In December last year, we held an information session on our monitoring pilot programme. Functioning as implementation projects rather than research initiatives, these pilots employ tested monitoring methods to support transnational biodiversity monitoring. They aim to address data gaps, enhance policy relevance, and contribute to European biodiversity monitoring networks.
Key Figures
- Budget: €8.3 million
- Active contributors: 19 organisations from 18 countries
Updates
The session included updates on ongoing pilots:
- The Invasive Alien Species pilot uses vehicle-mounted cameras and automated camera traps to track invasive plant and insect species.
- The Soil pilot compares traditional and molecular methods to monitor soil biodiversity.
- The Automated Biodiversity Monitoring Stations pilot deploys multi-sensor stations, using AI for species monitoring.
- The EuRockFish pilot tests standardised, non-invasive methods (underwater visual census, baited video, and eDNA metabarcoding) for reef fish monitoring.
- The Habitats pilot evaluates remote sensing methods for monitoring grasslands and wetlands.
The Governance pilot, now completed, focused on the EBOCC process and national biodiversity centres. Two or three new pilots will be launched in 2026 (topics to be confirmed).
Panel discussion
The session featured a panel discussion with the pilot coordinators. Some takeaways:
- Standardisation & data management: Effective biodiversity monitoring requires harmonised protocols and centralised data processing, particularly for sensor-based and lab-analysed data. A Copernicus-like repository is needed for managing large-scale data.
- Scalability & cost efficiency: Sensor-based methods offer a scalable and cost-effective solution despite initial infrastructure investment. Pilots aim to reduce long-term costs by streamlining data collection and processing.
- Funding & sustainability: Reliance on research grants is unsustainable. Alternative funding sources, such as public-private partnerships and integration with existing environmental frameworks (e.g., water and air quality monitoring), should be explored.
- Policy & implementation: Pilots are policy-relevant, aligning with EU regulations to support decision-making. Expanding monitoring efforts beyond well-established networks (e.g., bird monitoring) to grasslands and wetlands is crucial.
- Collaboration & capacity building: Strengthening transnational networks, field-testing methods, and fostering direct scientific cooperation through workshops are essential for effective large-scale biodiversity monitoring.
- Long-term vision: The goal is to align research, innovation, and national monitoring authorities to ensure a sustainable, standardised, and impactful biodiversity monitoring framework across Europe.
Learn more about the pilots