page: https://ritrainplus.eu/2024/10/16/ritrainplus-knowledge-exchange-workshop-project-portfolio-management/
Lecce, Italy
LifeWatch ERIC participates in the European Researchers’ Night with the project Marine SABRES (www.marinesabres.eu), in the scope of the initiative “Marine SABRES in fairs: biodiversity conservation and restoration, sustainable blue economy and the benefits of ecotourism”.
During the event, LifeWatch ERIC presents results and activities carried out in the framework of the project, promotes best practices and examples of sustainable use of marine resources and tourism, and also presents some videos realised by the LifeWatch Italy Multimedia Production Centre relating to project activities.
Moreover, the event is a chance to promote the Serious Game School Competition just launched by the project.
More info: https://www.lifewatch.eu/2024/09/13/marine-sabres-european-researchers-night-2024/
Frascati (Rome), Italy
The BIOSPACE25 international conference – the first of its kind – is dedicated to the application of Satellite Remote Sensing (SRS) across the various dimensions of biodiversity. It addresses Earth Observation from the perspective of its different kinds of ecosystems.
The conference is organised by ESA, the European Commission, the Group on Earth Observation Biodiversity Observation Newtowk (GEO BON), the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), and a number of partner organisations. The objective is to bring together an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral community of experts in biodiversity and conservation, with the goal to offer insightful exploration of critical biodiversity challenges object of Earth Observation systems, and how SRS solutions can contribute.
Julien Radoux, from LifeWatch Belgium, is taking part in the capacity of co-organizer of this unique event. There is also the possibility to submit workshop proposals and abstracts.
Visit the event page for more details: https://biospace25.esa.int/
Bruges, Belgium
The 7th edition of the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity, endorsed as a UN Ocean Decade Event, will take place from November 17-20th 2026 (WCMB 2026) in Bruges, Belgium, at the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ).
Taking part in the conference is a major opportunity to share research outcomes, management and policy topics, and offers a platform to discuss current and emerging biodiversity issues.
This year, the main theme will be “The marine biodiversity insights we need, for the ocean we want“.
The WCMB 2026 Scientific Committee identified several sub-themes which will guide the overall organisation:
Moreover, the event committee organised a call for session proposals, linked to one of the above conference sub-themes. A session may be constructed around a network, project, initiative or a specific, clearly defined scientific topic or question of broad interest within the field of marine biodiversity and in connection with the chosen sub-theme. Sessions can be constructed as presentations only, or a combination of presentations and discussions.
Important deadlines:
Information on the event and registration are available on the official page: https://www.wcmb2026.org/about
Liverpool, UK
In December 2024, ecologists worldwide will gather in Liverpool for Europe’s largest conference dedicated to ecology.
The British Ecological Society Annual Meeting attracts over 1200 delegates each year in its flagship event, and provides opportunities to meet new colleagues, develop careers, learn new skills, engaging and sharing research with the global ecological community.
This welcoming conference offers each year an exciting programme of plenary sessions with internationally renowned speakers. This year, the event will feature Rob Fish, Professor of Environmental Sustainability at the Imperial College of London, Ana Carnaval, Professor in the Department of Biology of the City College of New York, Lucy Waruingi, Executive Director of the African Conservation Centre, and Nathalie Seddon, Professor of Biodiversity at the University of Oxford and Founding Director of the Nature-based Solutions Initiative.
Besides these interesting plenary sessions, the attendees will have the chance to attend a number of thematic sessions, workshops, networking events and exhibitions.
The conference is especially relevant for LifeWatch ERIC due to the rich programme of its Thematic sessions, addressing the biodiversity crisis, nature restoration policies and practices, novels tools and technologies to tackle current challenges and much more.
LifeWatch ERIC will attend the event with a booth dedicated to research communities facilities, services and resources (including ENVRI-Hub NEXT), and a set of talks dedicated to biodiversity monitoring, conservation strategies, and more. We have summarised here the details of our interventions:
The full programme is available online. For more information, please visit the official website: https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/events/bes-annual-meeting-2024
Photo credit: @BritishEcolSoc on X
Lisbon, Portugal
The Tropical Summit 2024 aims to bring people together to address the ongoing challenges and opportunities in the tropics: a multi-stakeholder forum committed to achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda. The lessons from the past, including unmet global agendas, highlight the importance of not treating the 2030 deadline as a distant future event but as an urgent reality that requires immediate attention.
The main objectives of the Tropical Summit are to promote the transfer of knowledge, stimulate multidisciplinary collaboration, involve stakeholders, and contribute to the co-creation of innovative projects.
The focus will be on South-South-North triangular cooperation and four thematic areas:
LifeWatch ERIC will be present in the “Biodiversity and digitalisation” section of the Exhibition Hall. Two members of our Service Centre in Lecce will be there. Laura Caciagli and Ant Türkmen will provide presentations about our services and present the MarineSABRES project.
They will be also joined by members of PORBIOTA, representing LifeWatch Portugal.
To learn more on the Tropical Summit 2024, please visit the official website: https://www.tropicalsummit2024.com/
15-16 June, Oostende, Belgium
The Zeekerweter is a science festival located on the Belgian coast. At the festival, attendees can experience rising sea levels through an immersive Virtual Reality experience. Additionally, participants can explore the rich biodiversity of the sea at the beach of Oosteroever in the “sea workshop”. The festival also offers sustainable seafood and comedy centred around the sea theme.
On June 15, LifeWatch Belgium will host two sessions. One will focus on Virtual Reality, climate, and plankton, while the second will take place at Oosteroever Beach, where participants can discover what lives in the sea and on the sand.
On June 16, the Ostend Marine Station will be a fusion of science, art, and creativity.
To learn more about this event, please visit this website: https://lifewatch.be/en/events/zeekerweten-science-festival-coast.
The Greek National Distributed Centre is funded by the Greek General Secretariat of Research and Technology and is coordinated by the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, in conjunction with 47 associated partner institutions.
To know more about how Greece contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.
The Italian National Distributed Centre is led and managed by the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and is coordinated by a Joint Research Unit, currently comprising 35 members. Moreover, Italy hosts one of the LifeWatch ERIC Common Facilities, the Service Centre.
To know more about how Italy contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.
The Dutch National Distributed Centre is hosted by the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam. Moreover, The Netherlands hosts one of the LifeWatch ERIC Common Facilities, the Virtual Laboratory and Innovation Centre.
To know more about how The Netherlands contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.
The Portuguese National Distributed Centre is managed by PORBIOTA, the Portuguese e-Infrastructure for Information and Research on Biodiversity. Led by BIOPOLIS/CIBIO-InBIO – Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, PORBIOTA connects the principal Portuguese research institutions working in biodiversity.
To know more about how Portugal contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.
The Slovenian National Distributed Centre is led by the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU). It focuses on the development of technological solutions in the field of biodiversity and socio-ecosystem research.
To know more about how Slovenia contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.
The Spanish National Distributed Centre is supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the Regional Government of Andalusia and the Guadalquivir River Basin Authority (Ministry for Ecological Transition-MITECO). Moreover, Spain is the hosting Member State of LifeWatch ERIC, the location of its Statutory Seat & ICT e-Infrastructure Technical Office (LifeWatch ERIC Common Facilities).
To know more about how Spain contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.
The Bulgarian National Distributed Centre is represented by the Agricultural University-Plovdiv.
To know more about how Bulgaria contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.
The Belgian National Distributed Centre makes varied and complementary in-kind contributions to LifeWatch ERIC. These are implemented in the form of long-lasting projects by various research centres and universities distributed throughout the country and supported by each respective political authority.
To know more about how Belgium contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.