EMSO

2024 OCEAN DECADE CONFERENCE
2024-04-10 - 2024-04-12 | Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
10 Apr 2024 – 12 Apr 2024
Barcelona, Spain

Focused on ‘delivering the science we need for the ocean we want’, the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, will be hosted by the Government of Spain in Barcelona from 10 – 12 April 2024 and co-organized with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO), and will bring together various actors, including governments, decision-makers, maritime sectors, philanthropy, academia, the private sector, and civil society.
All these voices will engage in this international event in a constructive dialogue to celebrate and take stock of progress, and set joint priorities for the future of the Ocean Decade and the continued success of ocean sustainability efforts, across the science – policy – society interface. This event will cover the full range of Ocean Decade Challenges including critical issues such as climate change, food security, sustainable management of biodiversity, sustainable ocean economy, pollution, and natural hazards.
Go to event website

THE DATA WE NEED FOR THE OCEAN WE CARE FOR – BLUECLOUD2026 AT 2024 UN OCEAN DECADE CONFERENCE
2024-04-09 17:00 - 18:30 (Europe/Rome) | Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Blue-Cloud 2026 EU project, along with DITTO, iMagine, Ocean Best Practices and Ocean Teacher Global Academy, organized a Satellite event at 2024 UN Ocean Decade Conference, taking place on 9 April 2024 17:00–18:30, at the World Trade Center (Barcelona, Spain).
The workshop will deep dive into cases of success in data sharing practices from European research infrastructures, and how to maximise this potential at global level for contributing to the SDGs and the Digital Twins of the Ocean programmes.
The event will be opened by the European Commission’s Directorate-General Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) and will showcase best practices of marine data federation from the Blue-Cloud2026 and the iMAGINE European projects, with specific insights on applications for marine biology and the fishery domain. With input by EMODnet, Copernicus Marine and leading marine research infrastructures, Blue-Cloud (https://blue-cloud.org) is contributing to the open science transformation by an easier discovery and access of blue data, open to all to implement open science and AI. The iMagine initiative (https://www.imagine-ai.eu/) provides a portfolio of image datasets, high-performance image analysis tools empowered with Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Best Practice documents for scientific image analysis.
The OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA) and the Ocean Best Practices System (OBPS) of IOC/UNESCO will also join the workshop to dive into the education and training needs to ensure data management practices and standards are put in place at a global level.
Last but not least, representatives from the European Digital Twins of the Ocean (EU DTO) Programme and its global counterpart, the DITTO programme, will complement with insights from the global efforts to build awareness around the ensuring cross-regional data sharing towards the development of digital twins of the ocean.
Further information is on the BlueCloud website.
Register here

GEORGE PROJECT AT THE UN OCEAN DECADE CONFERENCE 2024: “TECHNOLOGIES IN SUSTAINABLE OCEAN OBSERVATIONS – FROM LOW COST TO NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT”
2024-04-09 12:00 - 14:00 | Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Three years after the start of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), a global conference will bring together the Ocean Decade community and partners to celebrate achievements and set joint priorities for the future of the Decade. Hosted by Spain and co-organized with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO), the 2024 UN Ocean Decade Conference will take place on 10-12 April 2024 in the coastal city of Barcelona.
GEORGE hosting a satellite event at the conference in collaboration with other partners. The panel event, titled “Technologies in sustainable ocean observations – from low cost to new technology development”, will be hosted on-site on Tuesday 9 April, the day before the conference, at the World Trade Center Barcelona. See more info below.
“TECHNOLOGIES IN SUSTAINABLE OCEAN OBSERVATIONS – FROM LOW COST TO NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT”
Location: World Trade Center‘s rooms S9 + S10, 1ª planta Edif. Este, Moll de Barcelona, s/n, 08039 Barcelona, Spain
Date: 9 April 2024
Time: 12:00-14:00
Partners:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)
Marine Technology Society (MTS)
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).
GEORGE & ICOS ERIC
Panellists

Patrick Gorringe – SMHI
Jess Sandoval – Ocean Discovery League
Patricia Lopéz-Garcia, National Oceanography Centre (NOC) / GEORGE project
Thanos Gkritzalis, Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) / GEORGE project
Peer Fietzek – Kongsberg Discovery

Event description:
Many technology challenges exist when it comes to observing and monitoring the ocean. Dismantling these barriers and identifying opportunities towards achieving a mature and vibrant Ocean Observing Enterprise is the focus of this event.
This event will bring together the stakeholder and scientific community, private sector, industry and policymakers to discuss and elevate the challenges and opportunities in this area. Through a brief introductory presentation and a panel, we will be discussing opportunities for low cost technologies and private sector and industry engagement in new technology development, followed by an opportunity to interact, foster connections and discuss cross collaborative efforts.
How to participate:
The event is organised off-site and therefore does not require registration to the main conference. The organisers do, however, encourage everyone to register in advance to get a better idea of the number of attendees. Please register here.
Please note that the event is exclusively in-person. However, those interested can opt to receive a handout summarising the event’s key outcomes. To do so, please refer to the registration form to provide your information.

