Yixin Zhang – ODF Sweden

Marine Citizen Science: Exploring the Depths of Public Engagement and Scientific Discovery

Yixin Zhang — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 19:19:19 +0000

(post written by Anton Johansson, for the Chalmers course TEK765)

Abstract

Marine citizen science has emerged as a transformative approach, inviting ordinary individuals to actively participate in scientific research and contribute to our understanding of marine ecosystems. Through data collection, observation, and analysis, citizen scientists empower communities to become agents of change, fostering a sense of stewardship for our oceans. This article explores the power of marine citizen science in unlocking a wealth of knowledge about our oceans, addressing pressing environmental challenges, and promoting sustainable practices. It showcases the pivotal role played by Ocean Data Factory Sweden (ODF), a national marine data lab, in driving data-driven innovation and collaborative problem-solving. Additionally, it highlights the innovative educational activities of Chalmers University of Technology, which prepares students to tackle the marine realm’s challenges. The article further provides an insightful summary of the mini conference held on May 29th, featuring student projects, international keynote speeches, and panel discussions on the future of coastal industries. Filipa Bessa’s talk on global plastic pollution and the need for data collection and technology to address the issue is highlighted. Overall, the article inspires individuals to actively engage in marine citizen science and collectively work towards a sustainable future for our oceans.

Marine Citizen Science, ODF and Chalmers

Marine citizen science is a dynamic and inclusive approach that invites citizens to actively participate in scientific research and contribute to our understanding of marine ecosystems. By engaging ordinary citizens in data collection, observation, and analysis, marine citizen science empowers communities to become agents of change, fostering a sense of stewardship for our oceans. Through marine citizen science, we can unlock a wealth of knowledge about our oceans that would be otherwise very difficult and expensive to gather. That is because citizen science doesn’t necessarily have to be profitable to work, as most other business. Instead, ordinary individuals armed with curiosity and a desire to make a difference, join forces with scientists and researchers to monitor water quality, study marine biodiversity, track migration patterns, and address pressing environmental challenges. By involving the public in these efforts, we tap into a vast network of data collectors, expanding the scope and reach of scientific investigation.

Ocean Data Factory Sweden (ODF) plays a vital role as the national marine data lab in Sweden, with a strong commitment to data-driven innovation for the sustainable management of the ocean and its resources. Their overarching mission is to facilitate the utilization of ocean data by both commercial and non-commercial actors to ensure the optimal and sustainable utilization of our marine ecosystems. Recognizing the global and local challenges that our oceans face, ODF Sweden adopts an innovative approach to develop solutions grounded in ocean data. They actively collaborate with a diverse range of stakeholders, including researchers, industry partners, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to collectively address and overcome these challenges. Through their collaborations, ODF Sweden actively promotes interdisciplinary cooperation, fostering partnerships between different sectors and fields of expertise. By bridging the gap between research, industry, and governance, they facilitate the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and resources necessary to develop comprehensive and sustainable solutions. This collaborative approach ensures that the insights gained from ocean data are effectively translated into actionable strategies and policies.

In parallel, Chalmers University of Technology, situated in Gothenburg, Sweden, is a renowned institution that specializes in technology and natural sciences. With a student population of 10,595 and 1,020 PhD students, Chalmers offers a diverse range of 42 master’s programs. The university has a strong emphasis on sustainability and innovation, driving research in areas such as maritime engineering and environmental engineering. Through the course “Leading in a digital world”, Chalmers is making big strides for innovative educational activities that prepare students to tackle the challenges of the marine realm. In this course students undertook the project to create an ocean sensor and its accompanying website. The cutting-edge sensor aimed to fill the ocean data gap, while the website served as a platform to showcase its capabilities and engage with the global community and encourage citizen science. Throughout this course students gained practical experience in digital communication, user experience design, and product development. With that said, Chalmers innovative educational activities foster an environment where students can engage in practical research projects, gain valuable insights from experienced professionals, and contribute to the advancement of marine science. By showcasing these activities, the university’s dedication to shaping future leaders who will address the pressing challenges facing our oceans are highlighted.

Tempura

Our group made a sensor called Tempura, aimed at recreational fishers. Regarding the looming threat of global warming we noticed a lack of possibilities for anglers to combat the threat themselves – despite the inherent incentive among anglers to help preserve the very waters that bring them so much joy. We wish to give them the opportunity to be part of the solution. Our purpose with Tempura is to combine these three forces: global warming, technology and environmentally aware anglers. The vision is that the anglers will, with the help of new technology, help combat global warming and promote a twin transition of the industry.

