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Pensoft is leading the way in Work Bundle 6: “Dissemination, Multi-stakeholder outreach and synergies,” for the OBSGESSION project by creating a dedicated community around it.
Pensoft brings its expertise in science communication to the OBSGESSION consortium, supporting its goal of improving terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity monitoring through stakeholder engagement. As a frontrunner of Work Bundle 6, Pensoft is responsible for building a dedicated community around OBSGESSION.
The decline of terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity is a major concern, driven by factors such as human activities and climate change.
In order to protect and preserve valuable ecosystems, the new research project OBSGESSION (Observation of Ecosystem Changes for Action) was launched. It is jointly funded by the EU program Horizon Europe, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the University of Zurich (UZH).
Coordinated by the Finnish Environmental Institute (Syke), OBSGESSION aims to identify the drivers of biodiversity loss, pinpoint important indicators of ecosystem health, and inform sustainability policies.
The Project
OBSGESSION was launched in January 2024 and will run until December 2027 with a budget of ~7.3 million EUR, provided by the European Union’s Horizon Europe program, UK Research and Innovation, and the University of Zurich.
The project officially kicked off with the first consortium meeting in Tuusula, Finland, between 30th January and 2nd February.
Over the next four years, the newly formed consortium will work together to integrate biodiversity data sources, such as Earth Observation, with in-situ research, and cutting-edge ecological models. These will all be combined into a comprehensive product for biodiversity management in both terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems.
The project will also lead an innovative approach for assessing Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) and their resilience to errors. By intentionally introducing errors into biodiversity estimates and comparing the resulting models with those using accurate estimates, the EBV case studies aim to analyze model uncertainties and identify more sensitive approaches. This will inform policy and management regarding the optimal EBVs and their key thresholds for conservation.
To demonstrate the implementation of the strategies and methodologies developed within the project, and to respond to the needs of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the consortium will focus on six distinct pilot actions:
- Investigating and predicting biodiversity change in the European Alps: a multi-scale, multi-modal, and multi-temporal investigation using remote and in-situ data integration.
- Improving habitat classification models: going beyond the state-of-the-art in accurate high-resolution mapping of Europe’s habitats, powered by machine learning.
- Forecasting ecosystem productivity under disturbances & climate change
A crucial aspect of understanding and protecting our planet’s diverse ecosystems.