Marine SABRES School Competition returns for its last edition on 22 May

Marine SABRES School Competition - Final Edition

Marine SABRES is launching the third and final edition of its Serious Game School Competition, inviting secondary schools across Europe to take part in a unique learning experience focused on the ocean. Registration is now open for teachers.

The event will take place on 22 May 2026, in occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity and the European Maritime Day, from 09:00 to 17:00 CEST.

Following the previous edition, which brought together 13 classes from 5 schools across Europe, the competition continues to grow as a space for collaboration between classrooms and researchers.

Over the course of the day, students will explore ways human communities can manage, protect, and benefit from marine ecosystems through an online serious game developed together with a European network of researchers. Classes will move through a series of challenges and quizzes, using the game as a starting point for discussion and learning.

This initiative is designed for teachers of natural and social sciences, English and CLIL, citizenship, and environmental or sustainability education, and supports both lower (10-13) and upper (14-18) secondary students. Only teachers can register and, on the day of the School Competition, they will mentor their students while they play the online serious game.

Now in its final edition, the School Competition marks the closing chapter of the Marine SABRES educational journey: an opportunity for schools to take part in a shared European experience that brings science and sustainability into the classroom in a practical way.

Registration is open until the day of the event. Teachers can sign up their class and join the final edition here: https://zfrmz.eu/HwvUDABMlOFCTr9UY0ch

Harmonising vegetation structure metrics across Europe through Large-scale airborne LiDAR processing

LiDAR

From 11 to 13 March 2026, LifeWatch ERIC was involved in a three-day technical workshop on large-scale airborne LiDAR processing for vegetation structure analysis.

The event was hosted at SustainaLab (University of Amsterdam), and organised by W. Daniel Kissling, Yifang Shi, and Jinhu Wang as part of the EU-funded Mambo Project (Modern Approaches to the Monitoring of BiOdiversity), an initiative that develops remote-sensing and AI-based tools to improve biodiversity monitoring across Europe. LifeWatch ERIC, the Netherlands eScience Center, and SURF contributed their expertise to the event programme.

Over the three days, the event brought together 21 researchers, data scientists, and remote sensing specialists working across ecology, forestry, and Earth observation. LifeWatch ERIC VLIC members Zhiming Zhao, Koen Greuell, and Gabriel Pelouze participated with the presentation “Notebook-as-a-VRE (NaaVRE): a virtual research environment” (Zhiming Zhao) and a hands-on practical session “Laserfarm in NaaVRE” (Gabriel Pelouze, Koen Greuell).

The practical trainings focused on running Laserfarm workflows on HPC infrastructure, using NaaVRE for LiDAR processing, extracting vegetation structure metrics in Google Colab or local Jupyter environments, and delineating individual trees from 3D LiDAR point clouds.

The final discussions explored how to harmonise vegetation structure metrics across Europe, and laid the groundwork for developing a roadmap for large-scale airborne LiDAR processing that supports biodiversity monitoring, forest analysis, and ecosystem research. Participants shared the common goal of moving from local LiDAR processing, to reproducible and scalable workflows.

The event was also an opportunity for LifeWatch ERIC to gather feedback to further improve NaaVRE, especially in terms of scalability, of the ability to customise configurations, support for deep learning models, and overall flexibility and user experience.

To read more about this workshop, visit the official event page: https://www.mambo-project.eu/events/workshop-large-scale-and-scalable-processing-airborne-lidar-vegetation-structure-analysis

Picture from LinkedIn

BEeS 2026: released the Call for Abstracts topics. Join us in Plovdiv!

LifeWatch ERIC Biodiversity and Ecosystem eScience Conference (BEeS) is back. This summer, we have the pleasure of inviting you to Plovdiv, Bulgaria, for a four-day appointment, from 7 to 10 July. LifeWatch Bulgaria, through the Agricultural University-Plovdiv, hosts the third edition of the conference for 2026.

The event will start with a set of Pre-conference workshops on 7 July, while the plenary and contributed sessions will take place from 8 July onwards. Plenary speakers Prof. Vladislav Popov and Prof. Tatyana Bileva (Agricultural University-Plovdiv), Dr. Anne Fouilloux (LifeWatch ERIC), and Prof. Carl Beierkuhnlein (University of Bayreuth/Universidad de Granada), will present sessions on biodiversity conservation, responses to climate change, agroecology, as well as new frontiers for eScience technologies.

