Periodic Reporting for period 2 - EcoScope (Ecocentric management for sustainable fisheries and healthy marine ecosystems)
Período documentado: 2023-03-01 hasta 2024-08-31
The EcoScope Project will develop an interoperable platform and a robust decision-making toolbox available through a single public portal, promoting an efficient, ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management. Guided by policymakers and scientific advisory bodies, it addresses ecosystem degradation and anthropogenic impacts causing unsustainable fisheries across European Seas.
EcoScope Platform:
• Organizes and homogenizes climatic, oceanographic, biogeochemical, biological, and fisheries datasets for European Seas into a standard format, accessible through interactive mapping layers.
EcoScope Toolbox:
• Hosts outputs of ecosystem models, socio-economic indicators, fisheries, and ecosystem assessment tools to develop management and policy scenarios and maritime spatial planning simulations.
• Uses novel assessment methods for data-poor fisheries, non-commercial species, biodiversity, and the conservation status of protected megafauna, evaluating environmental, anthropogenic, and climatic impacts on ecosystems and fisheries.
Stakeholder Involvement:
-Engages end-users and stakeholders in designing, developing, and operating the platform and toolbox, incorporating methods for dealing with uncertainty.
Capacity Building:
• Provides sophisticated tools through the EcoScope Academy, including online courses, documentaries, webinars, and games.
By filling knowledge gaps and developing new methods and tools, the EcoScope project will offer an effective toolbox to decision makers and end-users. This will promote efficient, sustainable, ecosystem-based fisheries management, aiding in restoring fisheries sustainability and ensuring balance between food security and healthy seas.
EcoScope Platform:
• Organizes and homogenizes climatic, oceanographic, biogeochemical, biological, and fisheries datasets for European Seas into a standard format, accessible through interactive mapping layers.
EcoScope Toolbox:
• Hosts outputs of ecosystem models, socio-economic indicators, fisheries, and ecosystem assessment tools to develop management and policy scenarios and maritime spatial planning simulations.
• Uses novel assessment methods for data-poor fisheries, non-commercial species, biodiversity, and the conservation status of protected megafauna, evaluating environmental, anthropogenic, and climatic impacts on ecosystems and fisheries.
Stakeholder Involvement:
-Engages end-users and stakeholders in designing, developing, and operating the platform and toolbox, incorporating methods for dealing with uncertainty.
Capacity Building:
• Provides sophisticated tools through the EcoScope Academy, including online courses, documentaries, webinars, and games.
By filling knowledge gaps and developing new methods and tools, the EcoScope project will offer an effective toolbox to decision makers and end-users. This will promote efficient, sustainable, ecosystem-based fisheries management, aiding in restoring fisheries sustainability and ensuring balance between food security and healthy seas.
During the first reporting period (09/2021-02/2023) the EcoScope consortium:
• Reviewed biological, fisheries, and ecosystem data from various sources for each case study area. Identified knowledge gaps and used survey data for non-commercial species. Datasets on charismatic megafauna were used for energyscapes analysis and ecosystem status assessments, leading to ecosystem models.
• Collected and standardized data from various databases, including environmental, meteorological, oceanographic, human-impact, and socio-economic parameters, ready for the EcoScope Platform.
• Identified and harmonized environmental, geophysical, and marine data for ecological modeling, including forecasts for 2050 and 2100 under different greenhouse gas emissions.
• Collected catch/landings and CPUE/abundance/biomass data for all case study areas and commercial stocks, assessed using the CMSY++ method.
• Developed a methodological proposal for a questionnaire with detailed socio-economic questions on public perceptions, preferences, and expectations for Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management, including well-being and policy-related questions.
• Developed stakeholder management covering various topics and conducted an analysis of policy landscape, e-tools, and stakeholder needs addressed by EcoScope.
• Developed a project-specific innovation approach, including business planning templates, business model canvases, and tools to support the work.
