A European consortium led by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) is set to create an intelligent marine digital twin to transform the monitoring of marine biodiversity. This virtual marine replica will integrate innovative tools such as environmental DNA, acoustics and underwater imaging. The project involves 24 European partners and has secured €11 million in funding from the Horizon Europe programme. The project's kick-off meeting is held in Vilanova i la Geltrú from 25 June until Friday 27 June.
"Listening to the underwater symphony of life and sound that characterises the most remote and vulnerable marine regions of Europe, including areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), which remain largely unprotected.” This is one of the goals of the SEAMPHONI project (Sensing and Evaluating offshore biodiversity with Acoustics, Molecular and Imagery tools for an intelligent digital twin), as explained by researcher Michel André, director of the Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics (LAB) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) and coordinator of the initiative.
The project officially launched on 25 June with a kick-off meeting at the UPC’s Vilanova i la Geltrú Campus, bringing together representatives from the 24 research centres, universities and companies that make up the initiative.
With €11 million in funding from the Horizon Europe programme, SEAMPHONI aims to transform the way marine biodiversity is monitored in the high seas. By integrating cutting-edge tools such as environmental DNA (eDNA), acoustics and underwater imaging, the project will build an intelligent marine digital twin interoperable with the European Digital Twin Ocean (EDTO). This virtual replica of the marine ecosystem will offer a comprehensive and dynamic view of the environment, based on systems and data science methodologies and developed using open-source software.
It is a revolutionary solution for marine conservation that will enable government agencies, the scientific community and local stakeholders to access reference and real-time data, as well as predictive scenarios. The goal is to move towards more continuous, predictive and cost-effective monitoring of marine biodiversity, thereby contributing to the identification of priority areas for protection and supporting the achievement of the Global Biodiversity Framework 2030 and the EU’s Restore our Ocean and Waters mission.
As Michel André explains: “As our oceans come under increasing pressure from human activity, SEAMPHONI is leading a new approach to marine conservation. By integrating state-of-the-art monitoring solutions, we are developing real-time, cost-efficient tools that will revolutionise how we assess biodiversity, ecosystem health and the effectiveness of protection and restoration measures. We are building inclusive, scalable systems to ensure that no part of the ocean remains invisible or unknown.”
The project’s ambition goes beyond technology, as “SEAMPHONI also aims to support international marine policies and reconnect society with the ocean, even through artistic outreach,” the project coordinator highlights.
Press Room: https://www.upc.edu/en/press-room/news/launch-european-project-monitoring-marine-biodiversity-using-intelligent-marine-digital-twin