The Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC-UMR7372), based in Villiers en Bois is a Joint Research Unit between CNRS and La Rochelle University. The scientific field of research and teaching of CEBC includes the ecology and ecophysiology of vertebrates. It assesses the effect of environmental stressors (climate, pollutants, habitat loss…) on biodiversity. 

CEBC includes a team of 13 researchers working on seabirds and marine mammal ecology in relation to the oceanic global changes. CEBC is one of the leading international labs for the study of marine top predators, with an ecophysiological and oceanographic approach blending biologging and modelling on the basis of long-term monitoring. The excellence chair on 'Ecology and Conservation of Seabirds and Marine Mammals', which was awarded to David Gremillet (CEBC) will strengthen the already world-renowned (with 380 papers during 2016-2019 including several Nature, Science, TREE and PNAS papers) CEBC/La Rochelle University.

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Centre national de la recherche scientifique CNRS

WP1 will create the necessary governance structure for effective, efficient and timely implementation and management of the EcoScope project by establishing the necessary procedures, facilitating the communication flow among partners and ensuring timely reporting to the European Commission (EC). The general aim is reached through specific objectives:
1. Ensuring that the project objectives and challenges are achieved, and deliverables/milestones are completed on time and within the proposed budget.
2. Facilitating communication among the Coordinator, the partners and the EC.
3. Ensuring that all necessary measures are taken to avoid or mitigate potential risks.
4. Identifying and resolving any potential conflicts among the partners and with external bodies.



Objectives

WP1 will create the necessary governance structure for effective, efficient and timely implementation and management of the EcoScope project by establishing the necessary procedures, facilitating the communication flow among partners and ensuring timely reporting to the European Commission (EC). The general aim is reached through specific objectives:
1. Ensuring that the project objectives and challenges are achieved, and deliverables/milestones are completed on time and within the proposed budget.
2. Facilitating communication among the Coordinator, the partners and the EC.
3. Ensuring that all necessary measures are taken to avoid or mitigate potential risks.
4. Identifying and resolving any potential conflicts among the partners and with external bodies.

All tasks in WP1 will be carried out during the entire EcoScope project 
Management Structure and procedures. The management of the project is structured in a way that scientific and technical issues are managed separately from finance and administration. Qualified personnel are assigned to the management tasks so that researchers can focus on the RTD and innovative activities. 

Task 1.1. Overall Co-ordination for achieving project objectives and deliverables on time

The administration team is composed of individuals with experience in project management. The Coordinator will be responsible for the ongoing management of the scientific and technical activities, including maintaining communication with WP Leaders and project partners and ensuring the delivery of high-quality work in accordance with the work plan. For this purpose, the Coordinator will be supported by a Research Manager, a Technical Manager, an Innovation Manager, and an Administrative Manager. Together they will form the Project Executive Board (PEB), which will be responsible for: the strategic and scientific leadership of the EcoScope project. WP and Task leaders will be responsible for the coordination of their WP and tasks respectively. The Coordinator will chair the General Assembly (GA) and the Project Executive Board. The Administrative Manager will be responsible for the daily financial and administrative management of the project. The Coordinator and Administrative Manager are also responsible for monitoring the progress of WPs, tasks, milestones and deliverables and providing this information to the PEB and the GA. 

Task 1.2. Governance structure, organisation and decision rules

The project will commence with a three-day kick-off meeting to discuss the foundations throughout its implementation, to provide a common language and terminology among the participants, to discuss the methodologies for analysing legislation, operation and human resources, time scheduling and requirements for the implementation of WPs. All the partners and members of the International Advisory Board (IAB) will participate in this meeting held within a month of the official start date of the project. The governance structure will be confirmed as explained in the structure, as well as the roles, responsibilities and activities of the different committees and boards and other decision rules. The Coordinator will formulate a Consortium Agreement with the assistance of the legal office of the Research Committee of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. This Consortium Agreement will describe in detail the rights and obligations of all partners of the EcoScope project and will consider handling of intellectual property rights and managing of innovation issues. The Consortium Agreement will be signed by all partners before the start of the project. Different groups, committees and boards will operate with specific scope and will submit their ideas to the management team and the General Assembly. These include: An Innovation Board to discuss and push forward new ideas and innovative actions, a technical team for the implementation of the project, a communication team for the dissemination, communication and visibility, and an academy board for the online course material and webinars. 

Task 1.3. Establishment of communication flow and methods

Communication will flow from the bottom-up and from the top-down through typical communication methods such as: in person and remote meetings, e-mail, phone, etc. In particular, a cooperative working method using the EcoScope website will be established. The system will be structured in a way that all participants can upload and download information to and from the WPs and tasks according to their role and responsibilities. Passwords will be distributed to all partners as well as to the EC officials. The Coordinator will act as the sole communication point between the EcoScope Project and the EC; the Project Officer will be invited to attend annual meetings and activities. The Coordinator assisted by the Administrative Manager will provide periodic and final reporting to the EC in accordance with the work plan and the Grant Agreement. 

Task 1.4. Data management plan

A data management plan will be developed for the entire project and specifically for the WPs that are dealing with data. This will require the participants of these WPs to document: (i) the precise nature of the data to be gathered, (ii) the ethical issues associated with these data and their storage, i.e. compliant to GDPR Directive 95/46/EC and taking into consideration issues related to the transfer of data from and to the EU, and (iii) the procedures that will be adopted to ensure that the data are recorded in a systematic and safe manner. Discussions on these issues will not only take place within each WP but will also involve the Research Manager who will ensure that the deposition of data to the website archive complies with best practices in data management. These materials will then be uploaded to a secure website (WP10) where each WP will maintain its own page. Access to the EcoScope website will be strictly limited and controlled for confidentiality purposes. 