Besides the plenary session, the conference welcomes contributions collected through a Call for Abstracts, and a series of Masterclasses and Training sessions on how to use specific LifeWatch ERIC services. The abstracts collected will be published on the conference Book of Abstracts after the event, as well as submitted for publication on the ARPHA platform.

BEeS 2026 also offers some publication opportunities on three different journals, you can follow the updates on this page: https://www.lifewatch.eu/bees-2026-publication-opportunities.

We welcome participants to submit their abstracts for either a shorter, or longer contributed session (10 or 15 minutes), in one of the selected topics:

  • Uniting science for human, animal, plant and ecosystem health
  • Metagenomics and eDNA for biodiversity and ecosystems
  • Animal traits, behavior and bio-tracking
  • Biodiversity observatories and environmental monitoring
  • Habitat mapping
  • Biogeography: biodiversity conservation across regions and ecosystems
  • Biodiversity and ecosystem responses to climate change
  • Restoration of our oceans and waters
  • Taxonomic data services
  • Semantics and data curation for biodiversity and ecosystem research
  • Soil mission & Microbiology
  • Agroecology

The preliminary programme is available on the BEeS 2026 minisite, and the Call for Abstracts is open until 15 May: submit your work here: https://www.lifewatch.eu/bees-2026-abstract-submission. The registration form and logistic information will be published very soon. Stay tuned!

About LifeWatch Bulgaria:

Bulgaria joined LifeWatch ERIC in 2022 as one of its eight Distributed Centres (https://www.lifewatch.eu/organisation-governance/bulgaria), where the Agricultural University-Plovdiv is the official national scientific organisation. The Distributed Centre provides services such as lab and field testing, agricultural practices assessment, advanced agrobiodiversity monitoring and land use analysis, as well as open-source collaboration, AI services and plant health infrastructure.

International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026

Women and girls in science 2026

On 11 February, LifeWatch ERIC joins the global celebrations to raise awareness on the important initiative of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

Every year, we have the privilege of working with excellent women scientists, and sometimes we get a chance to feature them in our videos, where they share their knowledge and experience first-hand. To honour this day, we have curated a special Women in Science selection on LifeWatching TV, bringing together and republishing a series of interviews with women researchers.

This collection offers but a glimpse into the impact of women’s contribution on biodiversity and ecosystem research, fields where they often remain underrepresented. We invite you to explore these contents covering topics such as Digital Twins, FAIR data, coastal wetlands restoration, biological invasions, and much more!

The full selection is available here: https://www.lifewatching.tv/women-in-science.

We have also dedicated a special section within our podcast series. You can access it by clicking on the tag “Women in Science”: https://www.lifewatch.eu/podcasts. Enjoy the conversations!

About the International Day of Women and Girls in Science:

This initiative started in 2015, during the inaugural High-Level World Women’s Health and Development Forum, organised by the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT), and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA): https://www.womeninscienceday.org/our-history.html.

The Outcome Declaration of the Forum focused on women’s health and development, reaffirming the importance of physical and mental health of girls and women as a planetary approach to sustainable development, the crucial role of country leadership, and the importance to tackle aspects such as global maternal mortality, uneven progress, gender differences in media representation, among many others.

Every year since 2015 (last year marked the 10th anniversary), this day is internationally celebrated and continues growing global awareness and visibility on the achievements of women in science, and on the need for full and equal access to STEM roles for women and girls.

Marine SABRES in Fairs: a stop in Pisa to explore marine ecosystems and local challenges

Marine SABRES in Fairs - Pisa

The ‘Marine SABRES in Fairs’ initiative reached Pisa for a new stop dedicated to dialogue, knowledge exchange, and marine ecosystem restoration. The event took place within the third round of stakeholder consultations, organised by HuFoSS together with the University of Pisa.

