CREAF, a key player in the first European conference on biodiversity monitoring

The first edition of the European Biodiversity Monitoring Week (BioMonWeek 2026), the new European congress dedicated to improving and sharing biodiversity monitoring tools , has brought together hundreds of experts in biodiversity, data and environmental policies in Europe in a pioneering format that combines scientific research and decision-making. CREAF has played a prominent role as part of the BioAgora project consortium, one of the co-organizers of the meeting.

BioMonWeek, held at the Le Corum congress centre in Montpellier, France from 4 to 8 May 2026, has been conceived as a space for work and exchange between very diverse profiles: researchers, policy makers at European, national and regional levels, the private sector and specialists in the management and use of biodiversity data. It has been organised by the BioAgora project, together with Biodiversa (two projects with the participation of CREAF), GBIF, MarcoBOLO and Nature Alliance.

Maria Blasi emphasizes that the meeting "was not a conventional scientific conference, but a space for real exchange between very different actors, because facing the loss of biodiversity requires collaboration between all of them."

Likewise, Gloria Casabella, who supports BioAgora as CREAF, and also works closely with the Biodiversa+ partnership, tells us about her experience:

For her, BioMonWeek is a special initiative among all the other conferences and events that exist, because it focuses on fostering and bringing together the entire monitoring community on a European scale. Scientists encounter first-hand the reality and needs of policies, the visions and interests of the private sector, and other types of actors with whom they may not be so accustomed to sharing experiences, but who work with objectives not so different from theirs and from different prisms.

In addition, it is a very good opportunity to connect experts from all areas, such as the marine, terrestrial and freshwater community , who in many cases work rather isolated, and who in the BioMonWeek, and in the Cluster event, a session organized by CREAF, have found the opportunity to share and create new joint paths. Casabella, finally, highlights the participation of the youngest, who have been very involved in the different sessions and who on several occasions intervened to raise their voices (sometimes in front of more than 400 people) in defense of the future of our biodiversity and the need for a united community and joint action. “This gives us even more strength to continue promoting this type of spaces, which are increasingly necessary”, she concludes.

One of CREAF's main focuses has been to promote the connection between research and decision-making, especially within the framework of European policies such as the Nature Restoration Act.

In this context, the Monitoring Knowledge Exchange Network (a network of experts co-led by CREAF within BioAgora) has organized an interactive session that brought together more than 40 European projects and representatives of the European Commission, with around 70 participants from different fields (terrestrial, aquatic and marine).

During the session, key issues such as data collection and harmonization, the costs of monitoring systems, the use of shared infrastructures and, above all, the continuity of projects once they are completed were addressed.

"One of the big questions was who is responsible for ensuring the continuity of data collection when the projects end. If there is no mechanism in place, what can we do to resolve this?" summarizes Maria Blasi, who is now working on a report with the results of the session.

Apart from institutional representation, several CREAF researchers have also participated as speakers in the conference and have shared experiences from different lines of research.

Researcher Sara Fraixedas highlights the value of scientific and human exchange: "Beyond learning first-hand about biodiversity monitoring initiatives in Europe, BioMonWeek has also been an opportunity to step outside my usual scope and broaden my perspective towards other ways of understanding biodiversity monitoring."

For her part, Ester Prat emphasizes methodological and data diversity: "We presented the citizen science phenology observatories RitmeNatura and FenoCat, comparing different approaches to data collection and results. We also learned about citizen science initiatives, the use of Earth observation data and standardization processes."

CREAF's participation in BioMonWeek 2026 consolidates its role in the connection between scientific knowledge and public policies on biodiversity . The meeting has served to strengthen European alliances, identify shared challenges and promote new collaborations at a key moment for nature conservation.

In the words of the participating team, the challenge now is to transform this intense exchange into concrete tools that guarantee the continuity and real use of biodiversity data in decision-making in Europe.

The next edition of BioMonWeek already has a confirmed date and location: it will be held from May 15 to 19, 2028 in Turku, Finland.