EOSC Mesh to connect research infrastructures and advance the European Open Science Cloud

Source: EGI FOundation press release

From 24 to 25 September 2026, LifeWatch ERIC was involved in the EOSC Mesh kick off meeting in Ghent, Belgium. Adrian Guerrero Bermudez, Hybrid Cloud Data Centre & Software Systems Operation Manager at LifeWatch ERIC ICT Core, and Zhiming Zao, VLIC Technical Manager, joined the meeting.
Launched by a consortium of 46 organisations and coordinated by the EGI Foundation, EOSC Mesh – Connecting Nodes to Advance the EOSC Federation is an initiative designed to strengthen the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) by connecting research infrastructures, digital services and scientific communities across Europe.
EOSC Mesh will establish seven interoperable EOSC Nodes covering environmental sciences, social sciences and humanities, life sciences, high-energy physics, scholarly communication and e-infrastructures. Together, these Nodes will form a distributed EOSC Mesh Hub, offering 25 federating capabilities to help researchers discover, access, process and reuse data, software, workflows and other research outputs across organisational and national boundaries.
LifeWatch ERIC is involved in WP3 activities, supporting the planning, set-up, integration and delivery of Nodes into the EOSC Federation.
The project will provide a continuum of federated data, compute and storage resources, supported by services for authentication, cataloguing, federated search, workflow management, secure processing of sensitive data, data transfer, provenance and service monitoring. This will make it easier for research communities to combine resources from different infrastructures and run reproducible, cross-border workflows.
“EOSC Mesh will turn federation into a practical experience for researchers and infrastructure providers,” said Diego Scardaci, EGI Foundation (project coordinator). “By connecting independent Nodes through shared services, technical expertise and coordinated support, we can make European research resources easier to find, access and reuse.”
The project will demonstrate the value of the EOSC Mesh Hub through seven scientific use cases, including AI model validation on sensitive health data, cross-Node particle-physics workflows, environmental monitoring, analysis of volcanic eruptions, ocean-risk prevention and the discovery of historical newspaper data. EOSC Mesh will also support new providers and potential Node operators through training, open calls, technical assistance and a dedicated Node Operator Framework.
EOSC Mesh will work closely with the EOSC Partnership, the EOSC EU Node, other EOSC Nodes and related European initiatives. Its results will help lower the barriers for future organisations wishing to join the EOSC Federation.
For more information, visit the project website.


Picture from LinkedIn

REGENSOILL kicks off in Birmingham: regenerating Europe’s brownfield soils

LifeWatch ERIC joined partners from across Europe at Aston University in Birmingham, United Kingdom, from 16 to 18 September 2026 for the kick-off meeting of REGENSOILL (Regenerating Brownfield Soils through Transdisciplinary Living Labs and Nature-Based Solutions). The 54-month Horizon Europe project contributes to the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe” and aims to restore soil quality on industrial and urban brownfield sites through nature-based solutions, digital decision-support tools and regional consultation processes.
Around 60 experts from 25 beneficiaries and one associated partner in 12 countries took part, welcomed by Project Coordinator Daniel J. Nowakowski. Over three days, the teams presented their Work Package plans and received guidance from Project Officer Benoit Pereira and Policy Officer Jelena Vidović of DG AGRI. The consortium also visited two potential sites for the Birmingham Living Lab, where participants discussed the challenges of post-industrial soils and ways to involve local communities.
REGENSOILL is built around five Living Labs: Birmingham (United Kingdom), Budapest (Hungary), Lille Metropole (France), Upper Silesia (Poland) and a cross-border Baltic cluster covering Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. They will bring together scientists, local authorities, businesses, landowners and communities to co-create, test and demonstrate a toolkit of scientifically validated bioremediation solutions. Beyond restoring degraded soils, the project aims to reduce exposure to historical pollution, boost urban biodiversity, improve stormwater management, combat heat islands and accelerate the reuse of brownfield sites without encroaching on new natural areas.
LifeWatch ERIC’s role
In REGENSOILL, LifeWatch ERIC leads two tasks in Work Package 6: the development of predictive models and a simulation engine, and the design and development of a Decision Support System (DSS) for the remediation and green redevelopment of brownfields. Built on digital twins of the sites, the system will simulate contaminant behaviour, soil health recovery and biodiversity under different nature-based solutions, such as phytoremediation or biochar and compost amendments.
AI methods will generate high-quality synthetic data to address data sparsity, stress-test workflows and validate models, making the DSS more reliable and scalable across sites and environmental conditions. The models will then be calibrated with field data from the Living Labs, and the results presented through interactive maps and scenario comparisons for planners, landowners and citizens. LifeWatch ERIC will also curate the soil biodiversity data collected across the Living Labs, making it openly accessible, interoperable and reusable.

