MARCO-BOLO 2nd Co-design/Co-creation Workshop Report

This report summarizes the 2^ndCo-design/Co-creation Workshop of the Marco-Bolo (MBO) project, which took place on 6^th November 2024 in Sitges (Spain), within the framework of the event: The Future of Marine Biodiversity Monitoring in Europe, an initiative launched by the European Commission and the Joint Research Centre (JRC). This document, in combination with the reports from the 1st and 3rd workshops will form the basis of MARCO-BOLO Deliverable 6.2.

Under the title: “Solutions for Improving Marine Biodiversity Monitoring”, the 2^nd Co-Design/Co-creation workshop brought together in person approximately fifty participants, including representatives from the JRC, DG MARE, DG ENV, and various national institutions responsible for biodiversity monitoring across EU Member States. Organisations such as OSPAR, HELCOM, OBIS, Biodiversa +, EMODnet Biology, and GOOS BioEco Panel also attended, alongside researchers from universities and research centres across Europe.

The workshop consisted of a series of presentations focused on various products and tools currently under development within the MBO project. The OBAMA-NEXT and GE4SEAS sister EU projects were invited to participate in the workshop. Their representatives presented on issues related to innovative tools for biodiversity monitoring and stakeholder engagement strategies, including their respective strengths and weaknesses.

Engaging with important stakeholders (e.g., policy makers) during the workshop provided an opportunity to solicit feedback to inform the development of selected MARCO-BOLO products. Key topics discussed included the role of artificial intelligence in data management, potential technical solutions for simultaneously collecting eDNA samples and seabed mapping data, countries already using eDNA for biodiversity monitoring, and the use and reliability of citizen science.