Created a communication toolbox providing a suite of promotional and technical branding assets.
Launched a website serving as an attractive showcase for the project and a vehicle for the effective communication of the latest project news, events and products and services available, with a dedicated section for Stakeholders. Published 12 manuscripts in international peer-reviewed journals on the results of the project and an addition of other 8 manuscripts have been submitted.
During the 2nd reporting period (March 2023-August 2024), the EcoScope consortium :
Data Upload and Testing:
• Integrated data from various biological and fishery databases.
• EcoScope Platform is complete with all datasets and undergoing internal testing before launching.
Fisheries Activity Analysis:
• Added vessel data for fleet and area-specific analysis to track fishing activities.
• Identified fishing patterns and high-pressure areas using ecological species distribution models for 1508 species.
Stock Assessment:
• Uploaded stock assessments for commercial and non-commercial species.
• Developed community and ecosystem indicators, including climate change effects.
Model Preparation:
• Delivered temporal and spatiotemporal ecosystem models for case study areas using EwE and examined management, policy and climate scenarios.
• Prepared the Eastern Mediterranean MSP Challenge Simulation platform including its fisheries edition for improving ecosystem based fisheries management.
Review of Fisheries Practices:
• Evaluated existing fisheries science and management practices in Europe.
• Assessed economic and governance implications of current and ecosystem-based fisheries management.
EcoScope Academy:
• Created online courses and training materials, with 4 out of 8 courses available.
• Produced a fisheries sustainability card game based on the ecosystem model of the Aegean Sea and other educational resources.
Business Model Development:
• Held workshops to explore business models for key project results.
• Created exploitation plans and a detailed business plan for the EcoScopium Platform.
Website Updates:
• Continuously updated the EcoScope website with news, events, and resources.
• Achieved 5.7K users and 10K sessions during the latest reporting period.
• Reviewed biological, fisheries, and ecosystem data from various sources for each case study area. Identified knowledge gaps and used survey data for non-commercial species. Datasets on charismatic megafauna were used for energyscapes analysis and ecosystem status assessments, leading to ecosystem models.
• Collected and standardized data from various databases, including environmental, meteorological, oceanographic, human-impact, and socio-economic parameters, ready for the EcoScope Platform.
• Identified and harmonized environmental, geophysical, and marine data for ecological modeling, including forecasts for 2050 and 2100 under different greenhouse gas emissions.
• Collected catch/landings and CPUE/abundance/biomass data for all case study areas and commercial stocks, assessed using the CMSY++ method.
• Developed a methodological proposal for a questionnaire with detailed socio-economic questions on public perceptions, preferences, and expectations for Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management, including well-being and policy-related questions.
• Developed stakeholder management covering various topics and conducted an analysis of policy landscape, e-tools, and stakeholder needs addressed by EcoScope.
• Developed a project-specific innovation approach, including business planning templates, business model canvases, and tools to support the work.
Created a communication toolbox providing a suite of promotional and technical branding assets.
Launched a website serving as an attractive showcase for the project and a vehicle for the effective communication of the latest project news, events and products and services available, with a dedicated section for Stakeholders. Published 12 manuscripts in international peer-reviewed journals on the results of the project and an addition of other 8 manuscripts have been submitted.
During the 2nd reporting period (March 2023-August 2024), the EcoScope consortium :
Data Upload and Testing:
• Integrated data from various biological and fishery databases.
• EcoScope Platform is complete with all datasets and undergoing internal testing before launching.
Fisheries Activity Analysis:
• Added vessel data for fleet and area-specific analysis to track fishing activities.
• Identified fishing patterns and high-pressure areas using ecological species distribution models for 1508 species.
Stock Assessment:
• Uploaded stock assessments for commercial and non-commercial species.
• Developed community and ecosystem indicators, including climate change effects.
Model Preparation:
• Delivered temporal and spatiotemporal ecosystem models for case study areas using EwE and examined management, policy and climate scenarios.
