IOW

Baltic Gender is a consortium of research organisations and higher education institutions from the Baltic Sea Region aiming at reducing gender segregation and gender inequalities in Marine Science and Technology. The diversity of the consortium members (from Nordic, Continental and Eastern countries) with regard to gender equality policies and practices as well as gatekeeping provides an excellent basis for exchange, comparison, collaborative learning and transfer of knowledge. The action will work toward the establishment and implementation of Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) as instruments that can catalyse institutional change. Collection, standardisation and evaluation of gender-segregated data will facilitate the establishment of gender-sensitive indicators and enable the consortium to develop concrete targets and measures for reaching the set goals of the GEPs and to monitor the progress of their implementation. GEP implementation activities will be supported by established approaches and innovative strategies developed in the four core work packages on (i) career advancement, (ii) work and family, (iii) structural changes, and (iv) gender dimension in marine research. Cross-cutting work packages will support action’s progress via giving trainings, strengthening networks, raising awareness, disseminating results and reaching out to a wider scientific community and public in general. The outputs are designed to maximize impact and, due to the inter-disciplinary nature of marine sciences, to have a broader impact in the field of natural science and technology. The deliverables include blogs, brochures, best-practice handbooks, recommendations, training-materials, synthesis reports. Schemes and good practices established during the action (e.g., grass-root networks, work-family balance, transparency in decision making, modernised recruitment processes, mentoring) are foreseen to pave the way for long-lasting institutional practices.

There are 5,250 billion plastic particles floating on the surface on the world's seas and oceans, equivalent to 268,940 metric tons of waste. These fragments move with the currents before washing up on beaches, islands, coral atolls or one of the five great ocean gyres. Because MP cannot be removed form oceans, proactive action regarding research on plastic alternatives and strategies to prevent plastic entering the environment should be taken promptly. Despite the research increasing, there is still a lack of suitable and validated analytical methods for detection and quantification of small micro- and nano plastics (SMNP) evidencing a huge obstacle for large-scale monitoring. There is also a lack of hazard and fate data which would allow their risk assessment. LABPLAS is a 48-months project whose vision is creating capacities (sampling, analysis and quantification techniques, new materials and new models) to evaluate rapidly and precisely the interactions of plastics with the environmental compartments and natural cycles leading to the development of effective mitigation and elimination measures, as well as, making management decisions. It will assess reliable identification methods for more accurate assessment of the abundance, distribution and toxicity determination of SMNP in the environment, giving the opportunity of new developments of cutting edge technologies. It will also develop practical computational tools that up-scaled should allow European agencies to map plastic-impacted hotspots. The project will have a multi-actor approach, creating scientific knowledge with a partnership of scientists, technicians, research organizations and enterprises, working together towards the recognition at different levels (society, industry, policy) of the main issues (sources, potential biodegradability, ecotoxicology, ingestion, environmental assessment) related to the presence of plastics in ecosystems.

The proposed project “Readiness of ICOS for Necessities of integrated Global Observations” (RINGO) aims to further development of ICOS RI and ICOS ERIC and foster its sustainability. The challenges are to further develop the readiness of ICOS RI along five principal objectives: 1. Scientific readiness. To support the further consolidation of the observational networks and enhance their quality. This objective is mainly science-guided and will increase the readiness of ICOS RI to be the European pillar in a global observation system on greenhouse gases. 2. Geographical readiness. To enhance ICOS membership and sustainability by supporting interested countries to build a national consortium, to promote ICOS towards the national stakeholders, to receive consultancy e.g. on possibilities to use EU structural fund to build the infrastructure for ICOS observations and also to receive training to improve the readiness of the scientists to work inside ICOS. 3. Technological readiness. To further develop and standardize technologies for greenhouse gas observations necessary to foster new knowledge demands and to account for and contribute to technological advances. 4. Data readiness. To improve data streams towards different user groups, adapting to the developing and dynamic (web) standards. 5. Political and administrative readiness. To deepen the global cooperation of observational infrastructures and with that the common societal impact. Impact is expected on the further development and sustainability of ICOS via scientific, technical and managerial progress and by deepening the integration into global observation and data integration systems.

amJERICO-RI: Joint European Research Infrastructure of Coastal Observatories – a system of systems strengthening the European network of coastal observatories providing a powerful and structured European Research Infrastructure (RI) dedicated to observe and monitor the complex marine coastal seas and to: (i) provide services for the delivery of high quality environmental data, (ii) access to solutions and facilities as services for researchers and users, (iii) create product prototypes for EU marine core services and users, (iv) support excellence in marine coastal research to better answer societal and policy needs. JERICO-S3 will provide a state-of-the-art, fit-for-purpose and visionary observational RI, expertise and high-quality data on European coastal and shelf seas, supporting world-class research, high-impact innovation and a window of European excellence worldwide. It will significantly enhance the current value and relevance of the JERICO-RI, through the implementation of the science and innovation strategy elaborated as part of the JERICO-NEXT project. JERICO-S3 is mainly targeting a more science integrative approach to better observe the coastal ecosystem, raising up the scientific excellence, with consideration of the regional and local ecosystems; the preliminary development of an e-infrastructure in support to scientists and users by offering access to dedicated services; progress on the design of the RI and its strategy for sustainability. Major user-driven improvements will be realised in terms of observing the complexity of coastal seas and continuous observation of the biology, access to facilities, data and services, best practices and performance indicators, innovative monitoring strategies, cooperation with other European RIs (EuroARGO, EMSO, AQUACOSM, DANUBIUS, ICOS, EMBRC, LIFEWATCH) and international scientific communities, industry and other stakeholders, and aligning strategy with COPERNICUS/CMEMS, EMODNET and GEO/GEOSS.