New project will turn fish into 0’s and 1’s to conserve North Sea ecosystems
A newly-funded project will track fish to identify key locations for species, and develop an interactive platform to explore where, when, and why they move in and across the North Sea.
The three-year project, titled Digital Twin of the Ocean: Animal Tracking (DTOTrack), was awarded funding from the EU's Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, and aims to use animal tracking data to create a Digital Twin of the North Sea, and thereby address what if questions related to offshore infrastructure development. For example, what if we expand windarms - what would that mean for aquatic life?
Digital Twins of Oceans are highly detailed virtual models of oceans that scientists create on computers. It uses real-world data—like temperature, currents, and sea life—collected from the ocean to mimic what’s happening underwater. These virtual oceans help researchers study and predict things like weather patterns, marine life behaviour, and the impacts of climate change, allowing them to make better decisions for protecting our oceans.
Animal tracking, which is known in research circles as ‘telemetry’, is a method used to follow animals remotely, enabling researchers to study migration routes and timing, habitat use, and so much more.
DTOTrack will use animal tracking to assess animal movements in the North Sea, as well as how they are affected by offshore infrastructure developments. Together with the ETN, DTOTrack’s efforts will boost biodiversity conservation efforts in European seas.
DTOTrack will also work closely with the Horizon Europe-funded STRAITS project (Strategic Infrastructure for Improved Animal Tracking in Europeans Seas) and the Biodiversa+ NorTrack project (Northeast Atlantic Marine Tracking Network), which have distributed acoustic telemetry infrastructure throughout Northern Europe so that the movements of various aquatic species can be studied.
The Ministry of University and Research (Italy) and JPI Oceans (Belgium), the European organisations responsible for the coordination and communication of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, added that "The Partnership’s goal is to foster collaborative projects that not only advance scientific understanding, but also contribute to tangible solutions for marine conservation. DTOTrack exemplifies this approach by using cutting-edge tracking technology to help us make informed decisions about marine management and the impact of offshore infrastructure."
The DTOTrack team is made up of leading organisations in the study of animal movement.Together, the teams will advance our understanding of aquatic animals in the North Sea, as well as their needs and the threats they face.
DTOTrack is funded by the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership under the 2023 call for research proposals, a European Partnership funded by the European Union, and with the following funding organisations: Marine Institute Ireland, Innovation Fund Denmark, Research Council of Norway, Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) represented by Project Management Jülich, Forschungszentr um Jülich GmbH, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Office français de la biodiversité, Belgian Science Policy Office, Swedish National Space Agency, Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, and the Dutch Research Council.