Tempura’s primary goal is to close the data gap by collecting sub-surface temperature data at a depth of 3 meters – a crucial piece of the puzzle in understanding climate change’s impact on marine life! With a Tempura in your hand, all you have to do is bring it along while you go fishing. When starting your trip, simply unravel the temperature cable and lower it into the water with the buoy skipping at the surface. Turn on the power and the display will light on, wait a moment and soon you’re catching data!

Please feel free to visit our website and learn more about Tempura!

Become a citizen scientist!

You should definitely join the movement of marine citizen science and be a catalyst for change! Whether you’re an avid beachgoer, a passionate environmentalist, or simply curious about the wonders of the ocean, there are numerous ways for you to get involved. Start by exploring citizen science projects in your area or online platforms that allow you to contribute valuable data and observations. Participate in beach cleanups, join local monitoring programs, or support initiatives that promote sustainable practices in coastal communities. Educate yourself and others about the importance of marine conservation and the role citizen science plays in safeguarding our oceans. Together, let’s harness the power of collective action and ensure a sustainable future where scientific knowledge and public engagement converge to protect the beauty and vitality of our oceans for generations to come. Your contribution matters, and your actions can make a real difference in shaping the health of our marine ecosystems. Get involved today and be a part of the marine citizen science movement!

The mini conference

On May 29th, after 8 weeks of preparation, the eagerly anticipated mini conference finally arrived. The sun was shining, and the atmosphere was filled with excitement as the students prepared to showcase their ocean sensors. Countless hours had been dedicated to ensuring that everything would work flawlessly – from the sensors to data collection and visualization. However, there was still a hint of uncertainty regarding how everything would perform at the mini conference itself. Fortunately, all the hard work paid off, and everything ran smoothly for everyone involved. The mini conference served the purpose of providing a platform for students to present their sensor and website projects. It aimed to foster interaction between students and industry professionals, with the collective goal of shaping a better future for our oceans and coastal industries.

The program started in the morning with an introduction by Professor Robin Teigland from Chalmers University and ODF Sweden, along with Torsten Linders from Gothenburg University and ODF Sweden, Peter Bäckgren from Chalmers FUSE Lab, and Patrick Gorringe from SMHI. Following the introduction, Professor Robin Teigland presented on “The Future of Coastal Industries & Digital Technologies” to set the scene for the event. A panel discussion on “The Future of Coastal Industries” took place, moderated by Robin Teigland, with participants including Robert Mertens from Mooringo AB, Torsten Linders from GU & ODF Sweden, and Lucie Cocquempot from IFREMER – National Institute for Ocean Science, France. Afterward, there were student sensor innovation pitches, where nine pitches were presented, each lasting three minutes, and panelists had the opportunity to ask a short question to each presenter. This session was followed by a standup lunch, featuring a World Café of Student Sensors Innovations.

In the afternoon, there were ten more student sensor innovation pitches, again with three-minute presentations and short questions from the panelists. Following this, a World Café session was held, allowing for further discussions and interactions. The program continued with international keynotes. Filipa Bessa, a researcher at MARE – Marine and Environmental Research Centre – University of Coimbra, Portugal, presented on the challenges and opportunities of citizen science to address plastic pollution, sharing the Portuguese experience. Lucie Cocquempot, the Oceanographic Observation Coordinator at IFREMER – National Institute for Ocean Science, France, discussed the importance of including a large number of actors in coastal ocean observation from a French perspective. A panel discussion on “The Future of Marine Citizen Science & Digital Technologies” followed, moderated by Torsten Linders, with participants including Filipa Bessa, Lucie Cocquempot, and Patrick Gorringe from SMHI.

After a short break, another panel discussion was held, focusing on “The Future of Education, Digital Technologies, & Purpose-based Learning.” The discussion was moderated by Robin Teigland and included Professor Mikael Wiberg from the University of Umeå and Daniel Gillblad, Co-Director at AI Sweden & Director Chalmers AI Research Center. The program concluded with a mingle session and another World Café, providing attendees with an opportunity to connect and continue the discussions.

The event was made possible by the generous support of sponsors, including Ocean Data Factory Sweden, SMHI, and Mooringo, highlighting their commitment to advancing the field of ocean research and citizen science.

