The [EurOCEAN 2023](http://www.euroceanconferences.eu/) conference will take place on 10-11 October 2023 as an in-person event at the Auditorio y Palacio de Congresos Mar de Vigo, Vigo, Galicia, Spain.

EurOCEAN conferences are major European marine science-policy conferences organised every 4-5 years. It will gather a wide range of maritime stakeholders from marine scientists to maritime industry representatives, decision-makers and programme managers, to increase synergies between the EU Mission Ocean, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and other EU research initiatives.

<a href="http://www.euroceanconferences.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><button class="btn btn-primary" type="button">More information</button></a>

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EurOCEAN 2023 conference

<p>Ocean Practices: OBPS Workshop VII, 09-13 Oct-2023 [free, online]</p>
<p><a href="https://www.oceanbestpractices.org/community-engagement/workshops/ocean-practices-obps-workshop-vii-09-13-oct-2023-online/" rel="nofollow">OBPS Workshop VII</a> is a virtual event taking place from October 9th to 13th, 2023. This workshop, free and open to all, aims to foster the development of best practices in ocean-related fields and promote their widespread dissemination through the Ocean Best Practices System. In light of the evolving societal and environmental challenges cutting across sectors, disciplines, and regions, it is crucial for us to reassess, transform, and align our current practices.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.oceanbestpractices.org/community-engagement/workshops/ocean-practices-obps-workshop-vii-09-13-oct-2023-online" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><button class="btn btn-primary" type="button">More information</button></a></p>




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Ocean Practices: OBPS Workshop VII

Organised by [EuroGOOS](https://eurogoos.eu/), the 10th EuroGOOS International Conference entitled ‘European operational oceanography for the ocean we want – addressing the UN Ocean Decade Challenges’ will take place in Galway, Ireland between 3rd - 5th October 2023.

This conference is part of a well-established series which takes place every three years. These conferences offer networking experiences for the purpose of progressing the development of oceanographic services for society. A wide range of experts will attend, including technologists, research managers, marine scientists, policymakers, users of oceanographic services, citizens, and individuals from the private sector. 

The [10th EuroGOOS International Conference](https://eurogoos.eu/events/10th-eurogoos-international-conference-european-operational-oceanography-for-the-ocean-we-want-addressing-the-un-ocean-decade-challenges/) will focus on analysing the state of the art and defining emerging priorities in operational oceanography, advancing the [European Ocean Observing System](https://www.eoos-ocean.eu/) Framework for the sustainability of in situ observations and European integration, strengthening the responsiveness of European operational oceanography to policy and governance needs, fostering engagement of all users and stakeholders to co-design the European operational oceanography, promoting diversity, equity and inclusivity in oceanography and ocean science, and integrating European operational oceanography into the global context.

This event will offer opportunities to facilitate dialogues around best practices, share knowledge and experience, and discuss future roadmaps with international partners and stakeholders.

**Registration and call for abstracts will open in February 2023.**

 <a href="https://eurogoos.eu/events/10th-eurogoos-international-conference-european-operational-oceanography-for-the-ocean-we-want-addressing-the-un-ocean-decade-challenges/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><button class="btn btn-primary" type="button">More information</button></a>

![eurogoos logo](https://storage.googleapis.com/ocean-twin-cms-content/Euro_GOOS_Logo_Standard1_1_2e5661296a/Euro_GOOS_Logo_Standard1_1_2e5661296a.jpg)




10th EuroGOOS International Conference - 'European operational oceanography for the ocean we want – addressing the UN Ocean Decade Challenges'

EuroGEO brings together and coordinates activities in Europe that contribute to the initiatives of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). GEO is at a crossroad with defining its post-25 strategy (currently under public consultation) which is planned to be adopted in November 2023 at the GEO ministerial summit in Cape Town (ZA). The new strategy moves from “Earth observation” to “Earth Intelligence” and shifts the focus from services to equity to bridge the global information gaps.
This year’s EuroGEO workshop provides the opportunity to position European activities in the light of the new GEO strategy and supports the coordination and interlinking of actions at national and European level and across sectors and domains to create relevant and impactful contributions to GEO.

EuroGEO Workshop 2023

The <a href="https://www.iac2023.org/" target="_blank">74th International Astronautical Congress (IAC)</a> will be held by the <a href="https://www.iafastro.org/" target="_blank">International Astronautical Federation</a> from 2-6 October 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan. 

The IAC serves as a valuable platform that unites people from around the world to tackle global challenges and explore the potential of space for the betterment of humanity. 