MINKE & MED-SHIP HIGHLIGHTED AT BARCELONA’S OCEAN DECADE 2024 SATELLITE EVENT
2024-04-08 16:00 - 18:00 | Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
We are thrilled to announce the MINKE EU satellite event as part of the UN Ocean Decade Conference 2024. “A dialogue between stakeholders of the ocean observation community identifying common priorities and challenges to respond to global objectives 2030″ will take place at the Museu Marítim de Barcelona, located in the heart of Barcelona. Scheduled for April 8th at 4 PM, this event brings together experts, researchers, and stakeholders to focus on enhancing the quality and accessibility of oceanographic data. Admission is free, and while registration for the Ocean Decade event is not required, attendees must register to attend this event.
The event is designed to address the shared challenges and priorities of the ocean observation community and aim to achieve the ambitious global objectives set for 2030. It will spotlight the importance of data accessibility, accuracy, and interoperability across the various facets of oceanographic research and observation. Discussions will range from the intricacies of research infrastructure to the technological advancements in oceanographic vessels, emphasizing the critical role of data in advancing ocean science and management.
Highlighting the event are presentations on two significant projects: the MINKE and Med-SHIP projects. These initiatives represent the forefront of efforts to improve oceanographic data quality and monitoring. The MINKE Project, with its innovative approach to data quality through Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs), and the Med-SHIP project, focusing on the Mediterranean Sea’s physical and biogeochemical changes, exemplify the collaborative spirit and scientific excellence that the Ocean Decade 2024 aims to promote.
Join us at the Museu Marítim de Barcelona for this insightful and inspiring event, and be a part of shaping the future of ocean conservation!
REGISTER HERE

Question & Answer session for the 1st Geo-INQUIRE Transnational Access Call to European research infrastructures
2024-03-01 12:00 - 17:00
On Friday, 1 March 2024 at 12 noon (CET), there will be a Question & Answer session for interested applicants for the 1st Geo-INQUIRE Transnational Access Call to European research infrastructures.

Please register here for this one-hour session to receive the dial-in data.

Geo-INQUIRE (Geosphere INfrastructures for QUestions into Integrated REsearch) is a European project that fosters excellent, interdisciplinary and curiosity-driven research of the solid Earth, including land-sea-atmosphere interfaces.
The access to unique high-level installations and experiments provided through Geo-INQUIRE is free of charge for the selected users and includes all costs necessary to perform the proposed research, such as equipment, support staff at the installation, consumables, training for external users and others. Certain installations provide financial travel and subsistence support for the users to visit the installation. To understand if this type of support is available at the installation of choice and under which conditions, users must contact the installation prior to the application. Other scientific fields will also be considered, if the proposed projects are feasible and relevant for the Geo-INQUIRE research topics. Information about the capabilities and research topics of each individual installation are described at the Geo-INQUIRE website.
Geo-INQUIRE is welcoming applications from researchers, technicians, students and other specialists working in the fields of research covered by the installations until 15 March 2024. Application for access should be submitted online through the Geo-INQUIRE website!

AN ONLINE WORKSHOP FOR THE FUTURE OF MINKE
2024-01-24
he MINKE consortium participated in a workshop about its future Strategic Development Programme for Metrology for Integrated Marine Management and Knowledge-Transfer Network, led by the University of Bicocca (Milano). This workshop, which followed the in-person sessions held on January 24, continued to define its future.
During this online session, partners discussed about the fundamentals and key actions of the MINKE project. MINKE’s mission is to develop new and advanced metrological methods for marine instrumentation and observation systems. The consortium agreed that MINKE offers a unique and comprehensive perspective on metrology, placing significant importance on data traceability and completeness to ensure high-quality information.
Over the past years, the project has achieved several key milestones, and it will continue to strive to fulfil its core objectives in the coming years. These are outlined below.

