Join LifeWatch ERIC’s Thematic Services Working Groups

Thematic Services Working Groups

LifeWatch ERIC launches the minisites of the six Thematic Services Working Groups: hubs for knowledge and resources sharing, networking, and collaboration.

Co-developed by the LifeWatch ERIC Common Facilities in collaboration with the National Distributed Centres, they reflect the main priority areas of e-Service construction, and therefore are central to the 2022-2026 Infrastructure Strategic Working Plan.

The Thematic Services Working Groups are coordinated by the LifeWatch ERIC Service Centre and pursue three main objectives:

  • Strengthen collaboration between and within the Common Facilities and the Distributed Centres;
  • Review and update the mapping of the National scientific communities’ research needs in relation to the Thematic Services, and identify priority areas for development;
  • Promote and coordinate the participation of Distributed Centre research institutions in Horizon Europe and other European and international projects, on behalf of and in collaboration with LifeWatch ERIC, to co-design and co-construct the priority services with other key actors in the biodiversity and ecosystem research landscape.

The initiative officially took off in 2024, marked by a series of Thematic Service Workshops hosted by the National Distributed Centres, engaging local communities from the start.

Today, we are glad to present the Working Groups on the website: six dedicated entry points, each focused on a specific topic and open for participation!
Each page offers a brief overview of the scope and objectives, as well as a timeline of activities, including some future actions already planned.

The activities in each group are led by a coordinator from one of our National Distributed Centres, who will oversee the follow-up of its activities.

Moreover, the abstract submission topics for this year’s ‘BEeS’, LifeWatch ERIC’s Biodiversity & Ecosystem eScience Conference, have been selected in alignment with those of the Working Groups, given that they had been previously identified as key priority areas by the National Distributed Centres.

What are you waiting for? Find out more about the Working Groups, join forces with fellow experts and contribute to biodiversity and ecosystem research!

WoRMS reveals the list of ten remarkable new marine species from 2024

remarkable marine species

Every year, the World Register of Marine Species releases its annual list of the top ten remarkable marine species described by researchers during the previous year.

We are glad to announce that the 2024 list was revealed on 19 March, a date that coincides with World Taxonomist Appreciation Day. This date was not randomly chosen: it is worth noting that over 340 taxonomists around the world contribute their time to keeping the World Register of Marine Species up to date, and this is WoRMS’ way of acknowledging their work and celebrating taxonomists worldwide.

Selecting the top ten was no easy task, with an average of 2,000 fascinating new marine species discovered every year, and over 3,200 described in 2024 alone. The call for nominations was announced in December 2024 and sent to all WoRMS editors and major taxonomy journals.

The final decisions reflect the immense diversity of taxonomic groups in the marine environment, including crustaceans, corals, sponges, jellies, and worms.

Read the full press release here: https://marinespecies.org/worms-top-ten/2024/press-release

About WoRMS: hosted by the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), within LifeWatch Belgium (the National Distributed Centre of LifeWatch ERIC – more info here), the World Register of Marine Species grew out of the ERMS, the European Register of Marine Species, combined with a series of registers maintained at the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ).

Twaite Shad returns to the Scheldt River after 100 years

We recently shared news about the deployment of a network of fish detection devices along the Leie and the Scheldt rivers (you can find the article here). The Institute for Nature and Forest Research (INBO) has been working for years to protect fish species in the Flanders region. It is, in fact, the independent research institute of the Flemish government that underpins and evaluates biodiversity policy and management through applied scientific research.

Today we bring you a success story, one of those unexpected surprises that truly reward researchers for their dedication.

The twaite shad (also known as the “May fish” by locals), is a migratory fish species once completely disappeared from the Scheldt River due to pollution. Notably, it has made a remarkable return in the past decade.

Easily recognised by the six to ten black spots along its body and its forked tail, the twaite shad migrates upriver to spawn between late April and early May, giving it its nickname.

