IHCantabria participates in a study that develops products based on interoperable data to improve the conservation of marine biodiversity
Policies aimed at reducing pressures on marine biodiversity require accurate and detailed data to facilitate their formulation and management
Researchers from the Environmental Hydraulics Institute of the Universidad de Cantabria (IHCantabria) have participated in an international study that highlights the role of products developed from interoperable data in the management and conservation of marine biodiversity.
Open Science is fundamental in research, promoting transparency, accessibility and collaboration between researchers. From this need arose the EMODnet service (the European Marine Observation and Data Network), an EU-funded project that, through a network of organizations, promotes ocean observations and makes data available according to international standards. The main philosophy behind EMODnet is “collect once and use many times”. Aware of the importance of open science, IHCantabria has been part of EMODnet Biology since 2018.
The study, led by the University of Sheffield (UK) and involving research centers in Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Spain, highlights the need for adequate and accessible data to support policies that reduce pressure on marine biodiversity.
The results of this study were recently published in the scientific journal Marine Policy, in the category of Environmental Studies, which analyzes the impact of the use of advanced computer tools in the creation of biological data products. Among the co-authors of this study are Elvira Ramos Manzanos and Samuel Sainz Villegas, who are part of the Coastal Ecosystems Group of IHCantabria.
Data products transform complex ecological information into understandable and useful resources for environmental management and policy design. However, the generation of these products in the field of marine biodiversity presents significant challenges, due to the enormous diversity of species, the heterogeneity of available data, and the need to apply advanced statistical models to interpret spatial and temporal patterns.
In this study, Elvira Ramos and Samuel Sainz-Villegas contributed their expertise in the development of computational tools and the integration of marine biodiversity data. “The products developed in EMODnet Biology facilitate decision-making on marine biodiversity at the European level,” says Elvira Ramos.
The scientific article, co-authored by Elvira Ramos and Samuel Sainz Villegas −together with researchers from the University of Sheffield, the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), the Royal Netherlands Institute for Marine Research (NIOZ), Deltares, the University of Liège, and INRAE−, highlights the importance of openly documenting the processes of creating interoperable biological data products. This transparency ensures their reuse by researchers, managers and environmental policy makers, promoting more efficient management. In addition, this approach helps to maximize the economic and social benefits of FAIR(Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data, which are essential for ocean sustainability.
This study reaffirms IHCantabria’s commitment to applied research and its active participation in international scientific networks that develop innovative solutions for the conservation of marine biodiversity. It also highlights the commitment to open access to data and data sharing for wider dissemination within the international community.
The complete contents of the study can be accessed through the following link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106578