Task 1.5. Addressing conflicts and project risk management

The Coordinator will address all potential conflicts related to contractual obligations of the partners and delivery of scientific output. Conflicts will be addressed by the Coordinator immediately on a bilateral basis and if any conflict persist, it will be dealt with by the Project Executive Board (PEB). The PEB will be responsible for continuous risk management (i.e. technical, financial and administrative risk) and for an effective implementation of the contingency plan, which will be periodically reviewed. After each major stage of the project, the PEB will conduct a risk assessment of the achieved results and determine in advance if a correction action should be carried out in the next stages. This includes:
(i) Reporting any minor deviations from the project plan to the General Assembly (GA).
(ii) Implementing the GA recommendations in the contingency plan associated with the specific work package in question.
(iii) Drafting additional or alternative contingency plans, if needed, together with other relevant persons (e.g. the WP Leader in question).
(iv) Communicating the conclusions from the GA, regarding the revised strategies, to all project members, and include them in the project plan.
 (v) In the event of more serious problems, convene with the GA the best route forward; the Coordinator will then advise the Project Officer of the problem and seek the EC’s approval for the proposed solution.

Project management

WP6 aims to develop and implement Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) ecosystem models (www.ecoapth.org) for all case studies as the necessary foundation to examine a range of fishery and ecosystem management and policy scenarios under a changing environment from the local scale to EU spatial scale as required for CFP and MSFD. The models will be coupled with environmental data, oceanographic and biogeochemical models in order to develop the basis required to conduct and run the scenarios. In order to enhance the reliability of the information provided to policy makers, uncertainty and deep uncertainty tools will be developed and implemented into the scenario running and evaluation process. Further enrichment of scenario testing tools will be implemented through the development of a fisheries edition of the MSP Challenge simulation platform for a selected region (Eastern Mediterranean Sea) and then applying this fisheries edition to existing MSP Challenge simulation platform editions (Baltic Sea, North Sea, Adriatic Sea).

**WP6** aims to develop and implement Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) ecosystem models <a href= "www.ecopath.org" target=“_blank”>(www.ecopath.org) </a>for all case studies as the necessary foundation to examine a range of fishery and ecosystem management and policy scenarios under a changing environment from the local scale to EU spatial scale as required for CFP and MSFD. The models will be coupled with environmental data, oceanographic and biogeochemical models in order to develop the basis required to conduct and run the scenarios. In order to enhance the reliability of the information provided to policy makers, uncertainty and deep uncertainty tools will be developed and implemented into the scenario running and evaluation process. Further enrichment of scenario testing tools will be implemented through the development of a fisheries edition of the MSP Challenge simulation platform for a selected region (Eastern Mediterranean Sea) and then applying this fisheries edition to existing MSP Challenge simulation platform editions (Baltic Sea, North Sea, Adriatic Sea).

**WP6** will create ecosystem models for all the case study areas and will interact with various WPs to exploit their insight and information throughout the project. Input from **WP3** (environmental and oceanographic data) and **WP4** (climate change and fishing effort) will provide external forcing data for the models. The data will be used to modify and improve model accuracy and reliability under current conditions and under future environmental change (e.g. climate change) and fishing impact scenarios; insight from climate impacts and niche modelling conducted in **WP4** will be used to increase the **Ecospace** predictive accuracy, primarily in climate change scenarios; indicators developed as part of **WP5** will be incorporated into the model output providing policy makers with the information they require for informed policy decisions. **WP6** will develop the technological foundations, in terms of ecology and fishery interactive simulations to assess the impact of fishery and ecosystem management strategies/policies on the marine ecology and maritime economy. Interactive simulations (mainly EwE) will be integrated into the existing MSP Challenge simulation platform <a href= "https://www.mspchallenge.info/" target=“_blank”>(www.mspchallenge.info)</a> to develop an eastern Mediterranean Sea fisheries management edition of MSP Challenge simulation platform. The eastern Mediterranean Sea was selected because it is a data-poor area that combines two case studies (Aegean Sea and Levantine Sea) and will complement the existing MSP Challenge simulation platform sites and those under construction in other projects (North Sea, Baltic Sea, Adriatic Sea).

**Task 6.1.** Ecosystem modelling (Ecopath with Ecosim) of all case study areas

EwE models will be compiled, updated where needed, and applied to all case studies. Models will be linked to external data sources via the <a href= "https://ecoscopium.eu/ecoscope-platform" target=“_blank”>EcoScope Platform</a>. Data sources will include: water temperature, primary productivity, fishing effort data (where available based on **WP3**) for driving the models, and fisheries statistics for model validation. While all case study sites have some level of EwE models in place, we will finalise the development of the EwE models at all sites resulting in Ecosim models at each case study and Ecospace models at selected sites, based on the availability of sufficient spatially structured data. Case study specific issues such as marine protected areas (MPAs), fisheries restricted areas (FRAs), aquaculture integration, and invasive species will be included in the model development where relevant.

**Task 6.2.** Develop and implement uncertainty, deep uncertainty into the scenario testing process 

Will deal with the development of tools for conducting simulations under deep uncertainty for Robust Decision Making. This will consist of an engine to simulate models across large uncertainty spaces (deep uncertainty), database structures to save simulation runs in ways that allow for further analysis, visualisation techniques and machine learning techniques. Two parallel systems to address uncertainty and deep uncertainty will be developed: (1) the White-box system testing to mass-execute EwE models in their original form, varying input parameters and configuring internal model hypotheses; and (2) Behavioural meta-modelling techniques linking macro-level policy decisions with micro-level marine models. Model uncertainty will be analysed, quantified and visualised to aid decision-making.