Its comeback has being monitored since 2014 using LifeWatch Belgium’s acoustic telemetry and data loggers to track its movement and habits. A very significant event that says something about the improving quality of water in the Scheldt river and the positive impacts of conservation efforts.

You can read more about this on the LifeWatch Belgium channel.

Fish migration monitoring in the Leie and Scheldt Rivers

Fish migration

Mapping the migration patterns of fish species is extremely important for researchers, as it allows them to offer better protection against various obstacles.

Every year in fact, millions of fish migrate to their spawning and rearing habitats, where they lay eggs and nurture their young. For some, this means swimming thousands of miles before they can reach their destination, often finding areas blocked by human-made barriers such as dams and navigation lock complexes.

When fish cannot reach their habitat, they cannot reproduce and build their population, for this reason it is important to provide effective solutions.

This is the case in the Leie and Scheldt rivers, which flow from the French border to the Netherlands. The Flemish waterway authority, De Vlaamse Waterweg, has tackled the issue by investing in the construction of fish passages to make these barriers more navigable. A study is monitoring the passage of fish through the pathways, in order to assess the impact of human barriers and the success of these mitigation measures.

Researchers from the Institute for Nature and Forest Research (INBO) have spent the last weeks deploying an extensive network of detection devices along the rivers, focusing in particular on six fish species.

Read more about this initiative on the LifeWatch Belgium website: https://www.lifewatch.be/news/new-study-monitors-fish-migration-leie-and-scheldt-rivers

World Register of Marine Species calls for Top-Ten marine species nominations

marine species

As we carry on with our daily lives working, researching, and attending events, taxonomists are working hard to discover new species every year. Now, the time has come to celebrate their discoveries by submitting nominations for the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) Top-Ten Marine Species of 2024!

The aim of a World Register of Marine Species is to provide a list of names and synonyms of marine organisms, so that it can serve as a guide to interpret taxonomic literature.

The content of the register is controlled by taxonomic and thematic experts: each taxonomic group is represented by an expert who has authority over the content, and is responsible for controlling the quality of the information.

This year’s Top-Ten list will be revealed on the 19th of March 2025, to mark World Taxonomist Appreciation Day, a tribute to the researchers behind these findings.

The WoRMS Top-Ten list collects last year’s most interesting new marine species, bringing them to the attention of the wider public.
The best nominations have a compelling story behind their discovery, whether it’s a species with a rare or unusual morphology, an interesting name, or societal significance.

Submissions are open until Friday, 7th of February, only for species that have been published in 2024. If you are interested in submitting your nomination, you can find additional details here: https://www.lifewatch.be/news/call-nominations-worms-top-ten-marine-species-2024.

How LifeWatch Belgium supports science at the Ghent University Museum

Ghent University Museum and WoRMS

The Ghent University Museum (GUM) and Botanical Garden represent an innovative approach to science communication in Flanders and beyond. Located in the heart of Ghent’s Botanical Garden, this institution is the first recognised university museum in Flandres. With a history spanning over 200 years and a collection of more than 400,000 items, the GUM is an example of how universities can bridge the gap between academia and society.

As a “Forum for Science, Doubt & Art,” the GUM showcases how scientists think and work, encouraging visitors – be they students, researchers, or the general public – to embrace the processes of trial, error, and imagination. Behind the scenes, however, ensuring the scientific accuracy of its exhibits is no small feat. This is where LifeWatch Belgium, through the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), comes into play.

The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), managed as part of LifeWatch Belgium’s Species Information Backbone, has been instrumental in preparing the GUM’s permanent collection for public display. Specifically, WoRMS has been used to verify the scientific and common names of species featured in the museum, ensuring that visitors engage with the most accurate and up-to-date taxonomic information available.

WoRMS provides an authoritative and detailed list of marine species names, including synonymy information. This makes it a vital tool for institutions like the GUM, to ensure that academic collections meet the highest standards of taxonomic precision.

LifeWatch Belgium provides tools and resources like WoRMS to support research, education, and public engagement initiatives. Its collaboration with institutions such as the GUM highlights the critical role of biodiversity data infrastructures in connecting science with society.