Improving the accuracy of ocean data
There is a lack of information about measurement uncertainty in marine observations—in other words, how far the actual measurement deviates from the intended measurement. This is particularly important in ocean research since harsh marine environments can cause instruments to degrade over time. This information is a problem when it is propagated to fit forecasting models or other external uses.
The MINKE project emphasizes the importance of taking ocean measurements accurately. This means recording the measurements themselves and being aware of the uncertainty surrounding the data. In this sense, collaboration between ocean scientists and metrologists—researchers dedicated to the scientific study of measurement itself—is essential.
Metrological laboratories perform calibrations to ensure the accuracy of marine measurement instruments. This important piece has been missing from the ocean research landscape until now. One of the core objectives of MINKE is to facilitate collaboration between marine scientists and metrologists.

Leveraging citizen science to generate truly complete datasets
One factor holding back marine research is the lack of complete, comprehensive datasets. The ocean is vast, and the instruments used to collect data are expensive. As a result, there are relatively few high-quality sensors, which makes it difficult to extrapolate accurately.
For example, along the 580km of the Catalonian coast, there are just two high-quality ocean sensors. While these instruments collect in-depth information about their specific location, they do not offer insights into variations across the local marine environment.
One of the objectives of the MINKE project is to improve the completeness of marine datasets by encouraging everyday citizens to take part in the data collection process. Activities such as snorkelling, scuba diving, paddle boarding, and more, can be adapted for research purposes. For instance, a scuba diving school may offer its customers the option to photograph marine wildlife, or record data such as salinity or pH levels, for scientific purposes. This data can then be quality-checked against high-quality sensors and used in scientific repositories. As the project progresses, the goal is to promote public participation in marine science and greater ocean literacy. This in turn will lead people to become more invested in and take better care of marine environments. These participatory processes and contributions are known as citizen science.
The MINKE project will improve the accuracy and completeness of marine datasets, enabling the generation of comprehensive maps of essential ocean variables, such as biodiversity, marine litter, and more.

Building a pioneering and self-sustaining network in marine metrology
The MINKE project is currently supported as a “starting community” by the European Commission. At this stage, the goal is to establish a robust network which clearly demonstrates the added value of working together. The project aims to develop an advanced research infrastructure in the longer term. This can take the form of a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), which is a recognized legal entity under European law.
This would entail not just the continued collaboration of the MINKE stakeholders beyond the project, but also the expansion of the community to include other key players across diverse ecosystems. Part of this involves creating world-class learning environments for the next generation of marine scientists. This will help communicate the need for accuracy and completeness in marine research and attract future talent to join this growing community.
Overall, the aim is to establish a network that can be maintained over time with sustainable, long-term sources of funding. Currently, there is no network specifically devoted to metrology in marine science, so this would be a pioneering initiative.
The MINKE project was launched with the support of the European Commission within the Horizon 2020 Programme (2014-2020), Grant Agreement No. 101008724. This INFRAIA initiative brings together 16 European marine metrology research infrastructures as well as other key stakeholders to create a new starting community and framework for marine research.

SAVE THE DATE: Celebrate and take action with EMSO and INGV for World Oceans Day!
2023-06-08 08:00 - 2023-06-10 17:00 | Santa Severa’s Castle, Castello Santa Severa RM, Rome, 00058, Italy
INGV and EMSO, as proud member of the Friends of United Nations World Oceans Day (FOWOD), are glad to invite you to the upcoming event “Giornata Mondiale degli Oceani: Conoscere, Comprendere, Convivere” organized on June 8th to celebrate World Oceans Day (WOD).
The 2023 WOD theme “Planet Ocean: the tides are changing” puts the ocean at first place stating the need to join forces of decision-makers, scientists, private sector executives, civil society representatives, indigenous communities, celebrities and youth activists and more to raise awareness on the status of our oceans.
The event is organized along three days of science and art, and aims at immersing the participants in an extraordinary experience to create links with the natural environment, learn more about the oceans and understand how to contribute to its preservation.
Specifically, thanks to the participation of experts who are engaged in studying and protecting this extraordinary resource at a national and international level, we will discuss together the vulnerability of the ocean and we will discover the importance that it has for maintaining Earth’s life.
The “Giornata Mondiale degli Oceani: Conoscere, Comprendere, Convivere” will be held at the meaningful context of the Santa Severa’s Castle, located along the Tyrrhenian coast in the north of Rome, Italy.
The full program and more details to join this amazing event will be out soon.
Follow us to keep updated!
Press release

eRImote 2nd Workshop: Remote operations for RI services and data and access security
2022-10-24 - 2022-10-25
The 2nd Workshop of the eRImote project, a recently funded Horizon Europe project in which EMSO ERIC is closely involved, will be focused on “Remote operations for RI services and Data and access security”. The event will take place virtually on 24th October 2022 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm and on 25th October 2022 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm (CEST) with the following two main topics to be addressed:

Remote operations of RI services;
Data and access security in remote operations.