**Task 6.3.** Fishery and ecosystem management interactive simulation: MSP Challenge simulation platform

We will use the MSP Challenge simulation platform to develop a next generation planning support system (digital twin) dedicated to fisheries management in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Once developed and tested, the fishery management edition will be incorporated in the existing MSP Challenge simulation platform available for a number of the case study sites. The MSP Challenge simulation platform will interconnect best available oceanographic, geochemical, maritime and marine data from the <a href= "https://ecoscopium.eu/ecoscope-platform" target=“_blank”>EcoScope Platform</a> with simulation models relevant for fishery management, such as ecology (EwE models), currents, climate change and fishing effort. Using advanced gaming technology, the MSP Challenge simulation platform is designed to engage and immerse users, making it a perfect environment for stakeholder engagement, scenario development, co-design, and social learning. Within this task we will develop a basic MSP Challenge Eastern Mediterranean edition and EwE Ecospace model for the EM region with special emphasis on fisheries, and develop a fisheries management module in the MSP Challenge simulation platform. This will create a single and multi-user complex social-political interaction based on fisheries management with player-user actions over time (fishing fleet reduction, fishing quota, protected areas, aquaculture units and others) and strategic policies or scenarios (based on socio-economic-ecological targets). 

**Task 6.4.** Development and testing of scenarios

In this task, we will develop the infrastructure required to test environmental, management and policy scenarios, we will define the management and policy scenario categories and options and will examine direct (e.g. water warming) and indirect (e.g. invasive species) climate change impacts, as well as theories such as balanced harvesting. We will conduct and test a series of policy scenarios under deep uncertainty related to future climate conditions and the impact of fisheries and invasive species. Robust Decision Making (RDM) will be implemented in order to achieve objective functions such as balanced harvesting and Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) under unknown futures given possible policies. The scenario testing will incorporate model and scenario uncertainty and deep uncertainty developed as part of task 6.2 and apply the Robust Decision Making framework to the scenario evaluation and assessment. Scenarios will be evaluated based on indicators developed as part of **WP5**.

Ecosystem modelling and management scenarios

WP4 aims to collect, align, and standardize global-scale climatic parameters in time (link to WP3) and re-use them in ecological models. In this WP, statistical models and machine-learning models (both supervised and unsupervised) will be used for Big Data analysis operations. The WP includes the development of an inference system for vessel-transmitted information that estimates fishing effort and other features related to patterns and processes of fishing activities per fleet and area. All data and models will feed an overarching model that will assess the impact of climate change and fisheries on the ecosystem, and will produce a vulnerability and a risk assessment index. With the completion of WP4, a global- scale index on the impact of climate and human activities on biodiversity, ecosystems and fisheries will be delivered that will be incorporated in the EcoScope Toolbox (WP5).

**WP4** aims to collect, align, and standardise global-scale climatic parameters in time and re-use them in ecological models. In this WP, statistical models and machine-learning models will be used for Big Data analysis. The WP includes the development of an inference system for vessel-transmitted information that estimates fishing effort and other features related to patterns and processes of fishing activities per fleet and area. All data and models will feed an overarching model that will assess the impact of climate change and fisheries on the ecosystem, and will produce a vulnerability and a risk assessment index. With the completion of **WP4**, a global-scale index on the impact of climate and human activities on biodiversity, ecosystems and fisheries will be delivered that will be incorporated in the <a href= "https://ecoscopium.eu/ecoscope-toolbox" target=“_blank”>EcoScope Toolbox</a>.

**WP4** will evaluate the effect of climate change and variability on species distributions and abundance using high-resolution maps, ecological niche models and machine learning techniques for (common and rare) commercial and non-commercial species and will perform a vulnerability and risk assessment of the effects of climate change and fisheries on ecosystem components. **WP4** is structured to standardise global-scale climatic parameters and use them in ecosystem models, using data from open repositories of climatic, oceanographic and geophysical parameters. 

**Task 4.1.** Climatic parameters

We will use climatic and geophysical parameters from open repositories and align them in time and space. Further, we will make them available as standardised and open-access data under the NetCDF-CF format and multiple resolutions. These Big Data include forecasts for several global-scale environmental parameters between 1950 and 2100, at different spatial and temporal resolutions and under different socio-economic and greenhouse gases emission scenarios (IPCC SRES A2, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5). This collection will be the basis of qualitative and quantitative models, and will be used to evaluate the effects of climate change on human activities and species distributions under different emission scenarios. Several parameters will be examined including sea surface temperature, primary production, bottom temperature, sea surface salinity, bottom salinity, ice cover, air temperature and precipitation. 

**Task 4.2.** Monitoring fishing activity from vessel transmitted Information

In this Task we will use vessel transmitted information (VTI) in real time to detect fishing and exploitation patterns, illegal activities, and gear types in strategic study regions (e.g. the northern Mediterranean Sea coastline) at 0.1° to 0.5° resolution. Specifically, we will use vessel trajectories to determine the distribution of fishing hours across the area per vessel type, identify highest fishing-pressure areas, specify the involved stocks, and track incidental catch species. To this aim, we will use Big Data of historical trajectories from public and private repositories. We will intersect these data with species observation records, stock status information and catch and effort data through statistical and Artificial Intelligence-based inference systems. These inference systems will also estimate how fishing patterns have changed in time, by using time series forecasting techniques, which study the deviation of the patterns detected at a certain time with respect to the current status. The estimated fishing effort in each case study will inform stock assessment models, including multi-species models and fisheries management models (**WP5**) as well as ecosystem models and simulators (**WP6**) for improving the engagement with users.

**Task 4.3.** Ecological Niche modelling

Ecological niche modelling refers to a set of computer-based approaches that predict the actual or potential distribution of a species across a geographic area and time based on environmental and geophysical data. We will use several Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based ecological niche models to determine the native areas of rare and commercial fish and invertebrate species, marine mammals and reptiles included in AquaMaps. We will produce the maps according to the different environmental scenarios and times of the data collected in Task 4.1. Ecological Niche models will include Maximum Entropy, AquaMaps, Artificial Neural Networks, and Support Vector Machines. These models will be combined to best use their complementary features and to increase niche-prediction accuracy. 

