MARBENA Creating a long-term infrastructure for MARine Biodiversity research in the European economic area and the Newly Associated states

The implementation and further development of marine biodiversity research at the European scale has been supported by several initiatives of e.g. the European Marine Research Stations network (MARS), including the EU concerted action BIOMARE and the EU-FP5 projects M@RBLE (2001), and MARBENA (2002-2004).

general overview of the MARBENA project

• objectives
• activities
• partners

the MARBENA electronic conferences:

The electronic conferences will be held before each of four European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy meetings. Extra information is available for four of these:

• European heritage under threat: Marine Biodiversity in Mediterranean Ecosystems. This conference ran from 22 April to 3 May 2002, and is now closed. Summaries and conclusions can be consulted here
• Marine Biodiversity in the Baltic and the European context, which ran from 5 to 20 September 2002. Summaries and conclusions can be consulted here
• Marine Biodiversity in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, which ran from 7 to 20 April 2003. Summaries and conclusions can be consulted here
• Newly Associated States and Marine Biodiversity Research, which ran from 2 to 9 June 2003. Summaries and conclusions can be consulted here
• Genetic Biodiversity in Marine Ecosystems - Measurement, Understanding and Management , which ran from 6 to 17 October 2003. Summaries and conclusions can be consulted here
• Sustaining livelihoods and Biodiversity - Attaining the 2010 target in the European Biodiversity Strategy, which ran from 13 to 30 April 2004. Summaries and conclusions can be consulted here
• The Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea: New challenges for marine biodiversity research and monitoring, which ran from 6 to 24 September 2004.
• Marine biodiversity research that matters!, which ran from 15 to 26 November 2004.

The objectives of the e-conferences are:

• To raise a dialogue on the themes selected for the EPBRS meetings, involving a wide range of participants. These themes will be determined ad hoc in relation to the EU Minister Conference.
• To prepare for the EPBRS meetings through this dialogue, involving both the scientific community and policy makers, specifically:
  1. To identify current understanding on the selected themes.
  2. To identify areas of uncertainty ('biodiversity information needs') on the selected themes.
• To make provisional recommendations on research ('biodiversity research needs') on the selected themes for subsequent discussion at the EPBRS meetings.
• To provide background papers for the Platform meetings summarising current understanding, areas of uncertainty and recommendations on research on the selected themes.

These five electronic conferences will also be used to discuss issues relevant to MARBENA where appropriate.

E-conference chairs are coupled with the EU presidency and organization of the EPBRS meeting: in order to reach participants form the nations that host the coming EPBRS meetings (Spain, Denmark, Greece, UK), the chair of the respective e-conferences is conveyed to a scientist resident of these countries.

The results of the M@RBLE e-conference were presented at the European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy Meeting under the Belgian EU Presidency (Brussels 2001).

• First MARBENA e-conference - Spain 2002
• Second MARBENA e-conference - Denmark 2002
• Third MARBENA e-conference - Greece 2003
• Fourth MARBENA e-conference - NAS 2003
• Fifth MARBENA e-conference - UK/Italy 2003
• Sixth MARBENA e-conference - Ireland 2004
• Seventh MARBENA e-conference - South-East Med + Black Sea 2004
• Eigth MARBENA e-conference - Netherlands 2004

European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy (EPBRS) - past meetings:

• 'Sustaining livelihoods and Biodiversity - Attaining the 2010 target in the European Biodiversity Strategy', Killarney, Co. Kerry (Ireland), 21-24 May 2004
• 'Genetic biodiversity in Agriculture and Natural systems: Measurment, Understanding and Management', Florence (Italy), 20-24 November 2003
• 'Biotic resources in a changing world: Science for better Governance', Molyvos (Greece), 23-26 May 2003
• 'Marine biodiversity in the Baltic and the European context', Silkeborg (Denmark), 4-6 October 2002
• 'European heritage under threat: Biodiversity in Mediterranean ecosystems', Almería (Spain), 11-13 May 2002
• 'Scientific tools for biodiversity conservation: monitoring, modelling and experiments', Brussels (Belgium), 2-4 December 2001
• 'Biodiversity of Water and Forest - Science in support of the Ecosystem Approach' , Sigtuna, Sweden 10-12 June 2001
• 'Biology of Invasions - Strategic issues for European biodiversity research' , Montpellier, France, 4-6 December 2000
• 'Islands and Archipelagos: European biodiversity issues seen from the Atlantic', Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal, 14-16 May 2000
• 'Northern Dimension to Biodiversity - From Arctic to Boreal Ecosystems', Ivalo, Finland, 20-23 November 1999