SEADOTs at the Digital Twins of the Ocean Symposium 2025: Shaping the Future of Ocean Science
On June 18th, 2025, the SEADOTs project proudly participated in the "SH-wide Digital Twins of the Ocean Symposium" held at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel. The event brought together an inspiring community of researchers and professionals dedicated to advancing the field of Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTO).
Header photo: © GEOMAR / Lukas Schröder
All other images courtesy of the event organizers.
The symposium pursued two central objectives: first, to foster cross-disciplinary community building and collaboration, integrating diverse domains such as physical, chemical, biological, and geological processes alongside socio-economic and socio-ecological dimensions. Second, to define the rationale for future scientific activities centered around Digital Ocean Twins, including initiatives like FUTURO.
Header photo: © GEOMAR / Lukas Schröder
All other images courtesy of the event organizers.
The vibrant program featured a dynamic mix of presentations, posters, group discussions, and networking sessions. These activities offered participants an invaluable opportunity to showcase their research, exchange knowledge, and initiate new collaborations across disciplines and institutions.
SEADOTs was represented by Katherine Crosman, who contributed to the session titled "SEADOTs – Social-ecological assessments and ocean management with Digital Ocean Twins." Her presentation underscored the project's pioneering work in integrating socio-ecological dimensions into Digital Ocean Twins, emphasizing the need for holistic approaches to sustainable ocean management.
Header photo: © GEOMAR / Hannes Sandberg
All other images courtesy of the event organizers.
The symposium was expertly chaired by Agnes Piecyk & Florian Schütte and featured contributions from a wide range of leading organizations, including GEOMAR, Kiel University, Kiel University of Applied Sciences, the Center for Ocean and Society, the Research and Technology Centre of the West Coast, VLIZ, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and DHI. Notably, DTO-BioFlow was also represented, with Lotte Pohl (VLIZ) sharing insights from ongoing work within that project.
Header photo: © GEOMAR / Hannes Sandberg
All other images courtesy of the event organizers.
The event succeeded in creating a vibrant platform for dialogue, allowing participants to strengthen regional structures while exploring pathways to engage with broader international communities. The enthusiasm and collaborative spirit displayed throughout the day reinforced the growing momentum behind the global Digital Twins of the Ocean movement.