**Task 4.4.** Vulnerability and risk assessment of the effects of climate change and fisheries on biodiversity 

In this Task, we will use the Task 4.1 forecasts, the fishing effort and patterns of Task 4.2, and the ecological niche models of Task 4.3 as input to a pattern recognition model that will detect trends of potential ecological change due to climate change. In particular, the forecasted parameters will be used to analyse the different responses of ecosystems to climate change and fishing effort. These will be used within an automatic categorisation process of a large number of niche models, which will produce global patterns of habitat shift and biodiversity change. Fishing activity patterns will be categorised to detect the regions exposed to highest changes in fishing activity. All these categorisations will be combined, to produce a global-scale *impact index* of climate change and fisheries effects, on biodiversity and ecosystems. This index will be used to produce a vulnerability assessment and an overall risk assessment of the effects of climate change and fisheries on biodiversity and ecosystems.

Climate forcing and the human impact

WP9 aims to design effective business models, promoting new forms of collaboration between public and private actors to prepare the introduction and sustainability of the EcoScope products and services beyond the duration of the project. It will prepare an exploitation package to introduce the EcoScope products and services to various public and private stakeholders and will ensure all Results and Background Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are protected.

**WP9** aims to design effective business models, promoting new forms of collaboration between public and private actors to prepare the introduction and sustainability of the EcoScope products and services beyond the duration of the project. It will prepare an exploitation package to introduce the EcoScope products and services to various public and private stakeholders and will ensure all Results and Background Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are protected.

**WP9** will develop the measures for sustained operation and maintenance of the EcoScope project and associated services after the funded phase, balancing free access to (primary) data and on-demand information with innovative products and services for policy-makers and end users according to the H2020 Open Access and Open Research Data Pilot principles. Therefore, this WP will develop strategies to continue its appeal to the end-users, as well as the market assessment, the definition of the business and the definition of business plans. All partners are committed to maintain the EcoScopium portal after the project has ended and will be actively involved in this WP; the industrial partners will use their expertise in market analysis and commercialisation techniques, particularly through appropriate Intellectual Property Rights strategies.

**Task 9.1.** Innovation management

This task will develop a project-specific innovation management approach and plan, based on innovation/exploitation theory and process concepts as relevant for EcoScope. It provides for both (a) a conceptual framework for all partners to work towards the outcome of this project, and (b) a process to follow in all project work concerned with business case development, business planning, and preparation for market introduction. It will assure a focused innovation pathway, including designing business models and preparing business.

**Task 9.2.** Business case analysis

In this task, we will focus on exploring business cases for the EcoScope services within the context of identified use cases, following a combined PESTEL (Political-Economic-Social-Technological-Environmental-Legal-Ethical) and SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) analysis. Therefore, the goal of the task is to define business cases for the EcoScope services that can be provided to various customers. This will start with initial desk research to make an analysis of the value proposition, followed by building a business canvas, to map the environment for each case and the actors in the value chain. We will then progress towards an improved understanding for each case by introducing the new business models, finance instruments, and market research.

**Task 9.3.** Innovative business models

Based on the analysis of the business cases, innovative business models will be designed for each of the selected products and services. For each product or service, the first phase of business model development is to fully understand any current business model from the nature of the solution to the role of public and private actors in governance, through financing feasibility. As part of the process, a review of the market environment, a competitive analysis of existing services for sustainable fisheries and a strategic SWOT analysis will be conducted. At the end of this validation process, we will have insights on key barriers and drivers identified for implementing innovative business models that will be the base for developing tailored business plans for each EcoScope product or service. Based on these analyses financial projections can be made for estimating the global revenues from services that will secure the long-term sustainability of the project

**Task 9.4.** Exploitation and business plans

In the overall context of the project-specific innovation management process, building upon a common understanding of business models, entrepreneurship and the outcomes of the demonstrative case studies, a comprehensive exploitation strategy and business planning process will be developed. It will involve all partners and reflect their common, as well as proprietary interests in outcomes which are sustainable and successful, globally in markets for services related to fisheries management in the ecosystem context. It will involve integrating project outcomes from other WPs into a comprehensive exploitation strategy, including identifying relevant market(s), most promising customers, and core business case(s), modelling the prospective business development, and developing coherent business plans. 

**Task 9.5.** Intellectual property management

The Innovation Board’s activities in this task will be to ensure that Intellectual Property (IP) is identified as it is created, protected, as appropriate, and subject to the considerations and decisions of the owning party, before any public disclosure. Each idea/ project result will initially be assessed by the Innovation Board, making recommendations to the Executive Board concerning the need/strategy for protection of each output. Special emphasis will be put on designing appropriate technology transfer arrangements to facilitate access of the novel technology to additional technology and service providers. The Innovation Board will advise on the appropriate IP protection strategy to allow such technology transfer arrangements. The Innovation Board will make periodic reports to all partners on the activities arising from this task. Open source license / open access is the guiding principle for the platform and toolbox.



Innovation management and business planning

The EcoScope project results will be presented at major events, conferences and workshops with the participation of end-users and stakeholder groups. The project results will be available through a website, social media, press releases, newsletters, games, simulators, dashboards and a smartphone EcoScope App to engage with communities about illegal fishing activities, which will provide valuable feedback to the EcoScopium public portal and the communities themselves.

