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WP4/WP5 workshop on EuropaBON’s showcases and co-design

EuropaBON’s showcases (WP5) and co-design (WP4) workshop was hosted from 16-20 April 2023 at the Troia Design Hotel on the beautiful peninsula of Troia in Portugal.

EuropaBON is a Horizon 2020 project with the aim of delivering an EU-wide framework for monitoring biodiversity and ecosystem services to the European Commission by the end of 2023. Drawing on the results of the user needs assessment, current workflows of biodiversity monitoring efforts in Europe, and the list and specifications of Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) and Essential Ecosystem Variables (EESVs) identified for EuropaBON, we will deliver a new design for biodiversity monitoring in Europe, by improving existing monitoring schemes to become more representative, maximize benefits and become better integrated into wider biodiversity policy.

The workshop focused on four main topics:

  • Defining details of a sampling design of a network to monitor a set of EBVs in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems;
  • Discussing workflows for modeling and integrating a range of EBVs;
  • Assessing the cost-benefits of a European biodiversity monitoring system; and
  • Presenting and discussing EuropaBON’s showcases demonstrating the EBV workflow approach. We add a draft agenda underneath this email.

AGENDA

The available session presentations can be downloaded via the links in the agenda.

Day 1: Sunday, 16 Apr 2023

SpeakerDescriptionSpeaker
<15:00Traveling and arrival
15:00General plenary
15:00Welcome & workshop goalsHenrique Pereira
15:15EuropaBON background session
Introduction to EuropaBONHenrique Pereira
EBV workflowsDaniel Kissling
Introduction to EBV showcasesNestor Fernandez
16:30Coffee break
Perspective from the European Topic CenterThorjorn Larssen
General discussion
18:00End of day 1
19:30Joint dinner (buffet) at hotel

Day 2: Monday, 17 Apr 2023

TimeDescriptionSpeaker
9:00Planery
9:00Plan for this day (introduce EBV showcase presentations)Nestor Fernandez
9:15Showcase on Birds DirectiveLluis Brotons
9:30Showcase on Habitats DirectiveUte Jandt
9:45Showcase on Water Framework DirectiveAnne Lyche
Solheim
10:00Showcase on Bioeconomy StrategyCésar Capinha/
Ana Ceia Hasse
10:15Q&A
10:30Coffee break
11:00WP5 showcase discussion:
Which insights can the EBV showcases provide in terms of:
EBV workflows
Sampling designs 
Modeling
IT infrastructure
12:30Lunch break
13:30Break-out groups (1) – instructions
for afternoon session
Showcase on Birds Directive
1. Showcase on Habitats Directive
2. Showcase on Water Framework Directive
3. Showcase on Bioeconomy Strategy
15:30Coffee break
16:00Break-out groups (2) – continue in break-out rooms
Showcase on Birds Directive
1. Showcase on Habitats Directive
2. Showcase on Water Framework Directive
3. Showcase on Bioeconomy Strategy
17:30End of day 2
18:00Guided tour to the Roman Ruins
19:30Dinner

Day 3: Tuesday, 18 Apr 2023

TimeDescriptionSpeaker
9:00Plenary
Plan for this day
Instructions for morning session
9:20Break-out groups
EBV showcases
1. Cross-cut deliverable of EBV showcases
2. Outline of co-design deliverable*
3. *Discuss core content and structure of co-design deliverable
10:30Coffee break
11:00Plenary
11:00Reporting from EBV showcases
11:40Reporting from co-design outline
11:50Reporting from co-design outline
11:50Introduction sampling designHenrique Pereira
12:30Lunch break
13:30Plenary – presentations on sampling design
13:35Sampling designs for modeling EBVsSimon Ferrier 
13:55Example sampling design marine realmColomban de Vargas
14:15Example sampling design freshwater realmFlorian Leese
14:35Sampling design (EUPOMS)Tom Breeze/
Nacho Bartomeus
14:55Sampling design PECBMSAnna Gamero
15:15Q&A
15:30Coffee break
16:00Break-out groups
1.   Sampling design
a. What are the critical aspects of a sampling design?
b. How, where and how many sites do we place (power analysis)?
Can we sample EBVs (which?) at the same sites (co-location)?
2.   Modeling
a. What is needed for interpolation and modeling EBVs at a European scale?
b. Which environmental information is necessary for modeling EBVs?
c. How can we attribute biodiversity change to specific drivers and pressures?
3. Operationalization
a. Who would be suitable to coordinate the implementation
of new sampling designs (e.g. DGs, Eurostat, EEA, Member States, NGOs)?
b. Which steps and strategies are needed to effectively implement a new sampling design?
c. Which support from IT infrastructures is needed to operationalize new sampling designs?
17:30End of day 3
18:00Football match: EuropaBON – Biodiversa+ and others
19:30Dinner

Day 4: Wednesday, 19 Apr 2023

TimeDescription
9:00Plenary:
Plan for the day
Summary of break-out groups on sampling design, modeling,
and operationalization
9:20Break-out groups
1. Sampling design strategies:
a. Randomized sampling
b. Grid cells
c. Environmental stratification
d. Colocation: Which EBVs can be monitored together through colocation of sampling points?
10:30Coffee break
11:00Plenary
Break-out group explanation
11:10Break-out groups
Lessons learned from the showcases 1
Lessons learned from the showcases 2
12:30Lunch break
13:30Plenary
Summary of break-out groups on sampling design strategies, colocation, lessons learned from the showcases 1,
lessons learned from the showcases 2
14:00Outline of the co-design of the European Observatory Network deliverable
15:30Coffee break
16:00Discussion of paper outlines:
Make outlines of paper structure and assign tasks (who does what?)
17:30End of day 4
18:00Dolphin watching boat trip*
19:30Dinner in Setúbal