This year, the global space community will gather once again in Baku for the IAC, 50 years after the city hosted the 24th edition, making it the only city in the region to do so. This is a significant milestone in Azerbaijan's efforts to establish a regional space ecosystem and strengthen its position as an emerging space nation. 

The IAC 2023 is expected to attract more than 5000 participants to Baku, providing them with an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in space while experiencing the unique Azerbaijani hospitality and culture. 

**Iliad Participation**

Iliad Partner, Tessa Buckley (<a href="https://www.groundstation.space/" target="_blank">dotSPACE</a>) will give a 12 minute oral presentation at the event. In addition, Tessa will contribute a paper entitled 'Saving Lives by Integrating Space-Based Solutions'.  The study will consider how integrating advancing technology, AI and space-based solutions can save lives at sea by improving the accuracy and efficiency of the information available to multi-agency rescue workers. The paper will consider the role of emerging Digital Twins of the Ocean using Iliad pilot DTOs as case studies. The presentation/paper is categorised under the Symposium B5 - IAF Symposium On Integrated Applications. 

<a href="https://www.iac2023.org/" target="_blank"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary">More inforamtion</button></a>

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74th International Astronautical Congress

The 9th webinar in the Iliad series, "Interoperability: the role of best practices and standards" will take place virtually on 13th September 2023 at 15:00 CET.

<a href="https://connect.groundstation.space/iliad-webinar-13-september" target="_blank"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary">Register</button></a>


**About the Iliad Webinar Series**

The Iliad webinar series aim support the communication across different disciplines and to facilitate the co-design processes and engagement with key stakeholders, a series of webinars and trainings covering topics ranging from technical to economics and policy are offered to Iliad partners.



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Iliad Webinar Series - Interoperability: the role of best practices and standards

##### <a href="https://connect.groundstation.space/iliad-hackathon" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Register at https://connect.groundstation.space/iliad-hackathon</a><br/><br/>

**Umbrella topic: Balancing Aquaculture and Marine Protected Areas for Food Security.**
To achieve a balance between aquaculture and the conservation goals of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) while also ensuring food secure operations that minimise ecological impacts and avoid sensitivity require careful planning, sustainable practices, and robust regulations. This involves:
- Site Selection: Choosing appropriate sites for aquaculture areas within MPAs.
- Sustainable Practices: Implementing best practices in aquaculture, such as minimising pollution, using responsible feed sources, and avoiding the use of antibiotics and chemicals.
- Monitoring and Enforcement: Regular monitoring of aquaculture operations within MPAs, along with effective enforcement of regulations, is essential to prevent negative impacts and ensure compliance with sustainability standards.
- Integrated Management: Developing integrated management plans that consider both aquaculture and conservation goals, involving stakeholders, local communities, and experts in the decision-making process.

**Challenges:**
For the Iliad hackathon we have defined 6 challenges which we would like you to address:

1. **Impact on Local Economies:** Well-managed aquaculture operations within or near MPAs can create jobs and stimulate local economies, particularly in rural coastal communities. This can lead to increased economic stability and improved living conditions for these communities.
2. **Reduced Pressure on Wild Stocks:** By providing an alternative source of seafood, aquaculture can help alleviate the overexploitation of wild fish stocks, which is a common issue in many marine areas. This contributes to the conservation of marine biodiversity and ecosystem health within MPAs.
3. **Impact of Environmental Degradation:** Poorly managed aquaculture practices can lead to water pollution, habitat destruction, and the release of disease and non-native species into the surrounding marine environment. These impacts can undermine the conservation goals of MPAs and harm the overall health of marine ecosystems.
4. **Conflict with Conservation Goals:** If aquaculture operations expand within MPAs without proper planning and regulation, they can come into conflict with the conservation objectives of these areas. The presence of aquaculture facilities might lead to habitat degradation and displacement of native species.
5. **Loss of Biodiversity:** Depending on the scale and intensity of aquaculture operations, there is a risk of displacing or competing with native species. This could lead to reduced biodiversity within the MPAs, disrupting the balance of the ecosystem.
6. **Disease Transmission:** Concentrated fish populations in aquaculture settings can be susceptible to diseases. If disease outbreaks occur, there's a potential for these diseases to spread to wild populations within or around the MPAs, impacting the health of both cultured and wild species.


**Offline and Online Participation:**
This hackathon has a hybrid format. Summer School participants will join from the Hoceima National Park location. The organisers will encourage and assist in mixing online and offline participants, recognising each group's unique strengths. To minimise the knowledge gap in the teams most of the educational materials of the Summer School, as well as other relevant resources, will also be made available for online participants of the hackathon.