The general output will be presented with news, articles, a short documentary film and the scientific output will be published in scientific journals and conference proceedings. The primary objectives are to:

1. Increase the profile of the project to the various stakeholder groups and society;
2. Achieve maximum impact and visibility of the services, products, tasks and results produced in the EcoScope project;
3. Produce materials to support the actions within other WP’s and to present their results; and
4. Develop a mobile application (EcoScope App) for promoting user engagement to marine ecosystem protection



The EcoScope project results will be presented at major events, conferences and workshops with the participation of end-users and stakeholder groups. The project results will be available through a website, social media, press releases, newsletters, games, simulators, dashboards and a smartphone EcoScope App to engage with communities about illegal fishing activities, which will provide valuable feedback to the EcoScopium public portal and the communities themselves.
The general output will be presented with news, articles, a short documentary film and the scientific output will be published in scientific journals and conference proceedings. The primary objectives are to:
1. Increase the profile of the project to the various stakeholder groups and society;
2. Achieve maximum impact and visibility of the services, products, tasks and results produced in the EcoScope project;
3. Produce materials to support the actions within other WP’s and to present their results; and
4. Develop a mobile application (EcoScope App) for promoting user engagement to marine ecosystem protection


**Task 10.1.** Communication and dissemination plan

A Communication and Dissemination Plan will be developed outlining the various methods for communicating the project activities and outputs. The target audiences will be identified in collaboration with WP8. The Plan will include a schedule of activities to complete during the first 12 months of the project, whilst also including an outline of the expected actions throughout the duration of the project. The plan will be reviewed annually to evaluate the activities and their impact. The plan and schedule will then be updated to reflect the activities of the next period.

**Task 10.2.** Communications toolbox

A toolbox will be created early in the project to include the design of the EcoScope project brand, logo, website, social media profile and initial publicity materials. Throughout the project, design assets will be created as required to support conferences, capacity building actions etc. All design assets will be available via the project website for partners (internal and external) and media organisations to use.

**Task 10.3.** Project website

A project website will be created to showcase the activities of the EcoScope project and also form the hub of the Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum and Stakeholder Surveys. The initial website components will include general project information, partner information, news, events, communications materials. The website theme will be carried through the social media accounts and other related services. The website will be continually maintained throughout the project and form the central hub for activities. The website will provide seamless access to the projects products and services, including the EcoScopium public portal.

**Task 10.4.** Content production

An important part of any communications strategy is content production which will include scientific output published in journals and conference proceedings, press releases, news, a short documentary film, social media content, images and presentations etc. All content will be available through the project website and disseminated via social media, email and other communications methods identified in the Communication and Dissemination plan to ensure maximum impact. As many scientists from the Consortium serve as senior editorial board members in many leading international journals, the results of EcoScope project will be published as a special issue in a leading journal.

**Task 10.5.** Communication of the EcoScope Platform, EcoScope Toolbox and MSP Challenge simulation platform

To support the maximum uptake of the EcoScopium portal, a separate communications strategy is needed to that of the project Communication and Dissemination Plan. A review of the target audiences and products and services to be offered will be carried out and then an appropriate marketing strategy developed and executed. Dissemination and user support of the EcoScope Platform (WP3), EcoScope Toolbox (WP5) and MSP Challenge simulation platform EM edition (WP6) will make them available, through community wiki with installers, support, manuals, tutorials making them available for stakeholder integration workshops and to users outside the project (seminars, workshops, education and training).

**Task 10.6.** Community engagement mobile application for reporting bad practices

The establishment of ecosystem-based fisheries management is vital for the recovery of ecosystems and fish stocks and can benefit from public awareness and active participation of citizens. This task will develop a mobile application (EcoScope App), which will enable citizens to report on marine hazards, pollution and stranding of protected species. The report will be transferred online to local authorities and will potentially improve compliance. This community-based tool will enhance community involvement and will provide important information for the EcoScope project. We will develop the application to be suited for the partner's specific needs and unique local language, regulations and culture, based on an interactive workshop with local authorities and further support in the capacity building and marketing to increase the use of the application. 



Dissemination and visibility

WP8 on stakeholder engagement and capacity building aims to ensure that the interoperable EcoScope Platform and decision-making EcoScope Toolbox developed within the EcoScope project will be co-designed with the users and stakeholders, and to ensure that these tools are taken up through capacity development. The objectives of the task are to: 

1. Create the EcoScope Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum by identifying and mapping the stakeholders and managing the interaction with them
2. Hold stakeholder co-design meetings to identify their needs, understand their requirements, and feed back the results of the project
3.  Undertake stakeholder surveys
4. Build capacity through the creation of online courses and seminars, i.e. the EcoScope Academy


**WP8** on stakeholder engagement and capacity building aims to ensure that the interoperable EcoScope Platform and decision-making EcoScope Toolbox developed within the EcoScope project will be co-designed with the users and stakeholders, and to ensure that these tools are taken up through capacity development. The objectives of the task are to:
1. Create the EcoScope Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum and manage the interaction with them;
2. Hold stakeholder co-design meetings to identify their needs and requirements, and feed back the results of the project;
3. Undertake stakeholder surveys; and
4. Build capacity through the creation of online courses and seminars (EcoScope Academy)

Building on the EMB Future Science Brief on ecosystem modelling and an understanding of what is needed worldwide, **WP8** will assess the current needs and requirements of policy makers from the tools proposed in EcoScope through the EcoScope Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum (Task 8.1). It will conduct foresight exercises on thematic areas to explore emerging opportunities, capabilities and potential for the future EcoScope Toolbox (Task 8.2), test the impact of the toolbox, workshops and capacity building, and establish a baseline for comparison of economic preferences with those of the wider European population (Task 8.3). A survey of stakeholders and policy makers on what would be needed in a fully comprehensive toolbox will complement the workshops. The knowledge created in the platform (WP3), toolbox (WP5) and ecosystem models (WP6) will also be shared through stakeholder workshops during yearly consortium and Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum regular meetings and through capacity building in the EcoScope Academy (Task 8.4): the educational pillar of the project, that will promote cross community education and knowledge sharing.