Filipa’s talk

Filipa gave a talk about global plastic pollution and the need for data collection and technology to address this issue. Filipa is based in Portugal and works in the Marine and Environmental Science Center, focusing on assessing the impact of human activities on coastal ecosystems and marine species. Her specific topic of interest is global plastic pollution, which she emphasized as a significant problem with projections showing increased plastic production and waste in the future. She discussed the need for baseline data on plastic in the oceans and highlighted the challenges of visually identifying and quantifying plastic debris. Filipa mentioned the use of technology such as drones and satellites to assist in data collection. She also mentioned a citizen science project in Portugal aimed at assessing plastic levels on the beaches and emphasized the role of citizen engagement in both data collection and communication of results. She gave the audience insights into plastic pollution, data collection, technology, citizen science and collaboration.

The most prominent insight from Filipa’s talk was that plastic pollution is a pressing global issue. Filipa highlighted the scale and urgency of the problem. With millions of tons of plastic entering the oceans each year, the impact on marine ecosystems and species is significant. The projections of increased plastic production and waste in the future highlight the need for immediate action. Plastic pollution affects not only marine life but also human health, as microplastics can enter the food chain. Understanding the severity of the issue is crucial in mobilizing efforts to address it effectively.

Secondly, data collection is crucial. Filipa emphasized the importance of collecting data on plastic in the oceans. Baseline data provides a starting point for understanding the current state of plastic pollution and tracking changes over time. This information is essential for scientists, policymakers, and environmental organizations to develop evidence-based strategies and interventions. Accurate data allows for targeted actions, such as identifying hotspots of plastic accumulation or tracking the sources of plastic waste. Without comprehensive and reliable data, it is challenging to assess the effectiveness of measures taken to mitigate plastic pollution.

Thirdly, technology plays a vital role. Filipa highlighted the limitations of visually identifying and quantifying plastic debris. Visual identification alone is time-consuming and can be subject to errors or inconsistencies. Technology, such as drones and satellites, offers promising solutions for data collection and analysis. Drones can cover large areas and capture high-resolution imagery, enabling researchers to identify and map plastic debris more efficiently. Satellites provide a broader perspective, monitoring larger regions of the oceans and tracking the movement of plastic waste. These technologies can greatly enhance data collection efforts, providing valuable insights into the distribution and accumulation of plastic pollution.

Fourthly, citizen science and public engagement is necessary. Filipa discussed the involvement of citizens in addressing plastic pollution. The citizen science project in Portugal, mentioned by Filipa, demonstrates the power of engaging the public in data collection and awareness campaigns. By actively involving citizens in counting plastic debris on beaches, the project encourages individuals to become advocates for the environment and take responsibility for their local surroundings. Citizen engagement goes beyond data collection; it also fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment in finding solutions to plastic pollution. Moreover, citizen science initiatives can generate valuable datasets that supplement scientific research and increase public awareness about the severity of the problem.

Lastly, collaboration and communication are key. Filipa highlighted the importance of collaboration among scientists, stakeholders, and the public. Addressing plastic pollution requires a collective effort involving various sectors, including researchers, policymakers, industry, and local communities. Collaboration allows for the exchange of knowledge, resources, and best practices. By working together, stakeholders can develop more comprehensive and effective strategies to reduce plastic pollution and promote sustainable practices. Additionally, effective communication of research findings, data, and solutions is crucial. Clear and accessible communication ensures that information reaches a wide audience, facilitating public understanding and engagement. Communicating the results of data gathering and citizen science projects helps raise awareness and encourages individuals and organizations to take action against plastic pollution.

Interview with Filipa

After Filipa’s talk I had the chance to ask her some further questions on the topic. As we spoke, we dove into several key points related to plastic pollution and her efforts in citizen science.

Filipa reiterated the gravity of the global plastic pollution issue and stressed the need for immediate action. This was the driving force behind her focus on plastic pollution in their citizen science project. However, Filipa also acknowledged that citizen science can be applied to many other areas to improve the health of our oceans. She expressed a keen interest in collaborating with other fields of citizen science, specifically mentioning temperature and other measurements as potential areas of partnership. By expanding the scope of their work beyond plastic pollution, Filipa aims to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of environmental challenges and foster interdisciplinary collaboration.