During the workshop the participants will investigate these topics from the perspectives of different scientific domains and RIs through several experts’ short presentations, sharing of experience and active discussions about the challenges to be tackled.
The workshop is open to everyone and it is a great opportunity to learn more about the eRImote project that aims at developing tailored solutions for digital and remote service provision across RI domains and for transferable practices and new developments that will improve the accessibility and resilience of Research infrastructures.
For more details, the full programme and registration, visit the workshop web page.
To know more about the eRimote project click here.

International conference on research infrastructures – ICRI 2022
2022-10-19 - 2022-10-21 | brno, Brno, Czech Republic

Marine Imaging Workshop
2022-10-03 - 2022-10-07 | Brest, Brest, France

EGU General Assembly 2022
2022-05-23 - 2022-05-27 | Vienna, Vienna, Austria

EOOS Technology Forum 2022 Workshop
2022-03-22 - 2022-03-24
EOOS Technology Forum 2022
Thinking ahead: The technology of the science we will need for the ocean we want will take place virtually on the 22-24 March 2022 (14:00-17:30 UTC).

Ocean Sciences Meeting 2022
2022-02-24 - 2022-03-04
The 2022 Ocean Sciences Meeting is now a fully virtual event.

International Ocean Data Conference 2022 - The Data We Need for the Ocean We Want
2022-02-14 - 2022-02-16 | sopot, sopot, Poland

The one planet summit for the ocean
2022-02-09 - 2022-02-11 | Brest, Brest, France

ENVRI WEEK
2022-01-31 - 2022-02-04 | Hotel Elbflorenz Dresden, Rosenstraße 36, Dresden, 01067, Germany
ENVRI week is a week dedicated to Environmental Research Infrastructures. During the runtime of the ENVRI-FAIR project, it is organized once a year. ENVRI week hosts ENVRI-FAIR project-related sessions as well as several other sessions targeting different groups of stakeholders.

AGU Fall meeting
2021-12-13 - 2021-12-17
AGU Fall Meeting is the primary gathering for Earth and space scientists, students, and those in affiliated fields to share scientific findings and identify innovative solutions. With in-person and worldwide online participation, attendees will have numerous opportunities to network with government regulators, scientific visionaries, and industry thought-leaders. Join our diverse community in New Orleans and Online Everywhere.

Launch of the 2021 ESFRI Roadmap on Research Infrastructures in Europe
2021-12-07
The ESFRI Roadmap 2021 Launch Event that was planned to take place on 7.12.2021, in Ljubljana, Slovenia, has been transformed to a fully digital event, due to the restrictions on the number of participants in physical conferences in the host country, the travel restrictions across Europe and the great uncertainty and dynamic evolution of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Αfter a two-year-long process of hard and meticulous work by a great number of scientists and ESFRI delegates, a new ESFRI Roadmap is to be published. On December 7th, 2021, ESFRI will present the 2021 ESFRI Roadmap on Large Scale Research Infrastructures during a half-day online conference.

#MarineData4Africa: the event to engage with the marine communities in Africa
2021-11-30 - 2021-12-08
After two successful international events in Asia and America, the #MarineData4Africa event will cater to users of ocean and coastal data working in Africa.

Through this event, the Copernicus Marine Service aims to engage with the marine communities in Africa, and share its global ocean data products and knowledge that can be used to support sustainable blue economies and ocean conservation in Africa. It will gather scientists, industry communities and the policy makers and the general public working on the Africa continent.

2nd Ocean Observers Workshop – 2021
2021-11-29 - 2021-12-01
The Ocean Observers is an international educational network of marine scientists and communicators, teachers, and other stakeholders who are willing to share marine science educational resources and experiences for exploring the possibilities to establish new international collaborative activities. A long-term goal of the Ocean Observers initiative is to assemble all educational materials in a unique, free access repository, which will help to build a global ocean observation learning platform.
Marine science education and outreach are fundamental tools to raise awareness among the communities that a monitored, preserved, and healthy ocean is vital for the well-being of generations to come. The existing outreach activities, focused on in situ ocean observations, are isolated and lack national, European, and international visibility and coordination. Moreover, these activities involve various categories of people who lack opportunities to talk together. The Ocean Observers workshop wishes to promote discussions and collaboration between all actors involved in marine science outreach activities and help them to properly disseminate scientific knowledge about the ocean.

COP26 - UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE UK 2021
2021-11-01 - 2021-11-12 | Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 1 – 12 November 2021.

The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The UK is committed to working with all countries and joining forces with civil society, companies and people on the frontline of climate change to inspire climate action ahead of COP26.

