the e-Science Infrastructure for
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research
Resources & Services
Access and use the resources and services for biodiversity and ecosystem researchers made available through our catalogues.
Tracking biodiversity: it’s all about scale
Scale is a key ingredient when assessing and studying biodiversity: this is the video's key message just released by the MARBEFES project, focusing on the Baltic Sea Broad Belt Transect (BBT). The video is the first "Meet the BBTs"video series that will be released to explore current challenges faced by biodiversity in Europe. MARBEFES, the EU project in which LifeWatch ERIC is a partner, aims to identify the connections between marine biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, ecosystem services, and the resulting societal goods and benefits within coastal communities. The BBTs are the backbone of the MARBEFES research project, which aims to broaden...
EOSC and Beyond: LifeWatch ERIC at the project’s kickoff meeting to accelerate research applications
The EOSC Beyond kickoff meeting occurred on April 17, marking the beginning of an initiative to improve the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) by providing new foundational technical solutions. The outputs will enable developers of scientific application environments to leverage EOSC resources and present them as integrated functionalities to researchers. The ultimate goal is to increase the number of integrated providers and active users of EOSC. As a candidate EOSC node, LifeWatch ERIC - represented by Nicola Fiore, Service Centre ICT Coordinator - participated in the meeting by presenting services like the Metadata Catalogue and LifeBlock, particularly relevant to scientists...
Hic Sunt Lupi meets the citizens
On Wednesday 3 April, the “Hic Sunt Lupi” project held its first public meeting “The return of the wolf in Salento: let's get to know it” in Lecce, Italy. The meeting was opened by the Councilor for Environment of Regione Puglia, Anna Grazia Maraschio, the Mayor of Lecce, Carlo Salvemini and hosted representatives of the experts involved in the project, like Paolo Ciucci, Professor at Sapienza-University of Rome, and Francesco Cozzoli and Francesco De Leo, researchers at the National Research Council (CNR-IRET), Lecce, and Ruben Cataldo, archaeologist and President of Archeo-Rec. This was the first of a series of meetings...
LifeWatch ERIC attended the OSCARS kick-off meeting in Thessaloniki
The OSCARS kick-off meeting took place in Thessaloniki from 13 to 15 March. The event brought together the scientific communities of the five Science Clusters and all project partners to define the work plan for the first 12 months of the project. Our CEO, Christos Arvanitidis, attended the meeting. The OSCARS project stands for Open Science Clusters' Action for Research and Society. It brings together ESFRI and other world-class research infrastructures organised in five "Science Clusters": ENVRI-FAIR (environmental science) EOSC-Life (life science) ESCAPE (astronomy and particle physics) PaNOSC (neutron and light source science) SSHOC (social science and humanities) These clusters have collaborated over the last four...
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...
LifeWatch ERIC organised the Dahlem Workshop of the EOSC Future project
The Dahlem Workshop of the EOSC Future project, 'Accelerating Open Science in EOSC: Collaborative Interfaces between Scientific Domains and Disciplines,' took place in Barcelona, Spain, from 5 to 7 March. Organised by LifeWatch ERIC, the workshop's main objective was to improve dialogue and ensure that the EOSC platform effectively supports interdisciplinary initiatives. Also, engineering teams shared insights on physical development, while high-level scientists presented their achievements and discussed current challenges. This workshop covered EOSC Future's goals and methods for developing collaborative interfaces. A Dahlem Workshop is an international scientific exchange that encourages cooperation and communication and generates new knowledge. It offers...
LifeWatch ERIC at the kick-off meeting of the European Partnership on Agroecology
On February 28, the European Commission launched the European Partnership on Agroecology and the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare. LifeWatch ERIC, represented by Iria Soto and José Manuel Ávila, participated in the first, which introduced the "European Partnership on Accelerating Farming Systems Transition: Agroecology Living Labs and Research Infrastructures." The two events represent a significant milestone in advancing European resilient agri-food systems. The partnership is a large-scale European research and innovation initiative that involves the European Commission, 26 Member States, associated countries, and third countries. The European Partnership on Agroecology aims to support agriculture that meets the challenges of climate change, food security,...
Thematic workshop: LifeWatch ERIC explores climate change impacts on biodiversity
The second Thematic Workshop, out of a series of six, was organised by LifeWatch Italy. Following the success of the first workshop on Taxonomy hosted by LifeWatch Belgium, this event took place on February 21st and 22nd at the Rectorate Hall of the University of Salento in Lecce, Italy. Over a hundred participants attended the workshop, both online and in person. The workshop's main objective was to understand and address the ecological impacts of climate change. LifeWatch ERIC has planned a series of workshops for 2024 that will focus on its Thematic Services, ICT tools to support biodiversity and ecosystems...
The ENVRI-Hub NEXT project has kicked off
The ENVRI-Hub NEXT project, of which LifeWatch ERIC is a consortium member, kicked off on February 1. The project builds upon the solid conceptual and technical foundation established by the ENVRI-Hub. The consortium comprises 21 partners and is attending a face-to-face meeting at the EGI Foundation in Amsterdam Science Park from February 6 to 8. ENVRI-Hub NEXT aims to expand multidisciplinary environmental sciences by fostering operational synergies between environmental research infrastructures. The project leverages complementarities in data and service provision, enhancing the integration of cutting-edge information technology. It contributes to a more integrated, productive, and globally competitive ENVRI Science Cluster. The project is set to...