**Task 8.1.** Assessment of societal expectations and value of ecosystem-based fisheries management

A Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum will enable the EcoScope team to co-design their tools with stakeholders and receive feedback on their implementation and effectiveness. At the end of the project, the performance of the forum and stakeholder involvement will be evaluated.

*Sub-task 8.1.1. Stakeholder management planning*

The Task leaders will develop a stakeholder management plan linked to the Communications Plan developed in WP10.
The stakeholder management plan will include:
• Identification of communication methods (for different stakeholders),
• Schedule and responsibility of actions,
• Success criteria,
• Post project planning (what happens to the forum at the end? What will be the legacy?),
• Connection with WP10 Communication and Outreach, and
• Planning of events, social media, stakeholder recruitment and management

*Sub-task 8.1.2. Stakeholder mapping*

In this task the stakeholders of the project will be identified and mapped following the identification and review of existing stakeholder mapping initiatives from the project and external community. The stakeholders will be categorised by type, and contact details and they will form the Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum. 

**Task 8.2.** Stakeholder co-design meetings 

*Sub-task 8.2.1. Identifying the needs of policy makers and stakeholders*

This task will map/scope the policy needs and emerging tools, strategies and/or roadmaps for ecosystem modelling. These include, but are not limited to the Oceans and Human Health strategic research agenda developed by H2020 SOPHIE, the Planning documents for the UN Decade for Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, new EU policy document such as the European Green Deal and the Digital Twin Ocean, and EMB foresight publications on Ecosystem Modelling, Navigating the Future V, and Valuing Marine Ecosystem Services. This task will also include the design and analysis of a survey of policy makers in Europe, on their requirements for the EcoScope Toolbox. 

*Sub-task 8.2.2. Foresight workshop 1: Policy Maker and Stakeholder requirements workshop*

During this workshop the team will bring together the policy makers and stakeholders that will use the EcoScope Toolbox as well as experts in the field of toolbox development from the consortium, to co-design a toolbox that can deliver what is required by policy makers and other stakeholders. In addition, the workshop will include the ocean observation and ocean database community, to ensure that all possible data are used to enhance the EcoScope Toolbox and be included in the EcoScope Platform that will cover all European Seas. 

*Sub-task 8.2.3. EcoScope indicator implementation workshop*

The vulnerability and risk assessments undertaken of WP4, the ecosystem assessments of WP5 and MSP Challenge games of WP6 will be presented to relevant stakeholders such as the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMO), ICES and FAO in a workshop, which will aim to stimulate debate on the necessity of including climate change in fisheries management and the importance of ecosystem based fisheries management. The MSP Challenge simulation platform -EM fishing edition that will be created in WP6 will be tested and validated based on time-line analysis and user/expert participation in the Stakeholder Knowledge Exchange Forum meeting during the last year of the project where the MSP Challenge-EM Fishing Edition will be assessed. This interactive simulation platform will then be incorporated into the EcoScope Academy (Task 8.4). This stakeholder workshop will build on the outcomes of WPs 4, 5, 6 and 7 and will discuss the challenges of implementing and linking economic and ecological indicators. 

*Sub-task 8.2.4. Foresight workshop 2: Future requirements for ecosystem based sustainable management*

Toward the latter stages of the project, when the EcoScope toolbox is delivered, we will consider the future needs. We therefore propose a foresight workshop toward the end of the project, to highlight the achievements of the project, to launch the EcoScope Toolbox, and to address these unknown challenges. For sustainable ecocentric management we will need to bring together the ocean observation and modelling communities, as well as users and National and International Funders. This will need the help of funders such as JPI-Oceans in terms of links with funders at National level but also the European Commission, UNESCO and the World Bank and these stakeholders will also be invited to this workshop. 

**Task 8.3.** Stakeholder surveys to co-design management tools

This task will involve data collection and analysis of surveys conducted among diverse stakeholders with the intent of answering questions, such as: What do stakeholders want from the EcoScope Τoolbox? How appropriate is the EcoScope survey (Task 8.3.2)? and What constitutes EcoScope’s stakeholders’ socio-economic preferences?

*Sub-task 8.3.1. Ecoscope toolbox survey*

This survey will be conducted among European Commission policy makers (DG MARE, DG RTD, DG Grow, and others) in M4 to gauge their specific requirements for the EcoScope Toolbox. The data will therefore yield insights early on in the project to assist in the design of the toolbox useful for Task 8.2

*Sub-task 8.3.2. Ecoscope survey pilot & ongoing stakeholder responses*

Early piloting of the survey will be conducted among 20-30 key stakeholders participating in the workshops, at the same time yielding baseline data for comparison with the results of the main surveys. Once designed (as part of WP7), the survey will be available online to collect data throughout the project lifetime (and beyond) among stakeholders, workshop attendees and participants in capacity building exercises. These data will allow us to gauge the profile of our stakeholders and sub-samples thereof, in contrast with the specific populations we target in WP8 

**Task 8.4.** Capacity building 

The aim of this task is to share the knowledge and methodologies created in EcoScope in the form of an online academy that will become the educational pillar of the project and will promote cross community education and knowledge sharing. The EcoScope Academy will offer a website explaining the scope, the processes and the products of the EcoScope project and will offer a variety of online courses, webinars, digital games and other digital material that will serve different learning audiences (scientists, fishers, policy makers, students, public) and goals.




