Monitored changes in 12 species of waterfowl

The populations of herons and egrets in north-western Italy increased considerably from 1972 to 2000, but then the positive trend start reversing. This is the result of a 50-years monitoring program on the nesting populations of 12 species of colonial aquatic birds (Families Ardeidae, Phalacrocoracidae, Plataleidae, Threskiornithidae).   The study represents the longest census program ever done in Italy, and one of the most extensive in Europe, comprising an area of 58,000 km2. The researchers from University of Pavia, CNR-IRSA and collaborators who participated in the monitoring program believe that the declining in the breeding population is due to the changes in rice cultivation practices, which is their main foraging habitats.

The dataset has been deposited and metadated on our portal in compliance with international FAIR standards (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).

Access the dataset

LifeWatchPlus Call for research grant “fundraising” at Unisalento

The University of Salento published a call for a research fellowship entitled “Analysis of national and international sources of funding of the National Hub on biodiversity and ecosystems” for LifeWatch Italy in the framework of the LifeWatch PLUS and CIR01_0028 projects (Scientific advisor, Prof. Alberto Basset)
Deadline: 17-01-2022

Required educational qualifications: Master’s degree or equivalent or equivalent in biology, natural sciences, sciences and technologies for the environment and the territory, mathematics, economic sciences, political sciences, public administration sciences, economic sciences for the environment and culture, economic-business sciences with at least three years of proven research experience on topics consistent with those of the call for applications carried out in the priority areas identified within the National Strategy of Intelligent Specialization (https://bit.ly/2ULo25M ) and the MUR programming for the research in the period 2014-2020 (https://bit.ly/2SoEZl9).

Skills required:

-Experience in fundraising, knowledge of national, European and international research funding schemes, particularly in the area of research on biodiversity and ecosystems, and portfolio of projects successfully applied to competitive calls;

-Excellence in writing and editing and fluency in spoken English (level C1) and excellent command of written and spoken Italian;

-Proven organizational, management and communication skills, excellent teamwork skills and in international and multi-language contexts.

The following will also be evaluated:

a) specialist knowledge/skills and relevant for the achievement of the objectives that the Research Infrastructure intends to achieve b) relevance of the activity carried out in the last 2 years with the priority areas identified within the National Strategy of Intelligent Specialization (SNSI) and the ministerial planning for research in the period 2014-2020;c) previous collaborations with public and private scientific institutions.

Info

LifeWatch ERIC: job opportunities at Service Centre in Lecce

LifeWatch ERIC is looking for a web portal developer to work on the Service Centre in Lecce –
Are you qualified in computer science and are you familiar with web services? Experience working with Python, NodeJS and JavaScript desirable. JAVA and PHP frameworks. Experience with HTML/HTML5, CSS, jQuery. Work with a variety of relational databases (MS SQL Server, MySQL, Virtuoso, MongoDB), operating systems (Linux, Windows, iOS, Android), and modern UI frameworks (jQuery and similar products) Experience with GitHub. Experience with Docker?

Read the news below: http://lifewatch.eu/download/34_servco_scwebportaldeveloper/

LifeWatch Italy supports SItE 2021 Congress

From 25 – 27 October, the Italian Society of Ecology and the Italian University of Salento are organising the XXX Congress of the Italian Society of Ecology (SItE), with the support of LifeWatch Italy.

The initiative will take place on the Microsoft Teams platform, with free access and mandatory registration.

The Congress will be divided into round tables and sessions, following the topic “Ecology for an ecological transition”, and will address the theoretical, experimental and methodological bases of ecology, taking into account the challenges of the Green Deal, the Ecological Transition and the 2030 SDGs.

The round tables will be attended by international experts, who will discuss issues such as managing chemical impact on the health of ecosystems, ecosystem services for human wellbeing, and fostering climate resilience through landscape ecology.

During the event, the winners of three awards will be announced: the Luigi & Francesca Brusarosco Prize and the Antonio Moroni Prize, both to be given to young researchers in Environmental Sciences, with the chance to study and work abroad in a research centre for 3 – 6 months, and the Giuseppe Montalenti & Riccardo Cattaneo Veietti Prize, which recognises members of the Italian Society of Ecology at the start of their career.

For information: https://www.congresso.ecologia.it/

LifeWatch at the 30th Festival of the Sea Gallipoli, Italy 21 – 24 October

From 21 – 24 October, the Italian city of Gallipoli will host the 30th Convention of the Sea, organised by MareAmico, with the patronage of the Italian National Research Council and the contribution of several LifeWatch ERIC experts, scientists and representatives. This edition, which will be held in-person in compliance with anti-Covid regulations, will be based on the topic “Recognition and protection of the sea and marine resource management”.

With a range of activities taking place, the goal of the event is to raise awareness among institutions (European Union, competent ministries, Puglia Region and local authorities) on the importance of ocean resources and their management. The round tables will be attended by international experts, who will participate in debates on this edition’s issues and topics.

Among the moderators of the event is Alberto Basset, Director of LifeWatch ERIC’s Service Centre, Manager of the LifeWatch Italy JRU (Joint Research Unit), and member of the Festival’s Organising Committee. On 23 October, during the round table “Alien Species: from threat to opportunity, the case studies of LifeWatch ERIC on the invasive blue crab (Callinectes sapidus)”, Christos Arvanitidis, LifeWatch ERIC CEO, and Juan Miguel González-Aranda, LifeWatch ERIC CTO, will present the results of the infrastructure’s Internal Joint Initiative on the theme of non-indigenous and invasive species. The work will be summed up in a report, which is going to be discussed in plenary assemblies and further worked on by the MareAmico Scientific Committee. This final document should represent the groundwork for subsequent deliberative and operational decisions.

Recreational and educational areas will be set up for younger participants, who will have the opportunity to participate in activities aimed at raising awareness on environmental issues, mainly concerning marine resources and fishing. Participants and tourists gathering at the stands will get the chance to witness the fish landing, and will be invited to enjoy the festival’s cooking events, using local products.