‘Marine SABRES in Fairs' at Tropical Summit 2024

On 4-8 November 2024, LifeWatch ERIC attended the Tropical Summit 2024 in Lisbon to organise the first 'Marine SABRES in Fairs' event, with an exhibition stand in the bright and airy 'Biodiversity and Digitalisation' section of the Exhibition Hall. The series is designed to highlight research activities carried out within the Macaronesia Demonstration Area (DA). Research themes in the region focus on promoting a marine biological corridor among the three archipelagos and on balancing biodiversity conservation with responsible use of the region for maritime activities - mainly nature-based tourism and nautical recreation.

The event was a key opportunity to present the project's research infrastructure to the public and highlight its main services and tools, as well as present some demos on Metadata Catalogue and the EcoPortal.

We were delighted to present the project brochure and project videos with a special focus on the Macaronesia DA, where the climate of the islands varies from subtropical to tropical - tying in nicely with the theme of the conference. Among other areas of focus, Marine SABRES highlights the marine biological corridor between the Azores, Madeira and Canary archipelagos, with particular attention on the management of migratory species such as marine birds, mammals and large pelagic species like tuna. We also engaged participants further through a pre-prepared survey!

The benefits of ecotourism and of conservation and restoration actions are also being evaluated under the scope of work in the region.

Pictured: Laura Caciagli, Science Communication Specialist, LifeWatch ERIC engaging visitors at the Marine SABRES exhibition stand.

The booth promoted best practices and examples of sustainable use of marine resources and tourism, raising awareness on the importance of governance solutions to address the impacts of future economic and climate scenarios.

Approximately 50-70 people, including passionate university students and researchers, experts and representatives from NGOs, start-ups and businesses from different tropical countries, such as Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Costa Rica, Colombia, and India visited our stand. All learned more about the project's pathway to restoring marine biodiversity and the ways in which we can support a sustainable blue economy by increasing the uptake of ecosystem-based management. During the event, LifeWatch ERIC also engaged with participants to promote its Serious Game School Competition (more information here). Overall, it was a fantastic first run for our Marine SABRES Fairs series!

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