SEADOTs Virtual Workshop & 1st GA Meeting Advances Collaboration on Digital Ocean Management Solutions
From March 13th to 15th, the 1st Virtual Workshop & GA Meeting of the SEADOTs project was held online to evaluate the project's progress and outline the next steps. This two-day online workshop featured a structured agenda, including interactive parallel sessions that enabled partners to delve deeply into specific project topics.
Day one of the workshop kicked off with a concise overview presented by the project management team, clearly outlining the current status, objectives, and desired outcomes of the sessions ahead. Participants then engaged in targeted working groups, which focused on key tasks such as defining Social-Ecological Systems (SES) variables and constructing SES models to enhance the predictive capabilities of Digital Ocean Twins (DOTs). Additionally, specialized sessions were held to align SES indicators with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strategic policy-making initiatives.
Parallel discussions included stakeholder engagement and dissemination strategies, emphasizing the importance of effective communication and collaboration among stakeholders. The planning of the upcoming Blue Mission Banos workshop also featured prominently, ensuring alignment with stakeholder needs and capacity-building objectives.
Day two emphasized the critical aspects of data governance within SEADOTs, encompassing the collection, integration, and standardization of digital, social, and economic data. The consortium worked collaboratively on defining functional and non-functional requirements for demonstrator cases, setting clear targets for future testing phases. These discussions were essential in clarifying the scope and application of the planned demonstrators, identifying specific user groups, and aligning outputs to support broader initiatives under the UN Decade for Ocean Science program, DITTO.
This workshop reaffirmed the consortium's commitment to delivering impactful outcomes and demonstrated the effectiveness of collaborative approaches in addressing complex ocean management challenges through digital solutions.