**Data sources:**
During the Summer School the on site participants will collect local data from Hoceima National Park (MPA). This data will be made available to the online team members of each group. Furthermore, the use of both open in-situ and space-based data in an interoperable fashion is key. Space based as well as in-situ data sources will be made available for the registered participants in the coming days.

**Evaluation Criteria:**
All teams will be evaluated according to the following criteria *(max 100 points)*: 

- **Documentation:** Report sufficient and effective. The report clearly responds to the challenge goals *(10 points)*
- **Evidence of use of Opendata, interoperability, INSPIRE, GEO principles, FAIR, CARE, TRUST:** Evidence of use/combinations of open data, INSPIRE, GEO. Interoperability: use of OGC standards, cross sectoral interoperability, cross boundary interoperability, integration of citizen science *(20 points)*
- **Innovation:** How creative is the solution? Is it cutting edge or applies knowledge in a new way? Is it realistic and applicable? Do you see the project providing significant value to ocean related activities? *(20 points)*
- **Impact:** Cross-disciplinary cross-sectoral impact. Does it support SDGs/GreenDeal/DestiantionE and EU Missions? *(10 points)*
- **Market potential:** Do you see a market potential in the challenge results (including public and private services)? *(20 points)*
- **Sustainability:** Are there clear steps to make the solution sustainable beyond the hackathon? *(10 points)* 
- **Presentation skills:** Clarity, coherence, and professionality of presentation *(10 points)* 

**Awards:**
- Abstracts of all the results will be published on Iliad outlets
- A selection (number to be decided) will get extra opportunities to promote and communicate the team work and team members. 
- A spot in the CASSINI Hackathon (Netherlands) -- for team members from the EU.

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<a href="https://connect.groundstation.space/iliad-hackathon" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><button class="btn btn-primary">Register for Hackathon</button></a>
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Iliad Hackathon

***"Innovative Tools and Applications for a sustainable Blue Economy"***

The [Iliad](https://www.ocean-twin.eu/iliad-project-overview) Digital Twins of the Ocean Summer School 2023: "Innovative Tools and Applications for a sustainable Blue Economy" will take place 3-10 September 2023 at the Marine Observatory of Al Hoceima, Morocco.

The course is aimed at graduate (Masters/PhD) students, and early career scientists in the fields of Marine ecology, Oceanography, Environmental monitoring, Remote sensing, Marine/Oceanic engineering, Data science and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
 
Key topic areas are:

**Data acquisition,  processing and management**: Learn about the data life cycle, the different types of data that goes into a digital twin of the ocean and how to make them interoperable.   

**Numerical modelling**: Ocean modelling with heterogeneous data, diverse tools for ocean data modelling

**The tools needed to create a digital twin of the ocean**: Introduction to some of the frequently used tools along the value chain of digital twins of the ocean. OGC standards, Python, Docker, other.

**ICT technology (use of platforms, AI, Machine learning)**: Iliad uses a variety of platforms, including NextGEOSS, Global Ocean Platform, GeoMachine. 

The Iliad summer school has lecturers from Alseamar, Ocean Best Practices, Hidromod, INESCTEC, SeaGust, BLB, OGC, Blue Lobster IT Ltd and more.

**About the Iliad Summer School**

The Summer School will be held on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco, at Al Hoceima National Park, 290 km East of Tangiers, between 3-10 September 2023. Lectures will be provided by high profile professionals in the fields of Oceanography, Data Analytics, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Combined with lectures, there will be field trips to a) the marine nature reserve of the Al Hoceima National Park, and to b) a mussel farm on the edge of the Al Hoceima National Park Marine Reserve, to train the participants on the use of innovative technologies for marine data acquisition and processing. The summer school will also host competitions and a hackathon  and will cap off with an awards ceremony and a farewell party.

Events

Stay up to date with forthcoming events and important dates in the Iliad project, towards a Digital Twin of the Ocean.

EurOCEAN 2023 conference

Ocean Practices: OBPS Workshop VII

10th EuroGOOS International Conference - 'European operational oceanography for the ocean we want – addressing the UN Ocean Decade Challenges'

EuroGEO Workshop 2023

74th International Astronautical Congress

Iliad Webinar Series - Interoperability: the role of best practices and standards

Iliad Hackathon

The Iliad Digital Twins of the Ocean Summer School 2023

Wind Energy

Renewable Energy from the Ocean: Currents, Waves & Floating Solar

Fisheries & Aquaculture

Marine Traffic & Harbour Safety

Pollution

Met Ocean Data: Hind, Now & Forecasts

Biodiversity Assessments & Monitoring

Insurance for Marine & Maritime Activities