A new CORDIS Results Pack highlights how European research is advancing biodiversity monitoring. The Pack brings together 12 EU-funded projects exploring new approaches, from environmental DNA and artificial intelligence to Earth observation and digital tools. Together, these initiatives aim to improve how biodiversity is measured, understood and managed across Europe.
While many focus on developing new technologies, Biodiversa+ combines the testing of innovative approaches with a less visible but critical challenge: aligning monitoring across countries so that data can be compared, shared and used effectively.
Why coordination matters
Biodiversity monitoring underpins policies aimed at protecting and restoring ecosystems. It provides the evidence needed to assess trends, evaluate measures and guide decisions. Yet across Europe, monitoring systems have developed in parallel, often using different methods, indicators and reporting cycles.
This fragmentation makes it difficult to compare data across borders, detect emerging risks or build a coherent picture of ecosystem change at the European scale. As policies such as the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Nature Restoration Regulation increasingly rely on robust and comparable data, improved coordination has become essential.
Moving from comparison to co-design
Rather than trying to reconcile existing datasets after the fact, Biodiversa+ supports a shift towards co-designed monitoring. This means bringing together data producers, data users and policy actors to agree on what should be measured, how, and for what purpose.
As part of this approach, the partnership develops thematic monitoring pilots based on shared protocols. These pilots are implemented simultaneously across countries, with common methodologies and only limited adaptation to local conditions. The result is data that are comparable from the outset, while still meeting national needs and constraints.
Testing solutions in practice
One of these pilots focuses on invasive alien species, where timely and consistent data are essential. The aim is to test approaches that are not only scientifically robust, but also practical and scalable within existing monitoring systems. This includes integrating automation, such as image recognition, to support faster and more standardised data collection. By combining shared protocols with technological tools, the pilot explores how countries can expand monitoring coverage without relying solely on resource-intensive fieldwork.
The outputs are designed to go beyond experimentation. They include protocol templates, workflows and cost estimates that can be directly used by national authorities and monitoring organisations.
Connecting research to usable data
Biodiversa+ also supports research projects that help make monitoring data more usable and comparable across contexts. For example, projects such as ANTENNA are developing transnational data pipelines that turn observations into policy-relevant indicators, while involving scientists, practitioners and decision-makers to ensure uptake beyond research settings. Another project, MetaPlantCode, is working on harmonising DNA-based monitoring approaches for plants. Rather than enforcing identical methods, the project focuses on agreeing on best practices that are scientifically sound and applicable across different contexts.
These efforts contribute to aligning data and metadata standards, enabling results to be shared through platforms such as Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and interpreted consistently.
Building a European monitoring system
Taken together, these activities point to a broader shift. Biodiversity monitoring in Europe is evolving from a collection of national efforts into a more coordinated system, supported by shared approaches, interoperable data and collaboration across actors.
By connecting research, policy and practice, Biodiversa+ helps make this transition operational. It provides a framework where methods can be tested, aligned and adopted, while ensuring that monitoring remains relevant to real-world constraints and decision-making needs.
This shift towards coordinated biodiversity monitoring is not only taking place through projects and pilots. It is also shaping how the monitoring community works together. In May 2026, the Biodiversity Monitoring Week will bring together researchers, policymakers, practitioners and other actors from across Europe to exchange approaches, align methods and explore how to scale monitoring efforts in practice. As a European platform dedicated to biodiversity monitoring, it reflects the growing need for shared frameworks, collaboration and long-term coordination.
As biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation continue to affect both nature and society, strengthening monitoring is not only a technical task. It is a prerequisite for informed action, effective policy and long-term sustainability.