EMSO TIME SERIES CONFERENCE 2021 “OBSERVING OCEAN SOUND”
2021-10-20 - 2021-10-22 | Canary Island, Canary Island, Spain
EMSO TIME SERIES CONFERENCE 2021
“OBSERVING OCEAN SOUND”
20-22 OCTOBER 2021, CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN

This first edition of the EMSO Time Series Conference 2021 (EMSO TSC) aims to inform and train the ocean science community on the latest advancements in detecting and monitoring underwater sound for environmental and industrial purposes.
The increasing need to observe and monitor underwater sound for environmental and industrial purposes is faced with the challenge of the vastness of the marine space, the diversity of sound sources and receptors, and the high costs of acquiring representative and useful time-space resolution. This challenge calls for cost-effective solutions that need to address the whole acquisition chain, from sensors to platforms, communication, processing and data delivery. In-situ acoustic data acquisition devices and the processing to deliver meaningful time series data remain costly due to acquisition costs and the need for experts at each stage. Improved methods are needed to respond to legal and overarching international recommendations and prescriptions to reduce the impact of anthropogenic noise on the ocean. The European Marine Strategy Framework Directive asks the Member States to report on the state of underwater noise in their surrounding seas on a regular basis, and at international level the International Quiet Ocean Experiment calls for improvements in our understanding of ocean soundscapes. The Global Ocean Observing System recently adopted ocean sound as an Essential Ocean Variable (EOV), with two sub-variables, sound pressure and sound particle velocity, necessary to characterise ocean sound and potential impacts on marine life.
Underwater sound can also provide cost-efficient information for the assessment of marine mammal populations, the detection of fish reproduction areas, the detection of greenhouse gas seeps from pipelines and deep-sea carbon storage, gasification of methane clathrates, adverse meteorological conditions, detection of low-frequency seismic events, ice-cracking, ocean basin sound-velocity tomography and acoustic communication.
The EMSO TSC 2021 « Observing Ocean Sound » will be held in Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, Spain, from 20-22 October 2021. During this three-day event, there will be plenary and training sessions covering the scope of underwater sound study areas. The conference will be open to scientists of all nations, and financial support can be provided to the promising young researchers to assist participation.
During the conference will be presented the “One Ocean Network for Deep Observation” action endorsed by the United Nations under the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The action proposes a step-change in deep-sea science through connecting inter-/multi-disciplinary observatories and surveying technologies at various sites in the global ocean. The coordination will contribute to integrating knowledge on deep-sea ecosystems functioning under global changes, to advancing hazard mitigation from natural hazards and to engaging citizens with the deep ocean that faces a growing pressure from human activities. The action is led by the Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER) with EMSO ERIC, the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and Ocean Network Canada (ONC) as key partners.

TSC 2021 “Observing Ocean Sound”
Draft Agenda
Wednesday 20/10 local time (GMT+1)
08:30 – 08:50 Welcome – EMSO DG
Juan José Dañobeitia
08:50 – 09:00 Introduction and logistics – EMSO TSC
Conference Chairman: Eric Delory

09:00 – 12:00 Keynotes – 20 min each + 10 min question + 20 min poster pitch presentations
Chair: Sergio Jesus, co-chair: Mathilde Cannat
Theme A. Anthropogenic noise & other environmental sounds
Impact of anthropogenic noise on cetaceans
Keynote speaker: Ana Širović
Q&A session
Poster pitch presentations
10’ Coffee Break
Theme B. Acoustics for studying marine geophysics
What does long-term monitoring of the ocean soundscape tell us?
Keynote speaker: Jean-Yves Royer
Q&A session
Poster pitch presentations
10’ Coffee Break
Theme C. Bioacoustics
Uses of Marine Bioacoustics to estimate soundscapes, distribution and
abundance of soniferous animals, and effects of human-generated sound
Keynote speaker: Peter L. Tyack
Q&A session
Poster pitch presentations

12:00 – 13:00 Lunch break

13:00 – 13:30 “One Ocean Network for Deep Observation“, a United Nations “Ocean Decade” endorsed action
Chair: Paul Gaughan
Keynote speakers: Juan José Dañobeitia, Nan-Chin CHU, Hélène Leau

13:30 – 16:30 Keynotes – 20 min each + 10 min question + 20 min poster pitch presentations
Theme D. Technologies for underwater sound observing, from acoustic data acquisition to products
Chair: Joaquín del Rio, co-chair: Davide Embriaco
Theme D.1 Ocean Networks Canada – the next decade
Keynote speaker: Lanfranco Muzi
Q&A session
Poster pitch presentations
10’ Coffee Break
Theme D.2 Sound fields in harbors and other constrained spaces
Keynote speaker: Michael Porter
Q&A session
Poster pitch presentations
10’ Coffee Break
Theme D.3 Acoustic observation device & autonomous surface vessels – Observation of abyssal sperm whale foraging activity
Keynote speaker: Antoine Thebaud
Q&A session
Poster pitch presentations

