2025: The DiverSea project
The ocean biodiversity monitoring in coastal waters, Norway and Europe. Funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Programme, Grant Agreement No.101082004 (DiverSea). We are taking off with Sailing4Science's MotherShip, the 67-foot sailing ocean lab and expedition yacht Hrimfare, as the observation and monitoring platform for the expedition Oslo–Trondheim, starting on July 21st from Akerbrygge in Oslo.
Challenge
40% of the global population dwells within 100 km of the coastline. In the EU, nearly 50% live less than 50 km from the sea. These populations are continuously growing, but the ecosystems supporting them are not. Human societies have obviously had a negative impact on these habitats with catastrophic consequences – declines in marine species abundance and diversity, and degradation of the habitats supporting them. At the same time, they play key future roles for food and water security, clean energy production, and climate change mitigation, including blue carbon balance. The conflict between increasing anthropogenic pressure and concurrent societal dependence has shifted the focus from economic exploitation to recognizing the link between societal well-being and regenerative ocean conservation and management.
Objective
DiverSea is a groundbreaking initiative that aims to revolutionize marine observation and monitoring with the objective to empower policymakers, businesses, and the public to make informed decisions about ocean conservation and regenerative community developments and transformations. It brings together cutting-edge technologies and expertise from various fields to create a comprehensive picture of the ocean’s health. The project will also be open for participation by the general public through citizen science and stakeholder communication. Our 17 European DiverSea partner institutions will coordinate the multiple streams of research from observations and monitoring in shallow and deep waters, in the air, and imagery from a dedicated project satellite in orbit. The data workflow will be refined into new DNA-based monitoring technologies, integrated from emerging data sources, and visualized in a cutting-edge dashboard to enable easy access for solution-based societal policy and planning activities.
Here are some of DiverSea's key components:
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Advanced Molecular Monitoring: This involves using environmental DNA (eDNA) and RNA (eRNA) to detect and quantify marine organisms.
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Integration with New Technologies: DiverSea combines eDNA sampling with autonomous vehicles and other cutting-edge tools for data collection.
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Real-World Case Studies: The project will conduct case studies that combine various approaches, including citizen science, existing monitoring programs, and satellite data.
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Data Powerhouse: A powerful AI and machine learning architecture that will integrate, analyze, and interpret data from diverse sources.
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Interactive Communication Platform: The "Biodiversity Services Dashboard" will translate complex scientific findings into clear, actionable information for policymakers, stakeholders, and the public.
DiverSea is funded by Horizon Europe Programme,
Grant Agreement No.101082004