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OBIS at the One Ocean Science Congress 2025 - All the sessions at a glance

3 June 2025

One Ocean Science Congress 2025 community

One Ocean Science Congress 2025 Photo: The Ocean Agency / The Ocean Image Bank


Are you attending the One Ocean Science Congress 2025 in Nice on 3-6 June 2025? Don’t miss these OBIS-related sessions! Please note that these events can only be attended in person.

OBIS-focused events

Contributions of OBIS and GOOS to CBD and BBNJ
Oral presentation | Dan Lear, OBIS Steering Group Co-Chair
Thu, 05 Jun, 16:10–16:20 (CEST) | Room 8
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/OOS2025/OOS2025-1164.html
The Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) and the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), both coordinated by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, play a vital role in advancing global efforts to conserve marine biodiversity. This event will explore how these initiatives contribute to the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) under the Convention on Biological Diversity, and how they are positioned to support the forthcoming United Nations Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).

Townhall

Science to support the BBNJ Agreement
Thu, 05 Jun, 12:45–13:45 (CEST) | Room 8 | Joanna Post, Head of Ocean Observations and Services Section of UNESCO
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/OOS2025/session/54728
This Townhall will explore how scientific knowledge, marine data, and traditional knowledge can together support the implementation of the BBNJ Agreement, with a focus on governance, equity, and sustainable use. As the BBNJ ratification gains momentum, the session will highlight data needs across domains and the role of inclusive, interoperable science systems in supporting informed decision-making. The event will demonstrate how coordinated biodiversity data infrastructures, such as OBIS, are essential for a science-based, just, and actionable BBNJ Agreement.

A biologically-validated, global-scale, benthic habitat map for use in area-based management of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction
Oral presentation | Kerry Howell
Tue, 03 Jun, 16:20–16:30 (CEST) | Room 1
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/OOS2025/OOS2025-1198.html
Understanding where marine species live is critical to protecting ocean biodiversity and supporting informed decision-making. This session will present a new global seafloor biological habitat map designed to support area-based management, especially in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Developed using key environmental drivers, the map was validated using a global benthic dataset derived from OBIS, highlighting the initiative’s critical role in enabling large-scale, science-based spatial planning under the new Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement.

Ocean Best Practices: Advancing Interoperability and Equity for a Sustainable Ocean
Oral presentation | Cristian Munoz
Tue, 03 Jun, 11:30–11:40 (CEST) | Room 4
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/OOS2025/OOS2025-1177.html
Achieving the goals of the UN Ocean Decade depends on shared, standardized methods that ensure ocean data is interoperable and actionable. The Ocean Best Practices System (OBPS), an IOC-UNESCO initiative, drives this shift by enabling the creation, sharing, and adoption of reliable ocean observing methods. OBIS plays a key role by linking datasets to these best practices, supporting traceability, discovery, and uptake of biodiversity observations. Together, OBPS and OBIS help ensure that ocean knowledge informs equitable, inclusive, and effective marine policy and management.

Sustainable Ocean Development Requires All Hands On Deck on Conservation, Improvement, and Restoration of Ecosystems and Biodiversity
Oral presentation | Frank Muller-Karger
Thu, 05 Jun, 16:00–16:10 (CEST) | Room 8
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/OOS2025/OOS2025-161.html
Delivering on global agreements like the KMGBF, BBNJ Agreement, and the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) depends on coordinated biodiversity observation efforts. This event will explore how the Ocean Decade fosters collaboration across scientific, policy, and local communities to support interoperable biodiversity data. OBIS plays a central role in this effort, working with GOOS and MBON to connect observations, streamline dataflows, and enable informed action for marine conservation and sustainable development.

The Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network: A global hub for biomolecular measurement of marine life
Oral presentation | Margaret Leinen
Thu, 05 Jun, 17:00–17:10 (CEST) | Room 4
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/OOS2025/OOS2025-1128.html
The Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON), a UN Ocean Decade programme led by POGO, aims to transform ocean monitoring by integrating biomolecular observations into global systems. By detecting biodiversity shifts, hazards, and ecosystem changes, OBON supports science-based management and sustainable use of marine resources. OBIS plays a key role in ensuring that biomolecular data flows into GOOS and becomes part of standard ocean observation practices—interoperable, FAIR, and ready to inform decision-making for a healthier ocean.