Find out more at: regensoill.eu

UNESCO International Day of Caves and Karst: A New Global Platform for Exploration, Research, and Protection

International Day of Caves and Karst

Nadja Zupan Hajna, Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU, International Union of Speleology (UIS)

On 12 November 2025, the UNESCO General Conference proclaimed 13 September as the International Day of Caves and Karst (IDCK). The new International Day provides a permanent global platform for raising awareness of the importance of caves and karst for biodiversity, water resources, geodiversity, scientific research, cultural heritage and sustainable development. Caves and karst systems are often hidden from view, yet they contain unique natural archives and support highly specialised ecosystems, including many endemic and cave-adapted species that depend on stable subterranean environments.

This makes the International Day particularly relevant to the LifeWatch ERIC community, where biodiversity research, long-term observation, data integration and the study of specialised habitats are central themes. Subterranean ecosystems are especially vulnerable to environmental change, pollution, changes in groundwater conditions, land use and other human pressures. Better knowledge of these environments is therefore essential not only for understanding their exceptional biodiversity, but also for their effective conservation.

The initiative for the International Day originated within the International Union of Speleology (UIS) and grew out of the successful International Year of Caves and Karst 2021–2022. The process was led by Nadja Zupan Hajna of the Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU, who, as UIS President from 2022, made formal UNESCO recognition of caves and karst one of the main goals of her mandate and coordinated the preparation of the proposal, its scientific justification and the building of broad international support. The Republic of Slovenia subsequently submitted the UIS proposal through the formal UNESCO procedure. The initiative ultimately received wide international support and established 13 September as an annual day dedicated to caves and karst.

The first global celebration of the UNESCO International Day of Caves and Karst took place in Postojna, Slovenia, from 10 to 13 September 2026. It was jointly organised by the Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU and the International Union of Speleology (UIS), with the support and cooperation of the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO and Slovenian partner institutions. The events were held under the patronage of UNESCO and the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Nataša Pirc Musar, who personally attended the central ceremony in Postojna Cave and addressed the participants.

At the heart of the programme was the international scientific conference “Explore, Understand and Protect: Towards Sustainable Management of Caves and Karst”, which brought together around 160 participants from 35 countries on five continents. Scientific sessions addressed biodiversity and geodiversity, cave and karst protection, groundwater management, climate change, pollution, geohazards, new research technologies, education and sustainable management. The central celebration in Postojna Cave brought together participants and invited guests from 43 countries.

The first celebration in Postojna was only the beginning. The aim is for 13 September to become an annual global opportunity to explore, understand and protect caves and karst, connecting researchers, cavers, conservationists, educators, local communities and decision makers. For biodiversity initiatives such as LifeWatch ERIC, the IDCK also offers an important opportunity to make the often-invisible diversity of subterranean ecosystems more visible and to strengthen cooperation between research, monitoring and conservation.

Text by Nadja Zupan Hajna, Group picture by Valter Leban, taken during the first global celebration of the UNESCO International Day of Caves and Karst in Postojna, Slovenia.
More info and gallery: https://izrkp.zrc-sazu.si/en/novice/the-main-ceremony-marking-the-first-celebration-of-unesco-international-day-of-caves-and

MEDCONNECT, the Mediterranean Lighthouse of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”, launches in Limassol

Source: MEDCONNECT press release

Connecting blue innovators and scaling solutions across the Mediterranean: this is the mission of MEDCONNECT, the Mediterranean Lighthouse of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” officially launched on 29 September 2026 at the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in Cyprus.