16:30 – 17:30 Poster Session
Chair: Daniel Mihai Toma

Thursday 21/10
09:00 – 12:00 Training Session
Training 1 – Marine soundscapes: methods for the acquisition of ocean sound from fixed and mobile platforms
Trainer: Gianni Pavan
In parallel with:
Training 2
Training 2.1 Requirements and methods for the production of ocean noise time series; Acoustic data FAIRness, standard formats
Trainers: Enoc Martinez, Daniel Mihai Toma, Joaquin del Rio (Duration: 90 min)
Training 2.2 PAM2Py – Passive Acoustic Monitoring for Python
Trainers: Ricardo Duarte and Orlando Camargo Rodríguez (Duration: 90 min)

12:00 – 13:30 Lunch break

13:30 – 16:30 Training Session
Training 4 – Introduction to ocean particle velocity and measurement techniques
Trainers: Sérgio M. Jesus and Paulo J. Santos

Friday 22/10
09:00 – 12:00 Training Session
Training 3 – Methods for the detection and identification of marine mammals sounds
Trainers: Danelle E. Cline and John Ryan

12:00 – 13:30 Lunch break

13:30 – 16:30 Training Session
Training 5 – Methods for the detection and analyses of anthropogenic sound in the oceans
Trainers: Salvatore Viola and Francesco Simeone

Training Description
Training 1- Marine soundscapes: methods for the acquisition of ocean sound from fixed and mobile platforms
Trainer: Gianni Pavan – University of Pavia
Bioacoustics and Ecoacoustics are rapidly developing disciplines to study and monitor marine ecosystems by their soundscape composition. This is a worldwide emerging research area aimed at monitoring, and possibly contrasting, the decline of biodiversity impacted by habitat reduction and degradation due to both local human activities and global environmental changes (noise pollution, climate changes and chemical pollution). The acoustic environment and the soundscape have been recognized to be an essential component of ecosystems, thus worth of being studied, monitored, protected, and even restored when altered by human activities. Ecoacoustics joins bioacoustics and ecology as an interdisciplinary science that investigates natural sounds (biological and geophysical) and anthropogenic sounds considering their interaction over a wide range of study scales, both spatial and temporal. Sounds can be both the subject and the tools of ecological research. As subject, sounds are investigated in order to understand their origin, functions, and properties. As tools, sounds are used to study and monitor ecosystems by considering anthropogenic noise and biological sounds that are the expression of animal diversity, abundance, behaviour, dynamics, and distribution. The objective of the course is to provide scholars with a basic foundation to understand bioacoustics and ecoacoustics, the equipment needed to do marine acoustic research and monitoring, the software tools, the applications in the different fields, ranging from basic research to environmental monitoring and protection.

Training 2.1 – Requirements and methods for the production of ocean noise time series; Acoustic data FAIRness, standard formats
Requirements and methods for the production of ocean noise time series
Trainers: Enoc Martinez, Daniel Mihai Toma, Joaquin del Rio
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Underwater ambient sound has been increasing in the past decades due to an increment of human activities such as shipping, seismic exploration and construction. This increment of ambient sound in the form of acoustic noise may have a severe impact on marine life. In order to achieve a good environmental status in European waters it is important to monitor and limit the impact of underwater noise, as stated in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). This training session will be focused on practical solutions for the production, analysis and effective sharing of underwater ambient noise time-series compliant with the MSFD. State-of-the-art technologies and tools for the acquisition and analysis of underwater noise data will be showcased and applied using real data. First, the basic acoustic concepts will be reviewed to ensure the correct handling of data. Then, a hands-on approach to signal processing applied to underwater acoustics will be provided. The session will close with an overview on the data management solutions to ensure data FAIRness (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).

Training 2.2 – PAM2Py – Passive Acoustic Monitoring for Python
Trainers: Ricardo Duarte, Orlando Camargo Rodríguez
University of Algarve
Accurate ocean sound monitoring requires an endless number of continuous recordings and it can only be achieved by the cooperation between different teams, particularly in what concerns to data exchange. However, exchanging data is extremely sensitive and requires various considerations in order to allow to compare results between institutions: complete description of the data being shared; its privacy; and the calibration to a common standard.
PAM2PY emerged from the idea that effective acoustic data sharing could only succeed if: a) data details were private; b) context information and acoustic data were packed together; c) transformation from raw data was standard and supported by open source code running in open platforms.
According to this, the objectives of this training session are first to describe basic notions regarding the concept of sharing platform and exchanging data requirements, and second the exploration of practical examples of data analysis and data exchange using PAM2Py. Requirements: Python and PAM2Py installed.