For more information about the GUM, visit: https://www.lifewatch.be/user-stories/forum-science-doubt-art

LifeWatch Belgium: ETN datasets on fish species now accessible through GBIF

acoustic telemetry ETN datasets

At the end of September, we received important news from our National Distributed Centre in LifeWatch Belgium: the first ETN datasets from the Permanent Belgian Acoustic Receiver Network are now available via GBIF. The datasets include 507,095 occurrences of 10 fish species from Belgian freshwater, intertidal, and marine habitats. 

What does that mean? 

LifeWatch Belgium uses innovative tracking technologies to understand fishes’ movement behaviour, and get insights into their migration routes. Through acoustic telemetry, they actively track fish through implanted tags that emit acoustic signals. 

The importance of having such data and being able to understand fish routes, can be explained in terms of support to species and habitat conservation, and good fisheries management. 

Acoustic telemetry data is managed in the European Tracking Network (ETN) data platform. After a lengthy process of elaboration and standardisation, which began in 2020, INBO and Ghent University have made eight datasets available in Darwin Core format as part of their contribution to LifeWatch Belgium.

The datasets in Darwin Core format are now accessible through the Global Diversity Information Facility network (GBIF): an international network and data infrastructure aimed at providing open access data about all types of life on Earth.

The next step will be to make this data accessible via OBIS as well.

Read more at the following link, and stay tuned to LifeWatch Belgium for future developments: https://www.lifewatch.be/news/first-etn-datasets-available-through-gbif 

LifeWatch Belgium launched a new and redesigned website for an enhanced user experience

LifeWatch Belgium

LifeWatch ERIC is happy to announce the launch of the newly redesigned LifeWatch Belgium website. This platform offers a sleek, user-friendly interface and enhanced navigation, reflecting LifeWatch Belgium’s commitment to providing accessible, high-quality biodiversity and ecosystem research resources.

LifeWatch Belgium specialises in offering advanced data services and tools for biodiversity and ecosystem research. The website showcases services such as the Biodiversity Data System, Habitat Mapping, Bio-Logging, and more, supporting researchers with cutting-edge technologies and extensive datasets.

Indeed, LifeWatch Belgium’s local observatories generate long-term marine, freshwater, and terrestrial data, which is openly accessible for research. Biodiversity data systems integrate global taxonomic information, providing crucial insights into species and their habitats. Advanced bio-logging and camera trapping services facilitate the study of animal movements, while habitat mapping utilises remote sensing and geospatial analysis to characterise environmental data. The e-Lab application allows users to effortlessly standardise, analyse, and visualise data. Additionally, LifeWatch Belgium provides open-source software packages for data access and analysis and maintains a comprehensive dataset catalogue integrated into the LifeWatch ERIC Metadata Catalogue.

Furthermore, the website features inspiring user stories showcasing the diverse applications of LifeWatch Belgium’s resources. For example, the collaboration with JERICO-NEXT to study plankton in the southern North Sea, investigations into oyster larvae settlement for coastal protection, and how Marine Regions data supported the Ocean Health Index. These and other stories have already been published on the new LifeWatch Belgium website.

To access the shiny new LifeWatch Belgium website, please visit https://www.lifewatch.be/.

The World Register of Marine Species and Edaphobase join forces to strengthen biodiversity information systems for scientific research

LifeWatch Belgium‘s World Register of Marine Species and Edaphobase have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate and share information. The aim is to promote the use of biodiversity information systems for scientific research, avoid duplication of effort, identify overlaps between initiatives, and establish an open exchange of taxonomic information.

The Soil Biodiversity Data Warehouse Edaphobase is a publicly accessible data warehouse that synthesises and standardises occurrence and taxonomic data on soil invertebrates and links them to environmental site parameters in space and time. Edaphobase is hosted and operated by the Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz, Department of Soil Zoology, and managed by the Edaphobase Steering Committee, consisting of soil zoologists and software developers, who are responsible for the curation and further development of the data warehouse for the needs of the international research community.