At a time when the Mediterranean is under growing pressure from climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, MEDCONNECT aims to move promising innovations beyond the pilot stage and into real coastal environments, accelerating their deployment, financing and uptake across the region.

The public event took place at the Chamber’s premises in Limassol, Cyprus, opening the MEDCONNECT kick-off meeting on 29-30 September. The launch event included an institutional welcome, a presentation of MEDCONNECT, high-level diplomatic remarks by Ambassadors and representatives of Mediterranean countries participating in the project.
The two-day meeting was the first opportunity to bring the full partnership around the same table, align priorities and turn the project architecture into a shared programme of action.

The meeting was attended by Christos Arvanitidis, LifeWatch ERIC Chief Executive Officer, and Cristina Huertas-Olivares, Senior Scientific Officer at LifeWatch ERIC Statutory Seat.
LifeWatch ERIC leads WP9 “Innovation Ecosystem Capacity Building” and will be involved in: building and strengthening innovation ecosystems across the three Regional Hubs; enabling collaboration with 5-helix stakeholders and youth to drive investment and innovative solutions uptake; enhancing stakeholders’ capacities to adopt and scale innovations through targeted training; empowering off-takers to integrate innovations sustainably into their operations and services; fostering continuous multi-stakeholder collaboration to ensure solutions are user-driven to guarantee sustainable basin socio-economic development.

Funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe and coordinated by the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI), MEDCONNECT brings together 20 partners across the Mediterranean Basin. Over three years, the project will work through 14 national hubs and three regional living lab systems in Croatia, Cyprus and Spain, where 15 innovative solutions will be tested and refined under real coastal conditions. MEDCONNECT will also support access to public and private investment, digital monitoring, behavioural change and local capacity building, with the goal of scaling validated solutions and creating a lasting Mediterranean innovation ecosystem.

“MEDCONNECT marks more than the formal start of a European project: it is the beginning of a shared ambition for the Mediterranean,” said Gotelenne Piaton, MEDCONNECT Project Coordinator at CMMI. “Our goal is to connect actors across the basin, bring innovative solutions into real-world environments and create the conditions for them to be replicated and scaled.”

The two-day kick-off meeting brought together partners from more than 14 countries across the Mediterranean Basin, alongside representatives of CINEA and DG MARE, and concluded with a visit to the Port of Limassol and EUROGATE Container Terminal.

About MEDCONNECT
MEDCONNECT – Mediterranean Lighthouse Connectivity Platform for Scaling Up Solutions and Regional Partnerships – is the Mediterranean Lighthouse of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”. Funded by Horizon Europe and coordinated by the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI), the three-year project brings together 20 partners from across the Mediterranean and Europe to accelerate the restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems and the transition to a climate-neutral, competitive blue economy. Working through national hubs and three regional living lab systems in Croatia, Cyprus and Spain, MEDCONNECT will refine and demonstrate 15 innovative solutions under real coastal conditions, mobilise public and private investment, deploy digital monitoring and promote behavioural change.
Its goal is to establish a permanent Mediterranean innovation ecosystem that turns validated solutions into financed deployments aligned with the Mission’s 2030 objectives.

Follow MEDCONNECT
Website: https://medconnect-lighthouse.eu
LinkedIn: @medconnect-eu | Instagram: @medconnect_eu

MEDCONNECT is part of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” and is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101296089. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

From a working group to a platform for rapid and effective Red List assessment: the evolution of sRedList

sRedList

The story of sRedList is one of research and innovation grown directly from practical needs. sRedList developed from challenges related to the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (known as the IUCN Red List), and from the collaborative efforts to address them. Step by step, these efforts shaped the platform into what it is today: a tool developed from experience, shared expertise, and a clear understanding of the practical demands of Red List assessment.

At the beginning, sRedList started as a working group funded by sDiv, the synthesis centre for biodiversity sciences of iDiv, between 2021 and 2023. Coordinated by Luca Santini and Moreno Di Marco, with Victor Cazalis as a postdoctoral researcher, the group brought together Red List practitioners and ecological modellers to address a major challenge: facilitating the work of Red List assessors.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species plays a crucial role in biodiversity conservation by monitoring the status of species, supporting conservation policies, and assessing the effectiveness of conservation actions. Yet assessors have faced challenges in expanding the number of species assessed, updating existing assessments, and making assessments more robust and standardised.