Filipa highlighted the development of their app, which serves to raise awareness about plastic pollution and engage individuals in cleanup efforts. Importantly, she noted that the app also is available in English, ensuring accessibility to a wider audience beyond Portuguese speakers. While the app has been successfully deployed in Portugal, Filipa mentioned that its reach in other European countries is currently limited, indicating potential for future expansion. The app features a user-friendly interface designed with children in mind. It utilizes clickable pictures that allow young users to navigate and interact with the content effortlessly. For instance, if a child finds a plastic bottle while strolling on the beach, they simply need to press the picture of a plastic bottle on the app, signalling their intention to pick it up. This approach eliminates the need for reading skills and empowers younger generations to take immediate action against plastic pollution. The child-friendly design aims to educate and inspire young individuals, fostering a sense of responsibility and environmental stewardship from an early age.

In addition to the app, Filipa mentioned that they have organized several events focused on plastic pickup. These events serve as powerful community mobilization initiatives, raising awareness about the issue while actively removing plastic waste from beaches and other areas. This hands-on approach exemplifies their commitment to making a tangible and visible impact in the fight against plastic pollution.

The post Marine Citizen Science: Exploring the Depths of Public Engagement and Scientific Discovery appeared first on ODF Sweden.

ODF Block Chain and Science – Workshop Script

Yixin Zhang — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 09:51:51 +0000

New ways of organising? An exploration into how decentralized autonomous organizations can help Ocean Sustainability Science

Ocean Data Factory Sweden webinar, 25 May, 2022, 1 pm – 2.30 pm

Linwood Pendleton, Ocean Knowledge Action Network and Moonjelly Academy
Anna-Marie Swan, Block Chain for Good Alliance

The script of the workshop is prepared by Linwood Pendleton and Anna-Marie Swan.

Introduction 0:00-30:00

LINWOOD

Hi, Thanks for joining us today.

First, I want to let you know that we are recording this webinar because we want to write up what we learn today. So, please turn-off your camera if you don’t want to be seen and if you do not want to be part of this recorded webinar, please log-off now. We will not share this recording.

Second, I want to thank the Ocean Data Factory for inviting us today to try out this interactive session.

What we want to do in this next 90 mins is for all of us to explore together how blockchain technology might offer us new ways to coordinate and cooperate. We’ll be touching on the ways that blockchain changes how we store and share data, and how it’s given birth to new organisational processes, including a new type of organisation called a DAO. Then we’ll be diving into smaller groups to think about whether this new technology might elevate how we work together as scientists. Already, DAOs are being used to fund medical research and at least one marine science Ph.D. has been funded through the Seastarter DAO.

GOALS and Rules of Conduct

The goal of this interactive session today is to try to come up with a better understanding of the pros and cons of decentralized autonomous organizations for science. There will be a lot of opportunity for you to weigh in on this and we will collect your thoughts and ideas and write this up as a “light paper” that we will share broadly. There will be no direct attribution for specific comments, but we would be happy to include you by name in our write-up if you are interested. If you would like to be directly acknowledged, we’ll gather your emails at the end of the session.

We want to start by acknowledging that some of the aspects of blockchain are emotional and complex. We don’t really have time to cover all aspects of blockchain, crypto and the like and today we really want to focus on a couple of very specific applications of blockchain technology to governing scientific resources and decisions.

That doesn’t mean we think these other topics are unimportant and we know many of you might have something you want to say regarding concerns about crypto currencies or the potential energy use of blockchain. So, we have created a space within the Mural Board, called the Parking Lot, for you to jot down your general concerns. We hope to have future sessions dedicated to these other topics. Anna-Marie will share the link to the board in the Zoom chat now and we’ll give you a couple of minutes to log in and have a quick look around.

In this session, we hope to make some progress towards better understanding the pros and cons of blockchain for science finance, governing databases, and some other very specific applications of blockchain. We are here to stimulate a conversation. We have people with a variety of levels and kinds of experiences with science, block chain and DAOs. So, by breaking up into smaller groups, we hope you can support each other to learn and dive deep into these topics.

We ask everyone to approach the sessions with curiosity and courtesy – it’s my hope that we leave today with many new questions and ideas.

Anyone that acts rudely or tries to distract from an open and scholarly discussion will be removed from the webinar – but hopefully that won’t happen. Anna-Marie …

ANNA-MARIE
First, we want to introduce ourselves and then we’ll send you into breakout rooms in pairs so you can have a check-in and meet each other. A check-in is something we often do in DAO meetings so that we can build intimacy.

LP introduces himself

Ocean KAN International Project Office, hosted by CNRS and supported by Consortium
Moonjelly Academy
Ocean KAN was created to explore new ways of bringing people and networks together to support the co-design of ocean science for sustainable development
We created Moonjelly Academy with Moonjelly.io to do what we are doing today – think critically about new digital approaches to conservation and science and to share that thinking with the world.