• Prepared the Eastern Mediterranean MSP Challenge Simulation platform including its fisheries edition for improving ecosystem based fisheries management.
Review of Fisheries Practices:
• Evaluated existing fisheries science and management practices in Europe.
• Assessed economic and governance implications of current and ecosystem-based fisheries management.
EcoScope Academy:
• Created online courses and training materials, with 4 out of 8 courses available.
• Produced a fisheries sustainability card game based on the ecosystem model of the Aegean Sea and other educational resources.
Business Model Development:
• Held workshops to explore business models for key project results.
• Created exploitation plans and a detailed business plan for the EcoScopium Platform.
Website Updates:
• Continuously updated the EcoScope website with news, events, and resources.
• Achieved 5.7K users and 10K sessions during the latest reporting period.
First Implementation Period:
• Collected and harmonized datasets for all European seas, developed a beta version of the EcoScope Platform.
• Collected and published climate change scenarios and fishing effort data.
• Created species distribution maps for several climate change scenarios.
• Assessed marine ecosystems and fisheries in eight case study areas using novel methods.
• Developed ecosystem models incorporating uncertainty to implement management scenarios based on stakeholder input.
• Developed a questionnaire assessing societal expectations and economic value.
• Held a Foresight Workshop with key stakeholders to build scenarios and establish indicators.
• Published the first introductory chapter of the EcoScope Academy.
Second Implementation Period:
• Achieved comprehensive data integration, resulting in a complete and internally tested EcoScope Platform.
• Expanded vessel data collection to detailed spatio-temporal analyses, identifying fishing patterns, and creating species distribution maps under various climate change scenarios.
• Employed advanced methods for commercial and non-commercial species assessments, including ecosystem models with uncertainty considerations and community and ecosystem indicators.
• Developed a new edition of the Maritime Spatial Planning simulation platform for the eastern Mediterranean Sea, engaging stakeholders and promoting adaptive management.
• Enriched the EcoScope Academy with courses, training materials, and educational games, fostering greater awareness and knowledge sharing.
• Improved management practices and policies to enhance the sustainability of fisheries, benefiting fishing communities and economic stability.
• Utilized tools and models to mitigate ecosystem degradation and promote biodiversity conservation.
• Increased stakeholder engagement and public awareness through educational initiatives and data sharing, fostering a collaborative approach to marine resource management.
• Collected and harmonized datasets for all European seas, developed a beta version of the EcoScope Platform.
• Collected and published climate change scenarios and fishing effort data.
• Created species distribution maps for several climate change scenarios.
• Assessed marine ecosystems and fisheries in eight case study areas using novel methods.
• Developed ecosystem models incorporating uncertainty to implement management scenarios based on stakeholder input.
• Developed a questionnaire assessing societal expectations and economic value.
• Held a Foresight Workshop with key stakeholders to build scenarios and establish indicators.
• Published the first introductory chapter of the EcoScope Academy.
Second Implementation Period:
• Achieved comprehensive data integration, resulting in a complete and internally tested EcoScope Platform.
• Expanded vessel data collection to detailed spatio-temporal analyses, identifying fishing patterns, and creating species distribution maps under various climate change scenarios.
• Employed advanced methods for commercial and non-commercial species assessments, including ecosystem models with uncertainty considerations and community and ecosystem indicators.
• Developed a new edition of the Maritime Spatial Planning simulation platform for the eastern Mediterranean Sea, engaging stakeholders and promoting adaptive management.
• Enriched the EcoScope Academy with courses, training materials, and educational games, fostering greater awareness and knowledge sharing.
• Improved management practices and policies to enhance the sustainability of fisheries, benefiting fishing communities and economic stability.
• Utilized tools and models to mitigate ecosystem degradation and promote biodiversity conservation.
• Increased stakeholder engagement and public awareness through educational initiatives and data sharing, fostering a collaborative approach to marine resource management.