MARCO-BOLO_1st CoP and 1st Co-Design Workshop_presentations

This was the first mobilisation of MARCO-BOLO’s Community of Practice (CoP), representing both generators and users of marine biodiversity data, products, and services in the EU and beyond. The event successfully brought together over 70 experts and stakeholders in marine, freshwater and coastal biodiversity data.

The purpose of this 1st CoP Event and 1st Co-Design Workshop was to:

• Begin the Co-Design process by introducing the MARCO-BOLO project on monitoring biodiversity observations.
• Provide a platform for policymakers to present their needs, requirements, and perspectives.
• Encourage the broader biodiversity community to test, use, and adopt the MARCO-BOLO Data Management Plan (DMP), project outputs, Essential Ocean Variables (EOV), and Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBV) for reporting to MSFD and other EU and international legal frameworks.

The overall goal was to gain buy-in and demonstrate how the MARCO-BOLO project, its Data Management Plan (DMP), and other outputs can contribute to major EU environmental policies.

Seagrass coverage and composition (EOV and MSFD descriptor) were presented as a tangible use case to showcase the complete data pipeline from observations to reporting and its application in biodiversity policies.

This first event targeted policymakers at national, regional, and EU levels, including the European Commission, Regional Sea Conventions, national representatives responsible for reporting to marine-related directives, the GOOS BioEco (Global Ocean Observing System Biology and Ecosystems) Panel, as well as the wider biodiversity monitoring, observation, and scientific community.