At the Marine SABRES stand, students, researchers, PhD candidates, and stakeholders were invited to discover how marine research connects with everyday life and coastal realities. Through visual materials, videos, and direct interaction with project representatives, visitors explored the objectives and results of Marine SABRES and its contribution to ecosystem-based management.

A central focus of the Pisa edition was the Tuscan Archipelago Demonstration Area. Particular attention was given to restoration actions addressing the degradation of Posidonia oceanica meadows, key marine habitats that are increasingly impacted by human activities, especially tourism pressure along Mediterranean coasts.

The stand also featured documentary trailers produced by the LifeWatch Italy Multimedia Production Centre, offering participants a visual insight into the project’s work and the environmental challenges faced across different marine regions. These short previews helped translate scientific research into accessible stories, fostering awareness and engagement among diverse audiences.

We warmly thank everyone who joined us in Pisa and contributed to the discussion with their interest and questions. If you were unable to attend, the documentary trailers are available on LifeWatching.tv.

For more information, please visit Marine SABRES official website: www.marinesabres.eu

Biodiversity and planetary health: presenting the Crete Declaration at the University of Lisbon

Doctoral Programme on Planetary Health

On 5th January 2026, LifeWatch ERIC’s CEO Christos Arvanitidis delivered an online presentation for the 4th Course of the Doctoral Programme in Planetary Health, organised by the University of Lisbon.
The 40-minute presentation titled “From Biodiversity to Planetary Health: Enabling Science for Societal Transformation” focused on the link between the course’s holistic approach and the “Crete Declaration” approach.

The Crete Declaration is a Declaration of Intent signed between LifeWatch ERIC and a group of Research Infrastructures and European projects and organisations. It takes its name from Heraklion, Crete, where the signing took place in the summer of 2025, during the BEeS 2025 Conference.

With this Declaration, the signatories committed to advance the One Health approach, promoting cross-domain research and integrated solutions. The core premise supporting this ecological-social continuum, which also underlies the common thread of the University of Lisbon Course, is that to address Planetary Health through the current poly-crisis, we need a concerted action.

The Doctoral Programme, in fact, aims at preparing students to tackle complex issues that cross ecological and societal boundaries. The three modules of the course (Adaptation; Transformation; Into Action) address critical global challenges at the intersection of health, environmental, social and political science, with the aim of fostering discussion and critical thinking through a wide variety of topics.

This was central to Christos’ intervention, proposing suggestions on how to turn biodiversity science into action: an ambition that requires a shift from fragmentation to integration of disciplines, data silos, and policy gaps.
An insightful round of discussions with the students followed the presentation, providing a mutual exchange that may inspire both the students and the future work of the Crete Declaration.

If you would like to contribute your perspective to the Crete Declaration, you can add your name here: https://www.lifewatch.eu/crete-declaration. We will inform you about future developments. Are you interested in applying for the Doctoral Programme in Planetary Health? The first round of applications runs from 12 January to 20 February 2026. All details are available here: https://www.ulisboa.pt/planetary-health-studies.

WoRMS Top Ten Marine Species of 2025: nominations open!

WoRMS Top Ten Marine Species of 2025 (1)

WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species, opens again the nominations for the Top Ten Marine Species of 2025, with the objective to highlight to the wider public the discovery of numerous new marine species made every year, and the crucial job of taxonomists.

In fact, the release of the list coincides with the World Taxonomist Appreciation Day, 19 March.

The 2024 edition winners spanned the tree of life, from worms to isopods to anglerfish (learn more here: https://www.marinespecies.org/worms-top-ten/2024).

This year, nominations will be collected via this online form: https://form.vliz.be/en/form/worms-top-ten-2025-nomination. In order to be eligible for nomination, the species must have been validly published in 2025, and must be marine, fossils included.

Nominations must include the PDF of the paper in which the species was described, and at least one good image of the species, including copyright and ownership information.

If you have a compelling story, a species with rare or unusual morphology, an interesting name, or that holds particular importance for various reasons (e.g., toxic, dangerous, medical, conservation target), don’t hesitate to submit your nomination by 25 January 2026!