RESTORE4Cs will participate in the Wetlands Conference 2024
RESTORE4Cs - the project participated by LifeWatch ERIC on modelling wetland restoration - will be present at the International Conference Conservation and Management of Wetlands to Tackle Climate Change from 14 to 16 February in Valencia, Spain. The event is organised by Fundación Global Nature together with the University of Valencia, the Generalitat Valenciana and the City Council of Valencia. The aim is to share the latest scientific and technical advances on wetlands and climate change and their crucial role. The discussions will mainly centre around governance frameworks, opportunities for creating green jobs, and the pressing need for conservation efforts. The conference on conservation and management of wetlands...
LifeWatch ERIC at the EOSC Winter School 2024 in Thessaloniki
The EOSC Winter School 2024 took place in Thessaloniki, Greece, from January 29 to February 1. The meeting aimed to establish a solid foundation to encourage innovation, accelerate scientific discoveries, and empower researchers across Europe and beyond. The meeting gathered representatives from all EOSC-related projects. The discussions included policy recommendations, concrete case studies, and information exchange on future models. The event was held at the Mediterranean Palace, offering a focused environment for mutual learning and networking. Our CEO, Christos Arvanitidis, attended the meeting as LifeWatch ERIC leads Work Package Number 6 (WP6) of the EOSC Future project. This Horizon 2020...
World Wetlands Day: How our wellbeing relies on restoring wetlands
Today, 2 February 2024, is the 27th World Wetlands Day. As The World Health Organization said, our well-being depends on the stability of our climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development. Wetlands play a significant role in connecting all three factors. For instance, just an acre of wetlands can hold up to 1.5 million gallons of floodwater, protecting coastal areas against natural disasters. Peatlands have the potential to store twice as much carbon as the global forest biomass. Wetlands also provide food for up to 4.5 billion people annually through the fish and rice paddies harvested from them. On this day, we would...
The LifeWatch ERIC Thematic Services workshops have started with a kick-off on Taxonomy
On January 30, at the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts in Brussels, the first LifeWatch ERIC Thematic Services Workshops kicked off, focused on Taxonomy Services. Alberto Basset, LifeWatch ERIC Service Centre Director, opened the meeting by presenting the LifeWatch Thematic Core Services (TCS). These services consist of tools, virtual labs, and other research products designed to facilitate the work of various stakeholders. They aim to support specialised scientific communities, experts involved in environmental policies (such as the UN Decade of Oceans and the European Green Deal), and practitioners dealing with biodiversity observatories. Alberto Basset underlined...
LifeWatch ERIC and RedCLARA: boosting science and research in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean
The European Consortium for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research Infrastructures, LifeWatch ERIC, represented by its CEO, Christos Arvanitidis, and the Latin American Cooperation of Advanced Networks, RedCLARA, represented by its Executive Director, Luis Eliécer Cadenas, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), for the coordination and development of cooperation activities to promote science and research in Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean. Signed on December 2023, the agreement sets out specific lines of collaboration, such as the development of a common agenda for participation in key events, the generation of joint proposals for grants or lines of funding and reciprocal collaboration...
LifeWatch Bulgaria at the first edition of Plovdiv Science Festival to showcase commitment to Environmental Science
LifeWatch Bulgaria participated in the first edition of the Plovdiv Science Festival, from November 23 to 26. The festival was held at Plovdiv's newly inaugurated Research Center for Plant and System Biology and Biotechnology. This venue was ideal for a festival that promotes scientific knowledge and encourages collaboration among researchers and scientists. LifeWatch Bulgaria was there to support environmental research and to showcase the commitment to pursuing scientific excellence. The festival's organiser is the Beautiful Science Foundation, with the support of the Agricultural University Plovdiv and Green Balkans. Collaborations and partnerships also included the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science,...
Tracking biodiversity: it’s all about scale
Scale is a key ingredient when assessing and studying biodiversity: this is the video’s key message just released by the…
EOSC and Beyond: LifeWatch ERIC at the project's kickoff meeting to accelerate research applications
The EOSC Beyond kickoff meeting occurred on April 17, marking the beginning of an initiative to improve the European Open…
Hic Sunt Lupi meets the citizens
On Wednesday 3 April, the “Hic Sunt Lupi” project held its first public meeting “The return of the wolf in…
LifeWatch ERIC attended the OSCARS kick-off meeting in Thessaloniki
The OSCARS kick-off meeting took place in Thessaloniki from 13 to 15 March. The event brought together the scientific communities…
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…
LifeWatch ERIC organised the Dahlem Workshop of the EOSC Future project
The Dahlem Workshop of the EOSC Future project, ‘Accelerating Open Science in EOSC: Collaborative Interfaces between Scientific Domains and Disciplines,’ took…
LifeWatch ERIC at the kick-off meeting of the European Partnership on Agroecology
On February 28, the European Commission launched the European Partnership on Agroecology and the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare. LifeWatch…
Thematic workshop: LifeWatch ERIC explores climate change impacts on biodiversity
The second Thematic Workshop, out of a series of six, was organised by LifeWatch Italy. Following the success of the…
The ENVRI-Hub NEXT project has kicked off
The ENVRI-Hub NEXT project, of which LifeWatch ERIC is a consortium member, kicked off on February 1. The project builds upon the…
RESTORE4Cs will participate in the Wetlands Conference 2024
RESTORE4Cs – the project participated by LifeWatch ERIC on modelling wetland restoration – will be present at the International Conference Conservation and…