Smart Marine Conservation FORUM

The Smart Marine Conservation Forum: International Event on Marine Conservation Databases and Digital Transformation will take place as a hybrid event over three days, from March 4th to March 6th, 2024, in Al Hoceima, Morocco, as well as online.

The event will convene experts, researchers, professionals, and senior participants from the Mediterranean, EU regions, and across the globe. It will serve as a platform for delving into the most recent advancements in marine conservation databases, digital solutions, sharing best practices, and fostering international collaboration.

The key objectives are to:

• Foster collaboration among experts and professionals in the fields of marine biodiversity, fisheries, aquaculture, oceanographic data, pollution, and marine traffic.
• Showcase the latest advancements in data acquisition, processing, management, numerical modelling, and ICT technology for marine conservation.
• Address challenges, share best practices, and explore opportunities in the field.
• Provide a global forum for knowledge exchange and networking.

Topics will include:

• Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Databases
• Fisheries and Aquaculture Data Management
• Oceanographic Data and Digital Twins of the Ocean
• ICT Technology, Platforms, AI, and Machine Learning

There will also be a poster session at Al Hoceima MPA Observatory and a field trip to Al Hoceima MPA and Sea Exploration.

The event is organized by SPA/RAC, the Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre of UNEP/MAP, in collaboration with AGIR, and in coordination with the National Agency of Water and Forests (ANEF). Funding for the event is provided by the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), under the bilateral cooperation agreement between UNEP/MAP and MASE, with a contribution from the European Union through the EU-funded Iliad project.

Iliad Participation

Iliad experts will give participate in all 4 of the sessions.

Anis Zarrouk (SPA/RAC) will host the meeting and present during the opening ceromony (Session 1) along with a presentation from Houssine Nibani –AGIR Président.

Dori Edelist (University of Haifa) will present "Digital Transformation in Citizen Science-based Jellyfish Observation Initiatives in Southern European Seas" in Session 2: "Marine Biodiversity Monitoring, Observation And Conservation And Related Databases".

Bente Lilja Bye (BLB) will present "Aquaculture risk metrics - serving multiple stakeholders with digital twins of the ocean" in Session 3: "Fisheries And Aquaculture Data Management", which Iliad expert Anis Zarrouk will moderate.

Iliad will participate in Session 4: "Oceanographic Data and Digital Twins of the Ocean", moderated by Iliad expert, Issam Achour (SPA/RAC). Presentations include:

• Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) Challenge Simulation Platform: seven years of design, development and application by Harald Warmelink (Buas)
• Interoperability and MSP: Enhancing Marine Conservation through Digital Transformation at Al Hoceima Marine Observatory by Houssine Nibani (AGIR)
• Littoral in situ data collection using drifting platforms by Marco Amaro Oliveira (INESC)
• Interoperability and Standards trends and challenges by Piotr Zaborowski (OGC)
• SemFlow: an online tool for cross-domain knowledge management for Maritime innovation by Valentijn Venus (RAMANI)
• Governance and policy making by Garabet Kazanjian (AUA)
• Building interoperable Citizen Sciences Smartphone applications for Maritime information need by Valentijn Venus (RAMANI)