Although modelling methods have been developed for years to support and streamline this work, their uptake in Red List assessments has remained limited. The development of sRedList was therefore closely connected to the Red List community itself.

Through a series of encounters with assessors, species experts, and naturalists, the first prototype was tested and progressively improved. Feedback from the community led to new features and modifications, transforming an initial prototype into a platform capable of integrating different data sources and analytical methods into a single workflow. The platform was developed in close collaboration with LifeWatch Italy, that developed the online infrastructure and hosts the platform on their servers. The analyses are being developed and maintained by Victor Cazalis, presented in detail in Cazalis et al., 2024, in Biological Conservation.

Today, sRedList guides users through seven steps, making the assessment workflow accessible also to users without advanced scripting skills. The platform can use occurrence data from sources including GBIF, OBIS, the Red List or users’ own files, and can produce outputs that can be integrated into the Species Information Service (SIS).

Among other functions, sRedList can generate species distribution maps, estimate Area of Habitat and its trends, identify countries of occurrence, assess forest-cover trends within a species’ range, and calculate severe fragmentation.

The platform is currently undergoing an engineering update, with new modules being developed to make the service more solid and further support the work of Red List assessors. sRedList can count today on multidisciplinary skills: the core team expanded overtime, and now involves also members of CNR, LifeWatch Italy, and LifeWatch ERIC – who maintains the platform up to date and operational.

Stay tuned and learn more about sRedList: https://sredlist.eu

Photo credits: sRedList website

LifeWatch ERIC at TDWG 2026: strengthening biodiversity data infrastructures through coordination and interoperability

TDWG 2026 (1)

Anne Fouilloux, LifeWatch ERIC’s CTO, attended the TDWG 2026 Conference and participated in the panel discussion “Strengthening resilience in biodiversity data infrastructures: From practice to global coordination”, on Tuesday 22 September.

The discussion, moderated by Sharif Islam (Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Netherlands) and Giuditta Parolini (Museum für Naturkunde, Germany), started from the question of how scientific collaboration can move beyond “bilateral” technical integrations, to shift toward a coordinated biodiversity data ecosystem.

Moving from data siloed across specialised infrastructures like DISSCo, GBIF, BHL, eLTER, ELIXIR, and LifeWatch ERIC, and using the DiSSCo-GBIF collaboration as a starting point, the session invited participants to explore grounds for collaborations across infrastructures.

“A data infrastructure that stops at “data” is incomplete”, commented Anne Fouilloux on her participation in a social media post published after the event. She highlighted that resilience is not only about preserving data, but also about preserving the context that makes data understandable, trustworthy and reusable, including provenance, metadata, methods, workflows and the services that support their use.

She also pointed to the role of FAIR Digital Objects (FDOs) in this context, describing them as a way of encapsulating data together with the information needed to understand, trust and reuse it, while preserving this context as data are transformed and combined. According to Dr. Fouilloux, this represents a continuation of a broader trajectory in biodiversity data infrastructures: as standards, ontologies and mappings have progressively reduced the burden of data curation and reconciliation placed on users, FDOs can contribute to extending this principle by making interoperability and reuse increasingly infrastructure-driven rather than user-driven.

A key challenge, she observed, is now to make these concepts accessible beyond communities already familiar with FDOs, provenance and interoperability. The discussion brought together perspectives from several European and international biodiversity data infrastructures and highlighted the importance of moving from individual technical integrations towards shared approaches that can strengthen the resilience and sustainability of the wider biodiversity data ecosystem.

The LifeWatch Italy team also attended the conference to discuss about National Biodiversity Data Infrastructures, and infrastructure-driven solutions:

Andrea Tarallo presented the poster “Assessing the maturity and sustainability of the LifeWatch Italy Data Portal using the Data Infrastructure Maturity Profile“, during the Workshop “Strengthening National Biodiversity Data Infrastructures through International Coordination”, co-organised by Anton Güntsch, David Fichtmueller, Tanja Weibulat, Victor Heijke, Andrea Tarallo, on 22 September.

