{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,26]],"date-time":"2025-03-26T02:11:08Z","timestamp":1742955068642,"version":"3.40.3"},"posted":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,25]]},"group-title":"oral","reference-count":0,"publisher":"Copernicus GmbH","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Understanding and assessing marine environmental status requires scientifically sound assessments based on quantitative monitoring of marine biodiversity. While the Europe has some of the most monitored seas on the planet, inconsistencies in monitoring programmes, methodologies, and data quality and coverage represent a hindrance to informed policy decisions. It is therefore crucial to improve and harmonise the monitoring of marine biodiversity across Europe.\u00a0\n\n\nIn this context, the European Commission, at the initiative of the Joint Research Centre, launched in 2024 a study to identify the existing gaps and challenges in monitoring strategies and data pathways and propose recommendations and solutions to strengthen these processes.\u00a0\n\n\nThe study identified several primary challenges, including 1) data gaps\u2014significant spatial and temporal gaps in data coverage; (2) data inconsistencies\u2014variability in methodologies and metrics, hindering comparisons across regions and scales; (3) insufficient integration\u2014lack of coordination between national, regional, and European monitoring initiatives; and (4) insufficient data reporting\u2014slow and incomplete data dissemination. These challenges are exacerbated by limited funding and resources, as well as political and logistical barriers to data sharing.\u00a0\n\n\nTo address these challenges, we propose several recommendations. First, standardisation of monitoring protocols across European countries would improve comparability and integration of data. A unified, interoperable system for biodiversity data storage and reporting, aligned with international frameworks, would streamline data pathways and facilitate data reporting. Second, enhanced collaboration between governments, research institutions, and non-governmental organizations is crucial for pooling resources and ensuring comprehensive, long-term monitoring coverage. Third, the incorporation of emerging technologies, such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, as well as alternative approaches, such as citizen science, can help fill critical data gaps. Finally, we recommend that policy frameworks be adapted to include incentives for data sharing and public access to biodiversity data, promoting transparency and fostering cross-sector collaboration.\u00a0\n\n\nIn conclusion, strengthening marine biodiversity monitoring and data reporting systems is vital for assessing the health of marine ecosystems and informing conservation strategies. By addressing current challenges through standardisation, enhanced collaboration, technological innovation, and improved policy frameworks, Europe can build a more robust and efficient system for monitoring marine biodiversity that can better respond to the dynamic challenges facing marine ecosystems today.\u00a0<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.5194\/oos2025-557","type":"posted-content","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,26]],"date-time":"2025-03-26T01:20:54Z","timestamp":1742952054000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Strengthening marine biodiversity monitoring and data pathways in Europe: Challenges and solutions\u00a0"],"prefix":"10.5194","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3973-1703","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elisa","family":"Alonso Aller","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Mirta","family":"Zupan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6234-9759","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sa\u0161o","family":"Gorjanc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Jo\u00eblle","family":"Munari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Pierre","family":"Strosser","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1066-6757","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vanessa Sarah","family":"Salvo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Esther","family":"Garc\u00e9s","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Jaume","family":"Piera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1916-1600","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Konstantinos","family":"Topouzelis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Vasiliki","family":"Markantonatou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Georg","family":"Martin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Kaire","family":"Torn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Jack Royd","family":"Hall","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Georg","family":"Hanke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"3145","container-title":[],"original-title":[],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,26]],"date-time":"2025-03-26T01:34:07Z","timestamp":1742952847000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/meetingorganizer.copernicus.org\/OOS2025\/OOS2025-557.html"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,25]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5194\/oos2025-557","relation":{},"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,25]]},"subtype":"other"}}