Ocean literacy, ocean equity and blue leadership
Talks:
15:45
Abstract 186
Co-Developing an Information Management Strategy for the Western Indian Ocean Region with GIZ and regional partners
by Hauke Kegler | Alexandra Nozik | Hauke Reuter
ZMT | ZMT | ZMT
Over the past two years, ZMT joined the process to support the development of an Information management Strategy (IMS) in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region.
At the 10th Conference of Parties to the Nairobi Convention, in November 2021, the Contracting Parties recognized the importance of and made a commitment to develop an IMS for the WIO region. The Nairobi Convention Secretariat (NCS) stepped forward to implement the decision and to realize an IMS. Alongside our partner organizations, the NCS, the Collective Leadership Institute (CLI) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), we followed the process from brainstorming to finalizing the document.
In regular meetings, in this core support team, we co-developed the participative process, organized online and on-site technical dialogs, lead workshops, gathered and structured valuable knowledge from regional experts on data and information management, and lead the editing of the final Information Management Strategy document.
Join our presentation to learn about this project, rooted in capacity development goals. We will talk about the process, the partners, the created and strengthened networks, the content and the future of the IMS, and discuss opportunities and challenges of our project.
16:00
Abstract 177
With Kobo on Sylt and Qfield on Beqa – App data collection in Germany and Fiji
by Alexandra Nozik
ZMT Research Data Service Workgroup
Collected field data holds significant value for most research projects at ZMT. The planning and execution of the field sampling, followed by securing gathered information carefully without data loss, constitute crucial aspects of the process. This can be facilitated through the use of suitable field data collection apps. This talk will present two cases of applications of such apps. Firstly, we will take a trip to the German island of Sylt, and explore the data collected within the KISNET project with the KoboToolbox and the KoboCollect app. Then, we will skip some time zones and visit the Fiji island Beqa with our partner organisation Pacific Blue Foundation. Here, we will discover mapping opportunities in the field with the Qfield app and trace the water pipes mapping process based on local knowledge. Drawing from these two cases, the talk will disclose opportunities, challenges, requirements, as well as similarities and differences of the field collection apps presented, showcasing their adaptability across diverse research conditions and topics.
16:15
Abstract 174
Strengthening Biodiversity Monitoring in the Global South: Training and Workshops for onsite third generation sequencing
by Achim Meyer |Cretus Mtonga | Levy Otwoma | Oscar Puebla
ZMT Academy | ZMT WG Fish Ecology and Evolution | Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) | ZMT WG Fish Ecology and Evolution
The presented initiative is a response to the need of many biodiversity-rich countries in the global south for self-help to alleviate the ongoing biodiversity loss. Monitoring biodiversity is the basis for data-driven decisions to better understand ongoing changes and to govern protected areas and fisheries based on scientific evidence. Marine biodiversity loss has a strong local dimension and can therefore benefit from regional action, which should be based on data-driven decisions. For example, environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis allows now efficient biodiversity screening of coastal ecosystems, but relies on regional reference databases, which are sparse in tropical countries. The ZMT Academy together with the Fish Ecology and Evolution work group developed a training module for the affordable third generation sequencer from Oxford Nanopore Technologies and started to build this capacity for our partners in the tropics. The applicability for reef fish reference databases was shown during a field stay at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), Mombasa, Kenya. Based on this project POGO (Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean) funds were acquired to set up a barcoding training at the University of Abidjan in the WAMBA-net (West African Marine Fish DNA Barcoding Network) summer school autumn 2024. Long term goal is to place ZMT as expert institution (blue leadership) in molecular biodiversity assessment with a focus on marine fish.
16:30
Abstract 172
Reef passages: outliers of submerged connectivity towards achieving SDG14
Cancelled
by Annette Breckwoldt
OKE
Pacific Island countries and territories – in particular their Indigenous peoples who see themselves as the custodians of the ocean – are increasingly recognized as integral for achieving the present ambitious marine conservation objectives. This is also the case for New Caledonia and Fiji, where most parts of the population live in coastal areas and rely on some of the largest barrier reefs in the world. The reef passages connecting coastal waters and the open ocean are locally known as outstanding hotspots – or outliers – of biodiversity and productivity, and therefore of multifaceted significance for the overall health of coral reef ecosystems. This paper uses an inter- and transdisciplinary lens in order to explore these unique socio-cultural and ecological ‘keystone places’ that to date remain largely under-investigated by natural (e.g. ecology) and social (e.g. cultural anthropology) sciences, but are deemed to play a crucial role towards achieving SDG14. Our main objective is to highlight the importance of reef passages for healthy reefs and coastal populations, by a) developing a transdisciplinary study of a conspicuous but under-researched feature of social-ecological coral reef systems – reef passages – as complex and dynamic assemblages of living and non-living, dwelling and transiting, entities that interact with each other; in order to b) better understand the ecosystem roles of reef passages, incl. their associated fish species (e.g. sharks), for their management and conservation.
Poster
PA5: 15:15 – 15:45
Abstract 162
ZMT Research Data Service
by Alexandra Nozik
ZMT Research Data Service Workgroup
The Research Data Service is part of the Research Infrastructure at ZMT. Our group supports ZMT scientists in managing their research data in all phases of their projects, from proposal to publication. Our group provides consulting and workshops concerning the management of research data along the whole research cycle – starting from project planning over data collection, data analysis and data sharing to data archiving and data discovery. Our mission is to provide demand-driven products and services that benefit you throughout the research process. The poster will offer a comprehensive overview of our existing products and services, highlighting how they contribute to enhancing your experience throughout the research process.
Abstract 173
A Sea of Connections: Valuing Reef Passages in the South Pacific Region (SOCPacific2R)
by Annette Breckwoldt
OKE
The United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life below water – aims at conserving and sustainably using the oceans, which represent 70% of the Earth’s surface. This goal is connected to the global target to expand protected areas to 30% of the planet by 2030, focusing on areas that are particularly important for biodiversity, such as coral reefs, on which people living in coastal areas depend to survive. This is particularly the case for New Caledonia and Fiji – two archipelagos that are located in the Pacific Ocean – where most of the population lives in coastal areas and relies on some of the largest barrier reefs in the world. Pacific Island countries and territories are increasingly recognized as integral for achieving such ambitious conservation objectives. The reef passages connecting coastal waters and the open ocean are known as outstanding hotspots of biodiversity and productivity. Hence, they are of multifaceted significance for the overall health of coral reef ecosystems. SOCPacific2R explores these social-ecological ‘keystone places’ and ‘communication zones’ with an empirical focus on New Caledonia and Fiji. SOCPacific2R will both embrace and feed the vision of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) and will facilitate the integration of reef passages in future marine/ocean policy and practice. It will provide holders of customary rights, policy-makers and other stakeholders with evidence-based research and exchange fora to empower them for the joint management and conservation of reef passages.