You can find more details here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/call-nominations-worms-top-ten-marine-trkwe/?trackingId=5CllFojTmxmjIRNMiXujgw%3D%3D

New paper analyses patterns and drivers of subterranean biodiversity hotspots

Subterranean biodiversity

LifeWatch Slovenia members Magdalena Nǎpǎruş-Aljančič and Tanja Pipan (Karst Research Institute – ZRC SAZU) co-authored a new, open-access article in BioScience, titled “Patterns and Drivers of Subterranean Biodiversity Hotspots across the Globe”.

The study maps global subterranean biodiversity hotspots, highlighting the exceptional richness of the Dinaric Karst. In fact, the extreme environment of caves hosts a surprising number of aquatic and terrestrial species that are highly specialised for these habitats: no eyes and pigments, elongated appendages, elaborate extraoptic sensory structures make these species unique in the world, and extremely rare.

Starting from recently published lists of such invertebrate and vertebrate cave-limited species, the researchers mapped hotspots of cave biodiversity – globally – to understand if any patterns emerge, and if these patterns may have any specific drivers.

These may include historical climate change, cave systems density, and resource availability, highlighting conservation challenges associated with protecting these ecosystems with unique characteristics.

The publication of this study was made possible by Prof. Emeritus David C. Culver, mentor of the paper, and a pioneer of speleobiology, whose work has shaped many studies and conservation actions of the subterranean life.

Read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf159

The BioScience journal, founded in 1964, collects timely and authoritative overviews of current research in biology, as well as essays and discussion sections on education, public policy, history, and the conceptual underpinnings of the biological sciences.

From science to society: Marine SABRES in Fairs lands in Pisa

Marine SABRES in Fairs at stakeholder meeting in Pisa - 14 January 2026

Marine SABRES in Fairs will make its next stop in Pisa on 14 January 2026, bringing the project’s results and resources to the University of Pisa.

The initiative aims to engage students, researchers, and citizens in exploring how Marine SABRES connects science, policy, and society to protect marine ecosystems and foster a sustainable blue economy.

The event will take place within the third round of stakeholder consultations, hosted by the Marine SABRES project and organised by HuFoSS (Hummel Foundation for Sustainable Solutions) and the University of Pisa. The meeting represents an important moment of dialogue with local actors and experts, aimed at testing and refining the tools co-designed within the project to support sustainable marine management and policy.

From 14:30, students, researchers and all those interested in the topic are invited to join the open session dedicated to the Tuscan Demonstration Area and discover our stand, including posters, thematic videos, the documentary trailer, brochures and best practices that have emerged from the Marine SABRES approach, with simple and replicable tools for administrations, operators and communities.

This will be an opportunity to learn more about the project’s activities, interact with experts, and discover how innovative tools developed within Marine SABRES can turn ideas into action for the marine environment.

🗓️ 14 January 2026 | 14:30
📍Polo San Rossore | Room SR D1 | Via Risorgimento 19 – Pisa

Meet us in Pisa and experience how science supports marine sustainability!

For more information about the project, please visit Marine SABRES official website: www.marinesabres.eu

Underwater marine sounds from the Belgian part of the North Sea: meet SoundLib

SoundLib

The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), has launched SoundLib, its Marine Sound Library collecting underwater sound data from the Belgian part of the North Sea. The open database counts thousands of recordings and advanced analysis tools, and provides new insights into the region’s highly dynamic and complex acoustic environment.

These data could support scientists, policymakers and the public in understanding how natural and human-made sounds affect marine ecosystems and even create new opportunities for AI-driven research. The database also contributed to the Waves of Resonance artistic project in June (https://www.lifewatch.eu/2025/09/25/waves-of-resonance), that explores the psychological impact of climate change and the therapeutic potential of ocean sounds.

Sound in water travels farther, and faster than outside, and for many marine animals it is the primary way to communicate, navigate, and interact with their environment. The European policy context, for this reason, considers it as a critical environmental parameter and includes it among the eleven descriptors for the assessment of Good Environmental Status of marine waters.

Marine sounds include natural sources, such as rainfall, waves, sediment transport and noises originated by the marine fauna, and human sources, such as ship traffic, seismic surveys and offshore energy production.

Learn more about SouldLib on the LifeWatch Belgium website: https://www.lifewatch.be/news/soundlib-marine-sound-library-belgian-part-north-sea