The first joint goal will be a close collaboration between Edaphobase and The World Database of Nematodes Nemys, an integrated part of WoRMS. Both databases will benefit from exchanging information and data already available and yet to be compiled: Edaphobase will reuse the Nematoda phylogeny of Nemys as the taxonomic backbone of its soil nematode distribution data. Similarly, country-level data and trait information in Edaphobase will supplement the information on the distribution of soil nematode species in Nemys.

This agreement also contributes to the continued development of LifeWatch Belgium’s Species Information Backbone (LW-SpIBB), which also aims to bring together taxonomic and species-related data, thereby filling the gaps in our knowledge and reducing duplication of efforts. To learn more, please visit this page: https://www.lifewatch.be/en/news?p=show&id=9322

Image: Oscheius dolichura (Nematoda) – Astrid König – Senckenberg Görlitz

WoRMS released the 2023 top ten new marine species

On March 19, The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), an initiative hosted by VLIZ, LifeWatch Belgium‘s focal point, released the top ten marine species described by researchers in 2023, coinciding with World Taxonomist Appreciation Day. The list highlights about 2,000 new marine species discovered each year. In 2023, WoRMS added almost 2,000 marine species, including some 330 fossils.


In December 2023, World Register of Marine Species sent an invitation for nominations to editors of WoRMS and major taxonomy journals. The invitation was also posted on the WoRMS website and social media, allowing anyone to nominate their favourite marine species described in 2023. These nominations could also include marine fossils.

The 2024 Top Ten list
A committee of volunteers, including taxonomists and data managers, reviewed nominations and selected final candidates. The list of selected species is not hierarchical:

  • Falkor’s Carnivorous Sponge, Abyssocladia falkor
  • The Bifrost Nemertean, Tetranemertes bifrost
  • Solwarawarriors vestimentiferan, Alaysia solwarawarriors
  • Hannan’s Pygmy Squid, Kodama jujutsu
  • The Samoan Nautilus, Nautilus samoaensis
  • Prince Albert’s Sea Daisy, Xyloplax princealberti
  • Bouchet’s Dorymenia, Dorymenia boucheti
  • Fine Line Nudibranch, Halgerda scripta
  • Fordyce’s Giant Penguin, Kumimanu fordycei †
  • St. George’s Cross Medusa, Santjordia pagesi

The final selections showcase a variety of taxonomic groups found in the marine environment, such as crustaceans, corals, sponges, jellyfish, and worms. They also shed light on the challenges faced by the marine environment today. The chosen candidates feature astonishing and scientifically significant marine creatures that appeal to the public. Each of these marine species has a unique story, and this year’s chosen species include some of the weirdest and most astonishing creatures found in the ocean, such as a beautifully coloured nemertean, a carnivorous sponge, and a giant extinct penguin. Taxonomists collect, identify, and name new species every day. Over 300 taxonomists also maintain the World Register of Marine Species.

About the top-ten list of Marine Species
The WoRMS Top Ten Marine Species 2023 would not have been possible without the collaboration between the WoRMS Data Management Team (DMT), the WoRMS Top Ten Decision Committee, the WoRMS Steering Committee (SC), and the voluntary contributions of many of the WoRMS editors.
The Top Ten Lists initiative started in 2007. Please visit this page to learn about the 2023 Top Ten List and previous years’ lists.

What WoRMS does
WoRMS – the World Register of Marine Species – compiles a comprehensive list of all marine organisms and their synonyms. It provides valid and other names to help interpret taxonomic literature. Over 245,000 marine species have been described and managed by more than 300 scientists worldwide. WoRMS is a service provided by LifeWatch Belgium.

The cover image was taken by Merrick Ekins and shows the holotype and paratype of Abyssocladia falkor, a new carnivorous sponge from the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia, collected by the ROV FALKOR. The original online source can be found at https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5293.3.2