Author: Žan Kafol

LifeWatch Slovenia at BES Annual Meeting in Liverpool, December 10-13, 2024

From 10 to 13 December 2024, over 1500 ecologists gathered in Liverpool for Europe’s largest conference dedicated to ecology: British Ecological Society Annual Meeting.

The event held particular relevance for LifeWatch ERIC, thanks to a rich programme of Thematic sessions, addressing the biodiversity crisis, nature restoration policies and practices, novels tools and technologies to tackle current challenges, and much more.

LifeWatch Slovenia consortium was represented by our colleague, Dr. Andreja Ramšak from the National Institute of Biology, Marine Biology Station Piran, presenting the lecture: “Towards automated biodiversity monitoring -a set-up of Biodiversity Observatory Automation (Thematic Topic under LifeWatch-ERIC)” in co-authorship with colleagues from the consortium: Dr. Cene Fišer (University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Dr. Magdalena Năpăruş-Aljančič and Dr. Tanja Pipan (Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU), Dr. Nataša Pipenbaher (University of Maribor, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics), and Dr. Urša Vilhar (Slovenian Forestry Institute, Department for Forest Ecology).

This annual meeting also brought together one of the most relevant scientific communities for LifeWatch ERIC’s mission.

5th International SOS Proteus Conference, December 7-8, 2024, Kranj, Slovenia

Upon the 30th anniversary of the taxonomic description of black proteus (Proteus anguinus parkelj), and 38 years since its discovery by Prof. Andrej Mihevc (1952–2024), Tular Cave Laboratory, in partnership with City of Kranj and Tourism and Culture Organisation Kranj, was organizing the 5th International conference “SOS Proteus” – PROTEUS AND ITS KARST GROUNDWATER HABITAT: RESEARCH METHODS AND DATA TO ASSESS ITS CONSERVATION STATUS

83 participants from 14 countries (Belgium, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Romania, Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Kingdom and USA) presented 33 studies on the latest trends, methods and findings about this endangered species at the 5th International SOS Proteus Conference over two days. The meeting of researchers and conservationists working on proteus is organized every two years by our Tular Cave Laboratory (member of LifeWatch Slovenia consortium), one of only two such laboratories in the world, which has been operating in Kranj since 1960.

The SOS Proteus is a biennial meeting where scientists, researchers and conservationists share their knowledge and encourage multidisciplinary international scientific cooperation in the field of proteus research and conservation, as well as the involvement of the public and local communities in the preservation of healthy drinking water resources. The conference was supported by the City of Kranj, the Kranj Tourism and Culture Board and the Kranj Water and Utility Company, and sponsored by the companies PILEUS, environmental solutions and CULMIUM, development of advanced technologies.

LifeWatch Slovenia featured in the LifeWatch ERIC newsletter

In the July-August 2024 LifeWatch Newsletter issue the photo of the month was featured from our colleague Petra Slavinec of the Marine Biological Station in Piran, Slovenia, taken with a scanning electron microscope, provided within the RI-SI-LifeWatch national project.

LifeWatch Slovenia hosted the 5th Thematic Service Workshop on Biodiversity Observatory Automation

On April 11, LifeWatch Slovenia recently hosted the 5th Thematic Service Workshop on Biodiversity Observatory Automation at the National Institute of Biology in Ljubljana.

The workshop focused on reviewing and updating the requirements for effective biodiversity assessment in light of current environmental changes and biodiversity loss. The event had 33 participants who attended the workshop in person, while 30 others joined online.

The workshop brought together experts to present the key achievements and obstacles in monitoring and observation approaches and discuss various stakeholders’ drawbacks and needs through an extensive programme of twelve presentations.

The event included a panel discussion among Prof Rudolf Meier from the Museum of Natural History Berlin, Dr Klaas Deneudt from VLIZ, and Dr Gentile Francesco Ficetola from the University of Milan, moderated by Dr Cene Fišer from the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana. The panel discussed various modern biodiversity monitoring and detection approaches, including aerial observations and eDNA. They explored the possibilities of data collection design, data curation, data exploration, and the use of AI. Additionally, they discussed FARIfication of data and digital twins.

Although biodiversity assessment has various challenges, including time-consuming fieldwork and the complicated data processing and storage involved after fieldwork, scientists are making progress in automating data collection. Furthermore, the advancement of computing power and artificial intelligence have opened up new possibilities to aid them in their work.

The workshop about Biodiversity Observatory Automation was organised by LifeWatch Slovenia — LifeWatch ERIC National Node — and its members, by Dr Andreja Ramšak from the National Institute of Biology and the national coordinator, Dr Tanja Pipan, from the Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU.

To learn more about our Thematic Service Workshop Series, visit LifeWatch ERICs minisite: https://www.lifewatch.eu/thematic-services-workshops/.

LifeWatch Slovenia featured in the LifeWatch ERIC newsletter

In the December 2023 LifeWatch Newsletter issue the photo of the month was featured from our colleague Žan Kafol from LifeWatch Slovenia, who won the National Geographic 2023 photo contest for the second year in a row.