Cristina di Muri presented “Infrastructure-driven solutions to strengthen semantic interoperability in ecology”, in the session “Semantic Interoperability and Standards Infrastructure” moderated by Ben Norton.

Jessica Titocci presented “Traits Thesaurus: towards semantic harmonisation of FAIR trait-based data on aquatic organisms”, in the session “AI-Readiness Metrics and Metadata for Biodiversity Data”, organised by and Yasin Bakış, Cem Meydan.

For more information about the TDWG 2026 Conference, visit: https://www.tdwg.org/conferences/2026/#

European Researchers’ Night 2026: taking science across Europe

European Researchers' Night 2026

On 25 September 2026, LifeWatch ERIC and its Distributed Centres participated in several initiatives of the European Researchers’ Night (#ERN), bringing biodiversity science, research and innovation closer to citizens across Europe.

  • Understanding the importance of marine ecosystems

In Lecce, Italy, the former Olivetani Monastery hosted a series of informative events, such as project booths, documentary projections, and small-scale reconstructions of extremely fascinating scientific experiments. The Marine SABRES project was present with a “Marine SABRES in Fairs” booth.

Visitors could test the Marine SABRES Serious Game, developed by LifeWatch ERIC as an interactive experience designed to explore the complex relationships between human activities, marine ecosystems, and human well-being, while reflecting on the choices and trade-offs involved in achieving a more sustainable future.

The event also featured the screening of “Tides of Balance”, the Marine SABRES documentary directed by Fabrizio Lecce, offering perspectives on the challenges and opportunities surrounding the sustainable use and management of marine ecosystems.

  • Exploring solutions for mine-impacted waters

The ERN in Huelva, Spain, included a series of activities, interactive labs, and dialogues promoted by the University of Huelva with the objective to bring science closer to the public. The RECUP-DAS project was there, and presented a workshop on “Ecological treatment of acid mine drainage”, through the Environmental Mineralogy and Geochemistry Group of the University of Huelva (one of the project partners).

The workshop introduced the technology at the core of RECUP-DAS: Dispersed Alkaline Substrate (DAS), a passive treatment system that can neutralise the acidity of water from mining-impacted sites while efficiently retaining metals.

The technology was developed by researchers of the Tharsis research group at the University of Huelva, and will be applied as part of RECUP-DAS in the surroundings of Mina La Poderosa, by building a new DAS treatment plant within the Tinto and Odiel river basins, historically affected by the presence of metals. A real-time monitoring system developed by LifeWatch ERIC will also support the creation of a digital twin of the treatment plant, demonstrating how digital technologies can contribute to environmental monitoring and research.

  • Learning about the herborisation of algae specimens

In Porto, Portugal, the ERN rolled out with interactive experiences, demonstrations with scientists, games, workshops, and much more. The Portuguese National Distributed Centre of LifeWatch ERIC is managed by PORBIOTA. In Porto, Portugal, PORBIOTA was represented by the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto at the European Researchers’ Night held at the i3S – Institute for Research and Innovation in Health.

As part of the “Bridges for Science” project, the team organised a workshop on the herborisation of algae specimens, offering participants a hands-on opportunity to explore biodiversity research and scientific collections.

Overall, participating in these initiatives across Europe has been a great chance to bring scientific work beyond the research community, where it can open a dialogue with citizens and show the value of biodiversity and ecosystem research to address environmental challenges.

Applications open for the MARBEFES Autumn School 2026: learn to use biodiversity assessment tools!

MARBEFES Autumn School 2026

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.

SERE 2026: LifeWatch ERIC attends the European Conference on Ecological Restoration

SERE Conference 2026

Last week, members of LifeWatch ERIC Jorge Osman and Cristina Huertas-Olivares attended the SERE 2026 Conference, the 15th edition of the European Conference on Ecological Restoration, organised by the University of Brest’s Geoarchitecture Laboratory in close collaboration with SER-Europe and the ‘REVER’ network.

The main objective of this event was to share knowledge and strengthen links between stakeholders in ecological restoration, with a focus on ecological, social, and political considerations.

