MBON and FWBON Joint Session at GEO BON Conference

On October 12th, 2023, the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) and the Fresh Water Biodiversity Observation Network (FWBON) brought together their members in a joint session at the GEO BON Global Conference 2023 in Montreal.

With the goal of Monitoring Biodiversity for Action, this joint session explored how biodiversity monitoring capabilities and approaches in marine and inland waters can be aligned with terrestrial approaches to track biodiversity change. Topics included:

1. The role of thematic biodiversity observation networks (FWBON and MBON) and existing programs (GBIF, OBIS, etc.) in building the Global Biodiversity Observation System (GBiOS) and measuring ecosystem services
2. Linking the frameworks of Essential Variables (Essential Ocean Variables, Essential Climate Variables, and Essential Biodiversity Variables) and Biotic Condition Indicators of the SEEA Ecosystem Accounting framework
3. Benefits and feasibility of aligning biodiversity indicator dashboards for communicating biodiversity change in marine and inland waters
4. Opportunities and challenges for community-based monitoring and integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in aquatic realms
5. Priorities for further indicator development to support national needs and international agreements such as the Kunming-Montreal GBF, the SDGs, and the UNFCCC Paris Agreement

Highlights: There is an urgency to synergize aquatic approaches to biodiversity monitoring and data collection and to better connect the community globally and across freshwater and marine domains. Nations are faced with addressing the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and this requires baselines and measuring progress against them. New methods, such as Underwater Hyperspectral Imaging, environmental DNA, acoustics, animal tracking and remote sensing are emerging for assessing biodiversity and ecological status of shallow and deep aquatic ecosystems.

Co-chairs: Eren Turak, FWBON; Frank Muller-Karger, University of South Florida; Joana Soares, Atlantic International Research Centre.