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Newsletter

Issue 43

January 2025

LifeWatch Italy just held its Annual Conference 2025, hosted at CNR in Rome. An important event for the biodiversity and ecosystem research community in Italy, tackling strategic developments and opportunities of collaboration with other Research Infrastructures and relevant projects. Stay tuned to learn about the outcomes of the conference!

We are always happy when we can share some positive news and success stories, those that reward researchers for their hard work. The "May fish", as locals call it in the Flanders region, has finally made its comeback in the Scheldt River, from which it had disappeared due to the severe rate of pollution in the river's waters. 

"Taxonomy is a tough job, but someone has to do it!". Every year, the WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species (LifeWatch Belgium), takes on the challenge of selecting the top ten marine species, a tribute to the most interesting new discoveries from the oceans' depths. Nominations are open and it's your turn to get involved! The list will be revealed on 19 March: World Taxonomist Appreciation Day.

CISO (Centro Italiano Studi Ornitologici), University of Salento and the Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems of the National Research Council (CNR-IRET), LifeWatch Italy and Or.Me. organise the 22nd Italian Ornithology Conference. The conference accepts proposals for symposia and round tables until 10 February! Participants are invited to propose topics of their own interest or general relevance.

Researchers at INBO, the Institute for Nature and Forest Research (LifeWatch Belgium), have long been working to protect fish in the Leie and Scheldt rivers. Recently, they assessed the effectiveness of fish passages implemented by the Flemish waterway authority, hoping these will help fish overcome human-made barriers that disrupt their migration to spawning habitats. 

DTO-BioFlow launches its second open call for marine biodiversity monitoring data, open until 28 February. The call invites international networks, citizen scientists, research institutes, universities and NGOs to contribute with marine biodiversity data to the European Digital Twin of the Ocean and facilitate sustained and long-term ingestion of previously inaccessible data.

Have you heard? There is a new release of EcoPortal, LifeWatch ERIC's repository of semantic resources for ecology and related domains: improved performance and a better user interface!