How to “B-USEFUL” in marine biodiversity conservation: from monitoring to decision-making

We are currently experiencing a rapid and accelerating loss of marine biodiversity worldwide which threatens not only unique habitats and species, but also key ecosystem functions and services essential for our well-being (e.g., food provisioning and climate regulation). Tackling the “biodiversity crisis” requires well-informed science advice allowing managers to devise conservation actions for biodiversity protection and restoration, including Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and other Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). However, to ensure that such actions are efficient meeting global and regional policy targets (e.g., the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030), it is of paramount importance to improve our capacity to map and assess the status of biodiversity in space and time, as well as anticipating the risk and responses of biodiversity to human impacts (e.g, climate change and overexploitation). This requires appropriate monitoring programs and state-of-the-art models capable of generating new process knowledge while representing multiple aspects of biodiversity. Such improved knowledge and tools may in turn allow managers to evaluate and select actions achieving conservation targets (e.g., MPAs), while minimizing trade-offs with other maritime sectors (e.g., fishing and offshore energy). In this poster, I will provide an overview of an ongoing EU funded project entitled “B-USEFUL” showcasing research and visions towards improved monitoring, modelling and management of marine biodiversity in European waters and beyond.