The photo title is “ENLIGHTENED (All Milky Ways Lead to Rakov Škocjan)“. It won in the landscape category and was declared the expert jury’s overall competition winner. Rakov Škocjan, a karst valley between Planinsko polje and Cerkniško polje in Slovenia, is known for its typical karst features and has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The photo was taken during summer, amidst the Perseids meteor shower, and depicts a night scene in front of the entrance to the Zelške Caves and below the
Small Natural Bridge.

Participation in the conference LifeWatch ERIC BEeS

Participation in the conference LifeWatch ERIC BEeS “Threats and challenges to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation from an eScience perspective,” Sevilla, Spain, May 22 – 24, 2023.

Gregor Aljančič, along with co-authors, presented the first results obtained with the RI-SI-LifeWatch equipment, designed for the exposure of ProteusWatch in the virtual laboratory:

Gregor Aljančič*, Octavian Machidon, Magdalena Aljančič, Alina Machidon & Tanja Pipan: Challenges and preliminary results in building virtual laboratories to monitor Proteus anguinus and its karst groundwater habitat.

Voices of Women – Nataša Pipenbaher (SI) & Ana Filipa Filipe (PT)

Our colleague Nataša Pipenbaher was collaborating at the LifeWatch ERIC Voices of Women podcast.

Women scientists speak candidly about their work, experience of bias and the value of women in research.

This last in the IWD 2023 podcast series looking at women scientists’ perspectives on gender bias, gender balance, and the European Union’s Gender Equality Strategy is further testimony of the enriching experiences and contemporary points of view that women bring to their work in research today.

LifeWatch ERIC Podcast – The underground Karst caves of Postojna

Season 3, Episode 10 of ‘A Window in Science‘ regards the demanding and sometimes dangerous biodiversity and ecosystem research in the underground Karst caves of Postojna, Slovenia. Karst is a special type of landscape that is formed by the dissolution of soluble rocks, including limestone and dolomite, and Karst regions contain aquifers that are capable of providing large supplies of water. More than 25 percent of the world’s population either lives on or obtains its water from karst aquifers, but human incursions are threatening these vulnerable environments.

Owing to their steepness and relative inaccessibility, Karst landscapes act as natural refuges for species that have disappeared elsewhere as a result of hunting and habitat loss. They also harbour countless unique life forms, including the Human Fish Proteus anguinus, which is an aquatic salamander of the family Proteidae, the only exclusively cave-dwelling chordate species found in Europe. Endemic to the Dinaric Karst and measuring 25 to 30 centimetres in length, the Proteus is a truly precious living gem and the symbol of Slovenian natural heritage.

Professor Tanja Pipan, Principal Research Associate at the ZRC SAZU Karst Research Institute, Nataša Ravbar, Associate Professor at the same Institute and Gregor Aljančič, Head of the Tular Cave Laboratory, discuss their research, their specialised tools and the virtual research environments being developed by LifeWatch Slovenia.

LifeWatching WebTV Slovenia

LifeWatch Slovenia on the LifeWatch ERIC Science TV Channel

LifeWatching WebTV is here! Introducing your 1-stop platform for video content on biodiversity & ecosystem research in Europe!

From documentaries, to snapshots, to livestreams, there’s content for all appetites– switch over now!

SOS Proteus 2022

SOS Proteus - 4th international meeting

Trieste, Italy, 21–22 May 2022. The 4^th “SOS Proteus” international meeting is dedicated to the conservation of the olm and its habitat, faced with climate challenges, and the 260^th anniversary of the first scientific description of Proteus anguinus by Joannes Antonius Scopoli. Experts on olms, speleobiology, karstology, water quality, herpetology, conservation and public outreach are invited to give a short lecture or poster to present their experiences, methods and solutions, and/or to participate in the discussion within topics of the two-day meeting:

Conservation status of olms and subterranean fauna, groundwater and karst
New methods and conservation actions, best practice and public outreach
Climate change challenges in groundwater ecosystems
Negative anthropogenic pressures in karst landscape, emergency responses, action plans
Veterinary challenges in conservation of Proteus

The meeting opens on 20 May 2022 and will continue for two more days, organised in partnership with the Speleovivarium Trieste, Speleological Society Adriatic, Natural History Museum Trieste, Municipality of Trieste, and Tular Cave Laboratory (LifeWatch Slovenia), under the patronage of the Italian Ministry for Ecological Transition, European Commission, Italian Speleological Society, Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Regional Speleological Federation F.V.G., and Supported by CRTrieste Fundation. Registration for SOS Proteus 2022 closed on 30 April 2022 but you can follow the Conference online: 21 May 2022 – watch the streaming 22 May 2022 round table ‘E-Science and open science to address challenges in conservation of Proteus‘ – watch the streaming You can view the full programme below: Abstract_Book_SOS_Proteus_2022