Best Practice Webinar & Study Launch: Offshore Biodiversity Data and Monitoring - What have we yet to learn?
Description
- 07 Oct 2021
- Online
Interactive webinar focusing on presenting the main findings of the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI) commissioned study: "A review of Biodiversity Data Needs and Monitoring Protocols for the Offshore Wind Energy Sector in the Baltic Sea and North Sea" by author PJ Stephenson (an Independent Conservation and Sustainability Consultant, Chair of the IUCN SSC Species Monitoring Specialist Group and External Scientific Collaborator at the University of Lausanne).
The expansion of offshore wind energy (OWE) at sea comes with many potential impacts on marine biodiversity. By closely monitoring these effects, the results will provide more insight on the condition of these various ecosystems. Against this background, the RGI commissioned a study which investigate data needs and monitoring practices in two European seas that currently see an expansion of OWE, the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. Amongst other findings, the study showed that;
- The design and type of technology used while monitoring indicators and protocols are not sufficiently harmonised.
- Research efforts need to be directed towards testing new technologies for the improvement of monitoring while data sharing has to be put at the center of collaboration amongst stakeholders.
- Stakeholders need to collaborate more extensively in order to adopt more standardised approaches and thereby enhance data-driven decision-making processes.
Author PJ Stephenson will present his key recommendations connected to potential impacts of offshore wind development on marine biodiversity as well as on the improvement of data collection in an interactive webinar taking place on Thursday 7 October 2021 (16:00- 17:30 CET).
Interested to participate in this interactive webinar?
More information on registration details here.