Interaction with stakeholders and capacity building

WP5 aims to assess the status of the ecosystem across all case studies (Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, Balearic Sea, Baltic Sea, Bay of Biscay, Black Sea, Levantine Sea, North Sea) and the status of ecosystem components including commercial and non-commercial fish and shellfish, communities, habitats and megafauna (marine mammals, reptiles seabirds, large sharks and rays) through a series of indicators that will be available on the EcoScopium public portal. The ultimate objective of WP5 is to develop a scoring system, the EcoScope Toolbox, comprised of several metrics from different WPs that will be used for management and policy purposes as well as for comparisons among areas and management scenarios. The specific objectives of WP5 that will be applied to all case studies (and to larger regions if data availability permits) are to:

1. Assess commercial and non-commercial fish and invertebrate stocks using novel methods
2. Evaluate anthropogenic and climate induced changes in marine communities
3. Assess the status of protected megafauna groups and habitats
4. Determine overall ecosystem fisheries exploitation and potential profitability
5. Perform a marine ecosystem assessment and develop a scoring system based on various metrics, indices and indicators

**WP5** aims to assess the status of the ecosystem across all case studies (Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, Balearic Sea, Baltic Sea, Bay of Biscay, Black Sea, Levantine Sea, North Sea) and the status of ecosystem components including commercial and non-commercial fish and shellfish, communities, habitats and megafauna (marine mammals, reptiles, seabirds, large sharks and rays) through a series of indicators. The ultimate objective of **WP5** is to develop a scoring system, the <a href= "https://ecoscopium.eu/ecoscope-toolbox" target=“_blank”>EcoScope Toolbox</a>, comprised of several metrics from different WPs that will be used for management and policy purposes as well as for comparisons among areas and management scenarios. 

**WP5** is structured from stock to ecosystem level and organised at an increasing level of biological (and modelling) complexity. The WP will assess the status of all ecosystem components ranging from habitats, non-commercial fish and shellfish (by-catch and discarded species or those collected only during scientific surveys) to commercial stocks as well as megafauna that are vulnerable or protected by national and international legislation and conventions). As this field of science is dynamic, any novel methods that will be developed by consortium members will be used to assess populations/stocks, species and ecosystems and will be incorporated into the WP and included in the <a href= "https://ecoscopium.eu/ecoscope-toolbox" target=“_blank”>EcoScope Toolbox</a>. 

**Task 5.1.** Multi-assessment of commercial and non-commercial fish and invertebrate stocks 

Commercial and non-commercial fish and invertebrate stocks will be assessed based on a string of new tools that have been designed for application in data-poor situations but will also work in data rich fisheries as they are often more robust compared to complex assessment models that are data-hungry. These tools, that have varying data requirements and can be extremely useful for un-assessed stocks, rely on catch (CMSY), abundance/biomass (AMSY) and length frequency distribution (LBB) to derive fisheries reference points in the context of MSY and for stocks that are at risk (SAR). The assessments will be performed per case study, but larger ecoregions will also be assessed based on FAO/GFCM/ICES and Sea Around Us catch data and other sources of information. This will be the first massive assessment of previously un assessed non-commercial fish and invertebrate stocks and will allow the assessment of many stocks in data-poor areas as these methods have been specifically designed for data deficiencies. 

**Task 5.2.** Evaluating change in marine communities

A series of community indicators will be examined to assess ecosystem health and anthropogenic effects (climate and fisheries) on marine communities. Besides the classic biodiversity indices that are available through PRIMER software, several other community indices will be calculated directly for each case study, ecoregion or map cell to examine the impact of fishing on marine communities, while others that are related to climate change and variability (e.g. mean temperature of the catch, MTC) will also be determined at the same scales. The mTLc (mean trophic level of the catch) has been extensively used to assess the effect of biomass removal by fisheries on marine communities and ecosystems, while the MTC (mean temperature of the catch) evaluates the effect of sea temperature increase and the impact of climate change on community level building on species distributions and niche modelling of **WP4**. 

**Task 5.3.** Evaluation of habitats, assessment of protected megafaunal groups and energyscapes

The habitats in each case study will be evaluated based on the preference of each species and the conservation status of a large number of protected megafauna groups will be assessed using novel methods along with the energy requirements of some megafauna groups. Particular reference will be made to essential fish habitats because of their importance in overall ecosystem health. The task is divided in three (3) sub-tasks that will run in parallel.

*Sub-Task 5.3.1. Habitat mapping and evaluation*

Existing habitat maps available on the <a href= "https://ecoscopium.eu/ecoscope-platform" target=“_blank”>EcoScope Platform</a> will be evaluated with respect to the preference of each species, and especially with respect to essential fish habitats. These habitats include the waters necessary to fish for spawning, feeding or growth to maturity, i.e. for completing a full life cycle to support a sustainable fishery and contribute to ecosystem health. The output of this evaluation will be done for each case study/ecosystem or ecoregion.

*Sub-Task 5.3.2. Assessment of protected megafauna* 

The decision support tool **JARA** (Just Another Red-List Assessment) is a Bayesian state-space framework that allows both process error and uncertainty to be incorporated into IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List assessments under criterion A of IUCN. The output of JARA, which will be determined for all megafauna species per case study/ecosystem or ecoregion for which information exists, shows the probability of a population decline displayed against the IUCN Red List categories, and assigns each category a probability with uncertainty. 

*Sub-Task 5.3.3. Energyscapes of marine megafauna*

In order to identify critically important habitats for marine megafauna, and better inform species distribution models, we will calculate animal energyscapes (defined as variations in the energy requirements of an organism across geographical space as a function of biotic and abiotic environmental conditions) across their year cycle. This approach will notably test the impact of climate change on the energy requirements and the distribution patterns of marine megafauna, in the context of concurrent use of these spaces for human activities. All megafauna species for which biological information are available to parameterise the energetics models will be included (several species of seabirds and marine mammals, marine reptiles and a few large sharks), and the climatic data will be derived from **WP3** and **WP4.** 

**Task 5.4.** Ecosystem fisheries exploitation indicators 

Within Task 5.4, three ecosystem overfishing indices will be calculated and compared with the biomass-based, catch-based, trophic-based and species-based indicators that will be calculated in the ecosystem models of **WP6**, while the index of fisheries profitability per case study/ecosystem or ecoregion will be calculated based on the current sustainability level (**WP7**). Based on the fisheries exploitation indicators, the fisheries profitability index will be determined for any fisheries management scenario and will be closely connected to the economic analyses that will be performed in **WP7**. Three novel indicators and accompanying thresholds that have been proposed to detect and delineate ecosystem fisheries exploitation or ecosystem overfishing (EOF) will be applied per case study or ecoregion. 

