🌊 SEAMPHONI: Europe’s digital guardian of the seas

The SEAMPHONI project has officially launched! In 2024, Efund initiated and supported an international consortium, coordinated by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, in securing EU funding under the HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-01-01 call. The consortium unites 24 partners from 12 countries, bridging academia, NGOs, industry, art and policy.

Amidst growing pressures on our oceans, SEAMPHONI will “listen” to the underwater symphony of natural and human-made sounds, combining environmental DNA, acoustics, and imaging into an open-access Intelligent Marine Digital Twin connecting diverse monitoring systems. The project is dedicated to safeguarding the vast and largely unprotected Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, contributing directly to the 30×30 biodiversity target.

By delivering faster, continuous, and cost-effective biodiversity mapping and monitoring, SEAMPHONI will establish reliable indicators, support Marine Protected Areas designation and management, and provide actionable data to strengthen the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The project also addresses fragmented offshore governance, supports enforcement of Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas, and fosters collaboration with ACCOBAMS and HELCOM.

Beyond science, SEAMPHONI embraces an artistic strategy to bridge society’s emotional disconnect from remote marine ecosystems. This will culminate in the Educ’Ocean exhibition, co-created with partners and the Blue School network — inspiring future generations and fostering new vocations for ocean protection.

More information on the CORDIS page.