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Biodiversity Newsflash 145
March 2025
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The IUCN World Conservation Congress is the largest gathering of nature conservation experts, leaders, and decision-makers in the world. Held once every four years since 1996, it plays a key role in shaping global priorities for nature conservation and climate change for the decades to come. This year, the Congress will take place in Abu Dhabi from 9 to 15 October 2025. Don’t miss the chance to be part of this unique event and register now through the online form! Registration deadlines:
- Early Bird fee → until 30 June 2025
- Standard fee → 30 June to 18 September 2025
- Late fee → as of 19 September 2025
For more information, contact Lison Cowez, Acting Belgian IUCN Focal Point.
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2 | Update and expansion of a European Nature-based Solutions database
Since its launch in 2021, the Nature-based Solutions (NbS) projects database developed by NetworkNature has grown significantly, including now 471 projects and representing over €2 billion in funding.
As a NetworkNature partner, Biodiversa+ has led this task, strengthening the database as a key resource for exploring the NbS research landscape.
Beyond being a useful search tool, the database also offers valuable insights into how NbS funding is allocated across Europe. In addition, the supporting report outlines and analyses the main research and funding trends based on the data.
➡️ Dive deeper into details by reading the supporting report, or consulting the database!
3 | New Biodiversa+ guidelines for uploading case studies in NbS repositories
In response to the need for knowledge exchange on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) projects and their outcomes, this report offers practical guidance on sharing case studies through online repositories.
It starts by exploring existing NbS platforms, repositories, and tools and concludes with a final selection of 12 repositories.
An interactive flowchart was developed to help users select the right repository. It allows them to navigate through the different options based on the projects’ results and the challenges these projects address. ➡️ Read the Guidelines report or test the interactive flowchart!
4 | Biodiversa+ events
April and May are going to be rich in events for Biodiversa+! 📢 On 21 and 22 May 2025, Biodiversa+ will host its first Biodiversity Monitoring Science Fair in Barcelona, a dynamic event bringing together actors from research, policy, and the private sector to explore the latest technologies shaping biodiversity monitoring. While in-person participation is limited and by invitation only, the sessions will be accessible online. 📢 In parallel to the Fair, as part of a thematic week of events on monitoring, a business and biodiversity data workshop will take place, also in Barcelona, on 22 and 23 May 2025. Here, Biodiversa+ is looking for experts from large and medium sized businesses mainly from GICS sectors (consumer staples, materials, energy, and information & technologies), who understand how biodiversity data informs corporate decision-making. Interested experts are invited to register as soon as possible, ideally by 7 April 2025.🗓️ Reminder of two upcoming online events:
- 8 April 2025: Science-Policy Forum: How can NbS drive the Global Biodiversity Framework forward? ➙ Register now!
- 9 April 2025: BiodivNBS Kick-off: Meet the future of NbS! ➙ Register now!
Full programmes will be coming soon.
👀 Did you miss the previous Biodiversa+ webinars? You can catch up by watching the recordings online:
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5 | Enriching monitoring metadata in the Humboldt extension
Are you looking for practical examples of the Survey and Monitoring Data Quick-Start Guide applied in GBIF datasets? In our previous Newsflash, we introduced this newly published guide designed to help users publish DarwinCore datasets using the Humboldt Extension. This month, we highlight two datasets applying its principles. These datasets have been upgraded with structured Ecological Inventories vocabulary, included in the Humboldt Extension. While the extensions are not yet indexed, the eco terms remain retrievable in the datasets’ downloads:
These are two valuable examples of how the Humboldt Extension can enhance biodiversity data by providing richer contextual information.
For more information, contact Stijn Cooleman, Biodiversity Data Officer.
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 🌿 Biodiversity around the world! Each month we present interesting news items from around the globe.
As part of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, BELSPO co-organised the StrongerTogether: SSAH and the future of evidence-informed policymaking (STEP2024) conference last year, a key two-day event exploring how Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities (SSAH), integrated into multidisciplinary approaches, can enhance and shape the future of evidence-informed policymaking (EIPM). The event brought together over 150 high-level experts - policymakers, scientists and knowledge brokers - who discussed the vital role of EIPM in addressing societal challenges and developed recommendations to strengthen the EIPM ecosystem. The discussions resulted in a comprehensive conference brief, providing an in-depth analysis of current EIPM ecosystems in Europe. The brief challenges the idea of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach and instead advocates for a “system of systems” perspective across Europe, while respecting regional and cultural contexts. The Alternet Summer School is back in Peyresq!The Alternet Summer School returns this year with an exciting theme: “Biodiversity and Society: Transforming Science and Policy”. Held from 3 to 13 September 2025 in the beautiful village of Peyresq, in the Alps of Haute-de-Provence, the summer school offers a dynamic and interactive learning environment for PhD students and early-career professionals from environmental and social science fields who are passionate about sustainability. Attendees are expected to actively engage in discussions exploring the drivers of biodiversity loss, the crucial role of ecological knowledge, and the power of social science approaches. Discussion will also include socio-ecological systems, inclusive stakeholder engagement, while navigating the complex landscape of diverse values in research, practice, and policy.
The Summer School is organised by the Alternet network and supported by Biodiversa+.
Registration is open until 30 April 2025!
Possible Megalodon spotted in the North Sea! Belgian marine scientists conducting deep-sea monitoring have detected unusual large-scale movements in parts of the North Sea, at depths exceeding 800 meters, far beyond the typical habitat range of known shark species in the area. Using high-resolution cameras and acoustic telemetry, researchers recorded the presence of an exceptionally large, fast-moving marine organism. While the exact identification remains under review, preliminary analysis of the footage suggests morphological similarities to the extinct predatory megafaunal shark, Otodus megalodon, which dominated the oceans until its disappearance approximately 3.6 million years ago. Though its extinction is widely accepted, its past dominance as the largest predatory shark in history, reaching lengths of up to 20 meters, continues to intrigue scientists. Some hypotheses suggest that climate change, shifting ocean currents, and competition from emerging predators like the great white shark contributed to its decline. Could this recent discovery challenge long-held assumptions about deep-sea biodiversity?
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