Training 3- Methods for the detection and identification of marine mammals sounds
Trainers: Danelle E. Cline & John Ryan – Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
The MBARI research activity with Blue whales is proposed as the focal content for the EMSO TSC training, because:
* It uses a combination of Machine Learning and signal processing methods, depending on the type of call.
* Blue Whales are a fascinating endangered species for which science can inform protection.
Objectives :
* Apply signal processing methods to discover what can be heard when Blue Whales are migrating (https://www.mbari.org/blue-whale-songs-migration/). The reason these methods (signal: noise, energy detection) are used to quantify song occurrence on key time scales is that there are times when the whales are calling so much that individual calls cannot be distinguished from each other (while the total signal from all calling whales can still be quantified relative to background).
* Demonstrate use of Machine Learning to successfully detect and classify other call types that occur less frequently and thus do not have the above “chorusing” difficulty.
MBARI are proposing to use an existing AWS (Amazon Web Services) Open Data project with both data and tutorials already up and tested in the cloud, for both Machine learning and signal processing methods applied to blue whales. To make the most effective use of a 3-hour period, MBARI suggest that we have participants simply use a web-browser and work in provided Google Colab notebooks – this is the simplest approach to quickly get up and running as it is straightforward to convert any examples in AWS to Google for a tutorial.
Other Points
Interested in analyzing relevant EMSO partner Acoustic Datasets – particularly Blue Whale Signals in advance of the training to show how methods developed can be applied to other datasets;
Interested possibility of using the EMSO Virtual Research Environment as a support for conducting practical exercises during the training session.

Training 4- Introduction to ocean particle velocity and measurement techniques
Trainers: Sérgio M. Jesus and Paulo J. Santos
ISR-LarSys, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
At the macroscopic level the relevant parameter for studying ocean sound is acoustic pressure. However, at the sub-wavelength level and close to shores / acoustic surfaces, the particle velocity field shows significant departures from the acoustic pressure field. So, particle velocity and acoustic pressure are two manifestation of the same phenomena at two different spatial scales. There are two important aspects related to particle motion/velocity: one is that many marine animals, including fish and cetaceans, are extremely sensitive to it, and the other is that while acoustic pressure is scalar, particle velocity is vectorial and therefore allows for determining not only its strength but also the wavefield direction, which is of paramount importance in many underwater applications. This training session explores these two aspects with the objective of providing the necessary understanding of the role of particle velocity to ocean observation, including the impact of sound on marine life. For many years particle velocity measurements in the ocean was impossible or extremely difficult due to either too sensitive sensors picking up noise and interference, or due to bulky or delicate sensors difficult to deploy and operate in the field. Nowadays, the situation has significantly improved with vector sensor measurements being widely accessible, and applications starting to appear in many diverse fields. These will be reviewed with practical example highlights, as well as suggestions for deployment strategies and data analysis techniques.

Training 5- Methods for the detection and analyses of anthropogenic sound in the oceans
Trainers: Salvatore Viola – NATO STO-CMRE & Francesco Simeone – INGV
The goal of the course is to make participants familiar with the main techniques for the analysis of the underwater anthropogenic noise. The main sources of underwater noise will be described in terms of their acoustic features (intensity, frequency spectrum, time variability). Participants will learn to recognize, identify and characterize different classes of acoustic sources by analyzing acoustic data made available for the training.
The course will be divided into two parts: a theoretical(A) introduction, with practical examples, of the basic concepts needed during the course; followed by guided analysis of real data using intermediate level techniques.
A) Fundamentals in signal analysis of passive acoustic data:
-Terminology (e.g., source intensity, source level, transmission lost)
-Time domain representation
-Frequency domain representation
-Time-frequency representation
-Noise sources (impulsive, ambiental) and averaging methods (e.g., rms, percentile)
-Noise reduction techniques
-Anthropogenic noise sources (e.g., ships, airguns)

B) Real world examples from Western Ionian SN1 data
-Single source analysis (ship noise): identify the source and its characteristics
-Single source analysis (airgun): using environmental knowledge to gain source information
-Multiple sources analysis (Anthropogenic and natural): disentangle using spectral analysis and/or time series analysis
-Single source analysis (explosion) in case of reflections and reverberations

