The BioEcoOcean project proposes a foundational change in how we approach biological and ecosystem (BioEco) ocean observation to enhance scientific understanding, improve management, and ensure sustainable use and development of the ocean. Our multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary approach emphasises co-creation with diverse stakeholders to develop a Blueprint for Integrated Ocean Science (BIOS) to support and encourage operational workflows adhering to FAIR Data Principles. This innovative product promotes holistic thinking, facilitates communication, and strengthens the Ocean Observing Value Chain. The project also includes a strong research component, advancing data collection, monitoring, dataflows, and models for BioEco Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs). We will operate in living labs, co-creating with stakeholders, generating new primary data, and leveraging existing data and observing infrastructure globally. Key objectives include developing an inclusive co-created Blueprint, advancing EOV implementation, assessing current practices and technological options, delivering excellent research, co-creating operational workflows, and prioritising capacity building. The project will increase the technology readiness levels (TRL) of critical components of BioEco ocean observation systems and tools and in particular the TRL of the integrated ocean observing system. The project will prioritise capacity building and collaboration with global ocean observation initiatives, e.g. GOOS and MBON, as well as with the overall Biodiversity monitoring community, e.g. GEO BON, that seeks to develop a global framework for biodiversity monitoring, in the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to ensure wide discussion and adoption of its co-produced standards. Overall, this project will significantly impact and strengthen various sectors and stakeholders involved in ocean and biodiversity observation and management, from local to National to Global levels.

Empowering Community Led Action in the Atlantic & Arctic (ACT-AA) aims to mobilise and engage communities across the Atlantic and Arctic regions in ambitious efforts to restore and protect marine and freshwater ecosystems. By fostering community-led initiatives, the project seeks to make significant progress toward the objectives of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030.” ACT-AA will provide comprehensive support to local stakeholders, including financial aid through cascading grants, technical assistance, and capacity-building resources to ensure effective and sustainable ecosystem restoration actions. ACT-AA’s key components include: 1. Cascading Grants for Community-Led Pilot Actions: Awarding at least 5 grants ranging from EUR 200,000 to EUR 2 million each to innovative projects addressing local ecological and socio-economic challenges. 2. Support for Transition Agendas: Funding at least 20 strategic roadmaps, each up to EUR 100,000, to guide communities in achieving the Mission’s objectives and ensuring long-term sustainability. 3. Technical Assistance: Providing tailored support, including business plan development, impact assessments, and capacity-building programs, to enhance local stakeholders’ ability to implement and scale innovative solutions. Expected outcomes include: 1. Demonstrable, measurable progress towards the Mission’s objectives through well-managed, community-led actions. 2. Support for EU member states and stakeholders in implementing marine and freshwater ecosystem related legislation. 3. Increased engagement and resource mobilization from communities to restore oceans, seas, and waters. 4. Enhanced readiness at the local level to deploy innovative restoration solutions. ACT-AA will ensure broad participation, leveraging local knowledge and fostering long-term commitment to ecosystem protection, thus contributing significantly to the European Green Deal’s biodiversity, pollution, and climate targets.

A-AAgora aims to develop the implementable NbS (Nature based Solutions) through innovative governance structures and technological architecture. It targets to boost resilience to climate change and mitigating its impacts in coastal areas. It identifies synergies by promoting a deliberative process to complement other priority areas within the EC Mission - by setting a Community of Practice and developing a digital knowledge system. It develops NbS at three replicable demonstrators (Demo-PT, Demo-IE, Demo-NO), which can upscaled. The project seeks improved public engagement and enhanced decision-making processes at different political levels based on scientific knowledge and targeted social and economic awareness, using an EBM approach. It builds on the successful implementation of NbS at the Demo’s to which the necessary socio-technological tools will be produced as required for a realistic EBM planning cycle (up to TRL/SRL 7). The Living Lab concept will foster the exchange synergies at multiple scales between researchers and users, decision-makers and local communities, industry and SMEs. A-AAgora will demonstrate that restoration of aquatic ecosystems is possible at a large scale through reduction of pressures, EBM, and effective NbS including blue reforestation to boost coastal resilience to climate change impacts. As well, the A-AAgora will make the most of cross-Mission synergies, by targeting marine ecosystem restoration in coastal communities particularly vulnerable to the risks of sea level rise that urgently need to adapt to ensure their population and infrastructure are safe, climate-proof and weather-resilient. The design of innovative architecture, enabling interoperability with other systems and will also foster a more ‘digital ocean’.

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 ICEBERG project has a two-fold aim: to comprehensively assess sources, types, distributions, and impacts of pollution in combination with chronic climate-induced stressors on ecosystems and communities in the European Arctic's land-ocean continuum using a One Health approach, and to develop strategies for enhancing community-led resilience, as well as pollution-control governance. To this end, the project focusses on three (sub)regional case studies: western Svalbard, southern Greenland, and northern Iceland. ICEBERG investigates known and emerging pollutants, including macro-, micro, nanoplastics, ship emissions, wastewater, persistent organic pollutants (Dioxins, PCBs, PFAS, PAHs, old and new generation pesticides), and terrigenous elements (heavy metals). To assess the effects of pollutant discharges from Arctic ship traffic, freshwater discharge/cryosphere meltwater, wastewater, and land-based atmospheric pollution on the marine food web the project is using model simulations and complementing these with remote sensing, in-situ observations, and measurements. ICEBERG analyses the sanitary quality of the food chain by characterising chemical contaminants using an exposomics approach, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the synergistic impacts of Climate Change and pollution on human health. It evaluates toxicological impact of micro- and nano-plastics and POPs on human digestive health. The project develops automatic marine litter detection tools combining use of drones, AI and citizen science. ICEBERG champions multi-stakeholder and gender-based approaches to assess the impacts, risks, and vulnerabilities on Indigenous and local communities and co-create scenarios of change. Scenario modelling is used to co-design local pollution-control strategies, which includes both mitigation (reducing pollution) and adaptation (reducing vulnerability to pollution). ICEBERG creates novel governance approaches pollution-control in the Arctic at multiple scales.