We are excited to announce the 10 selected winners of the DTO-BioFlow project's Second Open Call. These initiatives were chosen from 61 submitted applications and will each receive FSTP grants of up to €60,000, provided under the DTO-Bioflow project, to support their efforts in unlocking valuable marine biodiversity data.
Click here to meet the winners!
As part of their award, the successful applicants will also participate in an exclusive training workshop in Paris, starting today, 3rd to 5th June 2025. This event will be a dynamic hub for knowledge exchange, offering practical sessions on data transformation, quality control, and metadata management. More than just technical training, the workshop will provide a collaborative space to discuss challenges, refine methodologies, and strengthen ties within the expanding marine biodiversity data network.
Short Background of the Second Open Call
Launched in December 2024 and concluded on 28 February 2025, the second open call invited a wide range of contributors — from research institutes and universities to NGOs, international networks, and citizen science groups — to make their marine biodiversity data available through EMODnet Biology, directly supporting the EU Digital Twin Ocean (EU DTO). The initiative aligns with DTO-BioFlow’s core mission to integrate diverse biodiversity datasets into the DTO, creating a more functional and comprehensive digital representation of marine ecosystems. By establishing long-term, semi-automated data flows, the selected projects will help bridge critical data gaps and enhance the EU's capacity for biodiversity monitoring.
Selection Criteria and Project Focus
The evaluation, conducted in March 2025, focused on proposal relevance, impact, data flow sustainability, innovation, and overall quality. Special consideration was given to proposals addressing data gaps in underrepresented regions such as the Arctic Ocean, Faroes, Greenland Sea, Iceland Sea, Azores, Ionian Sea, Central Mediterranean Sea, and Aegean-Levantine Sea.
What's Next?
The funded activities will run for one year, from some projects from 1st May 2025 to 30th April 2026 and some from 1st June 2025 to 31st May 2026. During this period, selected applicants will focus on standardising and publishing previously unavailable biodiversity data, while setting up semi-automated workflows for long-term integration into the EU DTO through EMODnet Biology. As DTO-BioFlow moves forward, we look forward to witnessing the transformative impact of these projects in expanding oceanographic knowledge and supporting Europe’s mission to restore oceans and waters by 2030.
Are you not among the selected projects? Please note that this is just one phase in the DTO-BioFlow journey. The project continues to evolve, with significant developments on the horizon. We sincerely value your contribution to marine biodiversity and encourage you to stay engaged for future updates and opportunities to get involved! So, do not forget to follow us and subscribe to our newsletter:
