1st Preliminary Meeting - Workshop on Ocean and Coastal Information in Support of Marine Resources and Biodiversity in the Macaronesia - AIR Centre

1st Preliminary Meeting
Workshop on Ocean and Coastal Information in Support of Marine Resources and Biodiversity in the Macaronesia

Sao Tomé and Príncipe region

DATE
October 29, 2018
Venue
Museu Fábrica da Baleia
Horta – Faial, Azores Portugal

In coordination with the GEO Blue Planet Initiative, Future Earth Coasts and the Marine Biodiversity Network (MBON), the AIR Centre is co-organizing a workshop in Mindelo, Cape Verde, scheduled for February 2019, to identify initiatives under the topic of Marine Resources and Biodiversity. This workshop will build upon two preliminary cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary meetings. The first one is this taking place in Faial, Azores, Portugal and a second one that will take place in Las Palmas, Canary Island, Spain (November 15th, 2018) to better understand local and regional information needs to enhance job creation and innovation in the blue economy and to foster the sustainable use of marine resources as a main economic component.

Sumary

The main challenges discussed during this 1st preliminary meeting were the low resolution of existing satellite data and the lack of qualified personnel to retrieve and convert the required data into interpretable information. As an outcome, strategic user´s needs for a virtual/ artificial user “Azores” was formulated. Among other; to see the distribution of biodiversity in the 0-20 m depth water column; to enable identification of biodiversity changes; to support coastal resources and risk management, ocean litter monitoring, harmful algal bloom detection, etc.

Organizing Committee

Agenda

9:00 – 9:30 Registration
9:30 – 9:45 Welcome
9:45 – 10:15 Workshop methodology /Presentation and participants expectations
10:15 – 11:00 Development of User Stories
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee Break
11:30 – 12:30 Working Groups – Information Needs
1. 1. Fisheries
2. 2. Aquaculture
3. 3. Biodiversity
4. 4. Marine Spatial Planning
5. 5. Cetaceans Observation
12:30 – 13:00 Presentation of information preliminary needs
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 15:00 WG discussion and production of supporting documentation
15:00 – 15:30 Identification of gaps and main challenges for the Azores region
15:30 – 16:00 Coffee Break
16:00 – 16:45 Presentation and discussion of WG results
16:45 – 17:00 Summary with key results
17:00 – 17:30 Wrap up and next steps