Knowledge acquired during the course:
-basic knowledge of the underwater environment and sound propagation
-basic knowledge of anthropogenic sound sources
-intermediate skill on signal processing
Prerequisite: basic knowledge of signal processing

Further information on the TSC 2021 is available here

EMSO Time Series Conference, “Observing Ocean Sound”
2021-10-20 - 2021-10-22 | Canary Island, Canary Island, Spain
This first edition of the EMSO Time Series conference (EMSO TSC) aims to inform and train the ocean science community on the latest advancements in detecting and monitoring underwater sound for environmental purposes.
The increasing need to observe and monitor underwater sound for environmental purposes is faced with the challenge of the vastness of the marine space, the diversity of sound sources and receptors, and the high costs of acquiring representative and useful time-space resolution. This challenge calls for cost-effective solutions that need to address the whole acquisition chain, from sensors to platforms, communication, processing and data delivery. In-situ acoustic data acquisition devices and the processing to deliver meaningful time series data remain costly due to acquisition costs and the need for experts at each stage. Improved methods are needed to respond to legal and overarching international recommendations and prescriptions to reduce the impact of anthropogenic noise on the ocean. The European Marine Strategy Framework Directive asks the Member States to report on the state of underwater noise in their surrounding seas on a regular basis, and at international level the International Quiet Ocean Experiment calls for improvements in our understanding of ocean soundscapes. The Global Ocean Observing System recently adopted ocean sound as an Essential Ocean Variable (EOV), with two sub-variables, sound pressure and sound particle velocity, necessary to characterise ocean sound and potential impacts on marine life. Underwater sound can also provide cost-efficient information for the assessment of marine mammal populations, the detection of fish reproduction areas, the detection of greenhouse gas seeps from pipelines and deep-sea carbon storage, gasification of methane clathrates, adverse meteorological conditions, detection of low-frequency seismic events, ice-cracking, ocean basin sound-velocity tomography and acoustic communication.
The EMSO TSC 2021 « Observing Ocean Sound » will be held in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, Spain, from 20-22 October 2021*. During this three-day event, there will be plenary and training sessions covering the scope of underwater sound study areas. The conference will be open to scientists of all nations, and financial support can be provided to the promising young researchers to assist participation.
*On-line attendance will be enabled depending on the pandemic situation. Logistic details will come at a later stage.

SCIENTIFIC and TECHNICAL PROGRAMME

Anthropogenic noise & other environmental sounds
Acoustics for studying marine geophysics
Bioacoustics
New discoveries and applications from ocean sound observing
Technologies for underwater sound observing, from acoustic data acquisition to products
Meteorology

TRAINING PROGRAMME

Marine soundscapes: methods for the acquisition of ocean sound from fixed and mobile platforms
Requirements and methods for the production of ocean noise time series; Acoustic data FAIRness, standard formats
Methods for the detection and identification of marine mammals sounds
Introduction to ocean particle velocity and measurement techniques
Methods for the detection and analyses of anthropogenic sound in the oceans

SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris – CNRS (IPGP, France)
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV, Italy)
Marine Institute (MI, Ireland)
Plataforma Oceánica de Canarias (PLOCAN, Spain)
Technical University of Catalonia / SARTI group (UPC, Spain)
University of Algarve (Portugal)

For more information, please go to the conference website: https://tsc2021.emso.eu/

CONTACT
You have a question or comment? Please contact us at tsc_2021@emso-eu.org

Big Science Business Forum 2021
2021-09-28 - 2021-10-01 | Granada Congress Centre, Paseo del Violón s/n, Granada, Granada, 18006, Spain
BSBF 2021 is a business oriented congress which congregates all the European Research Infrastructures, focused on technology and with the aim to be the main meeting point between Research Infrastructures and industry.
This will be the second edition of the event after the success of the previous edition in Copenhagen, where more than 1,000 participants from more than 500 organisations and 29 countries gathered together to discuss the future prospects of the Big Science Market.

Global 2021: San Diego - Porto
2021-09-20 - 2021-09-23

OCEANS 2021 San Diego
2021-09-20 - 2021-09-23 | San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States

16th DSBS Deep Sea Biology Symposium
2021-09-12 - 2021-09-17 | Brest, Brest, France
Abstract submission for the 16th Deep-Sea Biology Symposium (#16DSBS) is now open.

UACE 2021
2021-06-20 - 2021-06-25 | Kalamata, Messenia, Greece

MarTech - IX International Workhop on Marine Technology
2021-06-16 - 2021-06-18 | Vigo, Galicia, Spain

EMODnet Open Conference, Connecting Open Data, Delivering Marine Knowledge: A Vision for 2030
2021-06-14 - 2021-06-16
