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"We cannot begin to forecast the future behaviour of our seas and oceans unless we understand the past". This is the slogan of "Marine Knowledge 2020", the newest initiative of the European Commission to invest more in the knowledge about the sea. The aim of "Marine Knowledge 2020" is to transform Europe's fragmented activities for observing the sea into an integrated coherent package that increases efficiency for marine and maritime professionals from industry, public authorities and academia, that encourages innovation and that reduces our present uncertainty as to what is happening beneath the sea surface. |
For the launch of the communication campaign, EC made a promotional video, where one can recognize Flemish marine scientists (working on the research vessel Zeeleeuw, working the Flanders Marine Data Centre). Several data products developed at or supported by Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) pass in review: the data portal of the Scheldemonitor, EurOBIS, the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) and EMODnet.
To put he new European integrated Marine Strategy into practice, there is a great need for reliable and esily accessible observations and information. To achieve this goal, the European Commission wants to develop a European Marien Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). To determine what such a network will look like in the future, five pilot projects (for biological, chemical, hydrological and geological data and for mapping habitats) have recently been started.
VLIZ is responsible for the biological pilot project (2009-2012) of EMODnet (http://www.emodnet-biology.eu). Within the biological lot the data centre will not just offer biological marine data in a standard format and known quality, but also identify the gaps in the geographical coverage and time. Within this scope the data centre will make use of the already existing European EurOBIS atlas with distribution data of marine species. VLIZ also participates in the chemical share of EMODnet
The EMODnet pilot projects officially started on 15 May 2009. The kick-off meeting for the biological lot took place in Ostend on 8 and 9 June 2009. Within the biological part, there are 7 partners other than VLIZ: ICES, MarBEF, SeaDataNet, GBIF, PANGAEA, OBIS and IBSS.
Read more about "Marine Knowlegde 2020" on the press corner of the EU- website.
Read the report of the first EMODnet-workshop on Biological Data products (25-26.02.2010)