**Task 5.5.** Marine ecosystem assessment and the EcoScope Toolbox development

A marine ecosystem assessment will be conducted in each case study to provide an overarching and integrated assessment adapted to the needs of various end-users. One of the main products of the project the <a href= "https://ecoscopium.eu/ecoscope-toolbox" target=“_blank”>EcoScope Toolbox</a> will be developed within this WP, which will consist of metrics and tools that will produce a total and comparable score for each ecosystem, case study or ecoregion and will be co-designed and evaluated by stakeholders (feedback from **WP8**). Each metric will be measured using a single variable or a combination of various variables, based on the status and trends, environmental or anthropogenic pressure, economic indicators and resilience to change. The overall concept is to develop a universal Toolbox that can be applied anywhere in the world at various scales depending on the data and boundaries and to have a specific set of metrics that can be used independently in each case study and in other areas of the world to support international and local policies and directives.

Assessing the ecosystem and its components

The aim of WP2 is to review and assess the present state of fisheries management and supporting oceanographic, ecosystem and socio-economic information to facilitate the development and implementation of efficient ecosystem- based fisheries management (EBFM) in European Seas. The following specific objectives have been identified: 

1. Review the available data in fisheries, oceanography, biology, ecosystem and socio-economy related to EBFM
2. Review and evaluate current management schemes, measures and provision of scientific advice with respect to EBFM
3. Identify gaps in knowledge and linkages of fisheries to social cohesion and health in coastal areas
4. Develop ways to collect new data (in the short term) to fill in the gaps and data needs for ecosystem assessments (WP5) and ecological models (WP6)
5. Develop a concept and strategy for data collection (in the long term), and develop the knowledge base and research methodology for efficient and pragmatic EBMF

The aim of **WP2** is to review and assess the present state of fisheries management and supporting oceanographic, ecosystem and socio-economic information to facilitate the development and implementation of efficient ecocentric fisheries management in European Seas. 

**WP2** will review, evaluate, and draft recommendations for the best practices of data collection, fisheries assessments, and formulation of scientific advice for managers in order to facilitate the implementation of sound and efficient ecocentric fisheries management. With this aim, we will perform a thorough appraisal of existing work of the major organisations, groups and projects engaged in fisheries assessments and ecosystem management. In **WP2**, we will also identify essential gaps in current data and knowledge and carry out short-term data collection to cover project’s data needs. Finally, drawing from the project results, we will highlight strategic priorities and prepare a proof of concept document, informing scientists and stakeholders about requirements in data collection, and in knowledge base and research methodology needed for successful implementation of ecocentric fisheries management policies in EU and elsewhere.

**Task 2.1.** Review of information and knowledge 

We will review available biological, fisheries, and ecosystem data from international and national sources in order to support the analyses planned in this project, perform a gap analysis, and plan short-term (this project) and strategic data collection needed for fisheries management in an ecosystem context. An inventory of data sources will be created that will be available online. We will use information gathered to update existing species-specific distribution maps and identify knowledge gaps in our understanding of marine species spatial ecology. Using criteria of species-specific abundance, ecological relevance, and conservation status, we will generate and prioritise a list of species and areas for which key information is missing and that should therefore be gathered.

**Task 2.2.** Review and evaluation of current assessment and management schemes and measures 

This task will review and evaluate existing fisheries science and management bodies and practices in Europe, and provide background information for building short-term), and strategic data collection and research methods to support fisheries management in the ecosystem context. In this task, we will review the documents of scientific and management bodies, review and evaluate the current practices in assessment and provision of scientific advice with respect to ecocentric fisheries management, as well as review and evaluate the implementation of management schemes and measures related to ecocentric fisheries management in Europe and Global best practice.

**Task 2.3.** Filling the gap of biological knowledge in data poor areas

This task will carry out short term data collection on some a priori known data gaps as well data needs arising from data gap analyses that will be filled during the EcoScope project. This task was specifically designed for the data-poorest case studies involved in the project, such as those located in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, which face varying data deficiencies. 

*Subtask 2.3.1. Elasmobranch species in the Balearic Islands*
In the Balearic Sea, additional data on elasmobranch (sharks and rays) species will be collected through tagging experiments, carried out during ongoing scientific surveys in the area. 

*Subtask 2.3.2. Large pelagic predators in the Aegean Sea*
In the Aegean Sea, a fisheries independent survey using underwater baited cameras will collect visual data of large pelagic predators (some of which are protected) and will provide information on their distribution, abundance and habits. 

*Subtask 2.3.3 Evaluating the role of invasive fish species in the total commercial catch*
Along the Levantine coast of Israel, the biodiversity of invasive fish species has been continuously monitored for the past seven years. The subtask that will provide crucial knowledge regarding the commercially important invasive fish species like threadfin bream, goatfishes and Spanish mackerel. 

**Task 2.4.** Develop a concept and strategy for research methodology, data collection, and knowledge 

Drawing from the previous tasks and project results, we will generate strategic priorities and produce a proof of concept document to inform stakeholders about requirements in data collection, and in the knowledge base and research methodology needed for successful implementation of ecocentric fisheries management. Finally, we will recommend best practices for monitoring programs and for the institutional framework needed to provide advice for the implementation of ecocentric fisheries management in Europe.









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