BioBlitz records
The M56 Milestone: Bioblitz records, coastal biodiversity watch reports and movies is related to the actions realized within the Work Package 7, Task 7.4 Training, education and ocean literacy. In this reporting period one “Bioblitz event” was organized on 17 June 2023 in Sopot, Poland and the second one on 26 June 2024 in Tromso, Norway.
RESULTS BELOW!
During the Sopot event, general public could watch 37 experts from 5 universities and institutes collecting and identifying all species in the selected area. Around 600 species of macroorganisms from both (coastal) land and (marine) waters were identified during this one day expedition. The collected species were photographed, and presented on the project website for future education purposes. The event movie is available on YouTube platform nad also directly on the project website. Simultaneously, the EMBL team from the BIOCEAN5D/TREC project conducted DNA screening in the same area, covering transects through forests, dunes, and coastal seawater, as well as sampling airborne aerosol DNA. The second segment of the event involved a public gathering. We arranged ten stands beneath a spacious tent equipped with stereomicroscopes, aquariums, and trays, where experts showcased collection methods and identification techniques. This public exhibition ran from 10:00 to 16:00 on Saturday, June17th, and attracted nearly 1,000 visitors of the scientific picnic held at the IOPAN premises. Photo reports from the Bioblitz event are available at the following links:
The very same procedure was repeated in Tromso and again members of general public were able to watch the researchers’ work and the results of the activities. The event movie is available on YouTube platform nad also directly on the project website.
Finally, the concept and the methodology for the online short movies (circa 3 minutes) were developed. The idea was discussed with the relevant MARBEFES partners, including BBTs leaders. These movies are planned to refer to regional and global ocean issues focusing on biodiversity and ecosystem services. The first movie, regarding the Gulf of Gdansk, has been prepared and released on every social media and project webpage (link to youtube movie 1 and movie 2). These films are aimed mostly at young learners, and are planned to be produced in other selected BBTs in the next reporting period.
The small delay in publishing this milestone is related to the fact that our first concepts, while tested in real conditions, proved to be inefficient and so, we needed slightly more time to rethink and reconstruct the coastal watch templates and send them for comments among the project participants.
The MARBEFES BioBlitz initiative comprises four planned actions across different coastal locations, each designed to engage the public and explore the rich biodiversity of our shorelines. This page presents the results from the first two BioBlitz events, in Sopot in 2023 and Tromsø 2024, complete with photos and videos capturing the excitement and discoveries of each action.
The inaugural BioBlitz was held at the Baltic Sea shore in North Park, Sopot, Poland.” This accessible coastal site, beloved by the public, features a remarkable array of habitats, including boreal deciduous forest, wetlands, a small river, dunes, an exposed beach, and sandy shallows with diverse seabed characteristics such as stony outcrops, seagrass meadows, and mobile sands.
The second BioBlitz brought new discoveries and engaging experiences, further enriching our understanding of coastal biodiversity, which takes place in Telegrafbukta, Tromsø, Norway.
Stay tuned as we explore two more exciting locations next years, each with its unique ecological features and opportunities for community engagement. Planned BioBlitz will be held in Dublin (Ireland, 2025) and Oristano (Sardinia, 2026).
What is a BioBlitz?
BioBlitz – is an initiative conceived several years ago in the USA to promote understanding of the importance of biodiversity. It involves gathering as many biologists and taxonomists as possible in one well-known, publicly accessible location (a city park, a lakeside, or a seaside area) who, over the course of 24 hours, aim to find and identify the largest possible number of animal and plant species.
The first BioBlitz in Poland was organized by the Polish Academy of Sciences' Marine Research Committee in Sopot in May 2008. Subsequent events were held in 2009, again in Sopot (May 29, 2009) and in Nowy Dwór Gdański (June 13, 2009), then in Gdynia (May 29, 2010 and May 28, 2011) and the last one - in Sopot again at June 16-17,2023.
We encourage other institutions to take up this initiative—it combines elements of a scientific picnic, popularization of knowledge, and contributes to understanding the value of nature around us. A version for schools was prepared by National Geographic.
Check information about BioBlitz on Wikipedia! (external link)
Check the results of each of our BioBlitz events!
Here is a link to the official webpage where you can find more BioBlitz results, not just those related to MARBEFES!
Additionally, we have created a general concept for the Coastal watch reporting, which is currently under discussions with all project partners. We also present a methodological proposal for all MARBEFES BBT, prepared for Coastal Watch. Check here!