The conference tackled all aspects of restoration, across different types of ecosystems and territories, including some usually less well-integrated topics, such as the restoration of ecological networks (particularly dark infrastructure) and marine ecosystems.

Moreover, the scientific programme dedicated particular attention to the restoration of wetlands and coastal ecosystems, the application of European nature restoration legislation and the implementation of National Restoration Plans.

These topics are particularly relevant to the RECUP-DAS project, which aims to support the restoration and sustainable management of areas affected by mining activities, through an integrated approach that combines ecological restoration, monitoring, data management, and decision-support tools.

In this context, the participation in SERE 2026 provided an opportunity for LifeWatch ERIC members involved in the project to follow the latest developments, experiences and approaches in ecological restoration, and to exchange knowledge with researchers working across different ecosystems.

Jorge Osman, Scientific Project Manager, and member of the RECUP-DAS Project, attended the conference in Brest to learn from the international experiences presented during the event, including a specialised course on “Adaptive Restoration Planning Using DSS-AWERE”. The knowledge and methodologies gained through this training may prove valuable for the RECUP-DAS project, in particular in relation to the planning, monitoring, and evaluation of future ecological restoration actions in the areas affected by mining activities.

Attending SERE 2026 and the specialised training provided an opportunity to broaden the project team’s knowledge, explore relevant approaches, and strengthen connections with the wider ecological restoration community.

RECUP-DAS is co-funded by the European Union through the Andalusia ERDF Programme 2021–2027.

For more information, visit: https://sere2026.sciencesconf.org/?lang=en

LifeWatch ERIC joins ECSA 61: the Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association Conference 2026

ECSA 61 (2)

From 24 to 27 August 2026, a global, multidisciplinary community of researchers and professionals is gathering in Belgium to discuss the urgent challenges posed by the triple planetary crisis – climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution – with threats to biodiversity representing a particularly major concern for both the planet health and human societies.

This is, in fact, the focus of “ECSA 61: Bridging the gap between science and policy in estuarine and coastal marine biodiversity: the way forward“.

Organised by Elsevier and the ECSA Association, the conference features sessions and workshops across four main topics: Physics, Ecology, Biogeochemistry, and the Human Dimension. The focus is on international collaborative actions, in particular across maritime areas, where there is urgent need to assess and manage threats, and to plan future initiatives that ensure a sustainable use of estuaries, coasts, and seas.

Building on the results of several Horizon Europe projects, this is also an opportunity to showcase the most recent advances in coastal marine research, and their application for European and international policies. For the first time, ECSA 61 also includes a “Science-meets-Policy” day on 27 August, providing an opportunity to discuss research findings with managers and decision-makers.

LifeWatch ERIC members Joaquin Lopez-Lerida, Cristina Huertas-Olivares, Julio Paneque, and CEO Christos Arvanitidis are attending the conference, contributing to two Special Sessions and presenting two posters:

In the Special Session “Toolboxes and Decision Support Systems for marine and estuarine management needs, uses and misuses”, chaired by Anita Franco (International Estuarine and Coastal Specialist Ltd, UK), they present the MARBEFES project toolbox, which integrates ecological, economic, and social analyses of marine biodiversity, together with the project partners.

In the Special Session “Environmental DNA for coastal and estuarine biodiversity monitoring and assessment: connecting scientific innovation with policy needs”, chaired by Jan Pawlowski (Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland), and Raffaele Siano (Ifremer DYNECO, France) they present tools for integrating citizen scientists into genomic observatories, to enhance coastal marine biomonitoring and ecological assessment, as well as operational eDNA workflows for biodiversity monitoring in coastal ecosystems within LifeWatch ERIC.

They also present the following posters: “Integrating decision support systems and toolboxes through the European Research Infrastructure Consortium LifeWatch”, and “From eDNA metabarcoding to operational marine biodiversity products: workflows within LifeWatch ERIC”.

Finally, they will also take part in the General Session on “Coastal and estuarine biodiversity and ecosystems”, on 26 August, where they will propose a holistic understanding of European marine biodiversity and the human communities that live within it.

For more information on this event and the full programme, visit: https://www.estuarinecoastalconference.com