In order to do so, projects are expected to encompass all of the following aspects:

• Use of satellite and drone images (earth observation) to assess pressures on freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems (fragmentation, hydromorphological changes, etc.);
• Develop eDNA protocols complementing established biological indicators to monitor ecological status, in the context of the Water Framework Directive.
• New platforms and integration of variety of sensors in situ, autonomous unmanned vehicles, acoustic monitoring, satellite applications, holistic approaches (e.g., systems biology, meta-omics, and ecosystem approaches) and novel theoretical frameworks linking evolutionary theory and oceanography as well as marine social sciences and humanities can provide an integrated framework to inform decision making, particularly in inherently dynamic coastal ecosystems.
• Where relevant, creating links, contributing to and using the information and data of the European Earth observation programme Copernicus, the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), European Space Agency Earth Observation Programme and in particular the flagship actions on biodiversity and ocean health of the EC-ESA Joint Earth system science initiative, is expected.
• Contribute to improving the knowledge on marine and terrestrial habitats and species protected under the Birds and Habitats Directive.
• Contribute to improving the knowledge on how invasive alien species interact with local biodiversity to better feed policies on their prevention, eradication and management;
• Implement the Essential Ocean Variables for sustained observations of marine biodiversity and ecosystem changes identified by the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS).
• The projects should benefit from the large datasets recovered from the long-term environmental monitoring conducted through the national and European dedicated Research Infrastructures (e.g. eLTER).
• Technical, theoretical and practical development and validation for the use of environmental DNA (eDNA), combined with other ocean data (both biotic and abiotic). These approaches promise leaps in our ability to sample ecosystem-wide data at increasingly low costs.
• Investigate all key processes (ecological and anthropogenic) controlling the fate of carbon and its sequestration in marine and costal ecosystems. Evaluate the “Blue Carbon” balance in the different marine ecosystems through high-resolution mapping and modelling of marine ecosystems of the European EEZ, characterised by habitats, species, processes and functions, from deep sea, offshore to coastal.
• The tools, models and geo-referenced information systems that should be designed should be focused on user needs and designed with user experience.
• Standardised minimum set of Essential Ocean and Biodiversity Variables (EOVs / EBVs)
• Contribution to enhancing the overall societal and public understanding of link between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning through education and training (school & adult education, citizen science platforms)
• All the marine observations connected though these actions should be incorporated into EMODnet.
• Cooperation with the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity and other relevant existing platforms and information sharing mechanisms.
• Contribute to the free and open access to biodiversity data of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.