AM introduces herself.

BlockchainForGood Alliance
etc.

Now, in that spirit of openness, let’s introduce you to each other.

We’ll send you into breakout rooms in pairs and you’ll have 5 minutes to meet each other. The invitation for this check-in round is to see if you can find something in common in that time.

***** (5 mins breakout)

LINWOOD

Welcome back. We hope you enjoyed your check-in. (Go here for introductory materials about blockchain and web3.)
Let me just step back and remind you what we are talking about today. For quite some time many of us have been talking about, and I’ve been writing about, ways that we could use blockchain technology to give researchers ownership to data and intellectual property.

The blockchain tech I’m talking about is simply a bit of encrypted computer code that records transactions. What makes blockchain so special is that these transactions are recorded not just on one computer, but many computers, worldwide, at the same time. That means these blockchain records are nearly impossible to change unilaterally and they can be open for all to see.

Often, the blockchain record is associated with something called a token which is a digital representation of what the blockchain applies to. These tokens can act like currencies, they can be deeds of ownership – like NFTs, and they can be used to convey voting rights in different types of decision processes. It is this latter use that we want to focus on today.

Blockchain approaches are now being used to automate decision-making and governance for commonly managed resources. Consensys estimates that nearly 1 million people belong to communities that use blockchain-enabled governance.

Today we want to explore what that might look like for scientific resources. Specifically, we want to get some initial impressions about two potential applications to science:

what this could look like as a way of managing and distributing science funds, and
how might DISTRIBUTED AUTONOMOUS ORGANIZATIONS OR DAOS be used to govern shared databases.

The idea here is to just get us all thinking about the potential benefits and risks of using these new technologies for science.

To start, we want to get a little more background about these decentralized autonomous organizations. We are going to hear from Anna-Marie who has been working in web3 and DAOs for over a year now. Anna-Marie, …

ANNA-MARIE

I’m really pleased to be here today so I can share with you some of the reasons why I believe that blockchain technology enables funding to be more transparent and community-led and -owned. I’ll do this by utilising Giveth, a DAO that’s innovating philanthropic giving, as a case study.

To start with, you might be wondering what a DAO is. Let’s break it down.

A DAO is a decentralised autonomous organisation that utilises blockchain technology to ensure that when certain decisions are made by the community, the decision is enacted onchain (i.e. on the blockchain). This is due to an incredible piece of innovation called a Smart Contract. Smart Contracts are programs stored on a blockchain that run when predetermined conditions are met. This is the autonomy part of the term DAO and it’s why blockchain technology, and DAOs, are sometimes called trustless, since the program actions will take place automatically.

The decentralised part of the term DAO refers to the fact that though in reality DAOs usually operate somewhere on the line between centralised and decentralised, with some decisions being made by a central team and some decisions being made by community members, most DAOs intend to end up at a place where the community has full ownership of financial and governance decision-making. To accomplish this distribution of decision-making, a DAO will usually create a token. This token is then usually given to community members and sold on the crypto markets. This token can then be used to ‘vote’ by the token holders for proposals about governance and DAO treasury decisions.

I keep using the terms ‘usually’ and ‘most’ when discussing DAOs because I’m simplifying quite complex systems and there’s really no one way to ‘DAO’ it. There’s a whole field of social engineering about token economics and DAOs dedicated to exploring and experimenting with tokenomics. Many of these explorations include how governance power can be shared in a way that doesn’t recreate current systems, such as giving those with the most money the greatest voting power.

Let’s bring all of this into the context of Giveth and some of the ways that DAOs and blockchain technology is innovating philanthropy.

Giveth is a philanthropy platform that enables crypto donations to go directly to the registered projects. From large nonprofits right through to a single person collecting trash from their local countryside, a project like Giveth enables social and environmental impact funding to occur directly between the donor and the receiver.

100% of donations go directly into the project’s wallet. Giveth doesn’t take any fees and there are no middlemen. A person in South Africa that cares about climate health can directly fund someone in Italy that’s helping regenerate their land.

It’s also very simple to become a donor or to become a verified project.

To become a verified project, all you need is a crypto wallet and an understanding of what to do with the crypto you receive. To become a donor, you simply connect your crypto wallet and send the funds. The only fees are those that the blockchain itself might charge you.

If we click into one of Giveth’s verified projects, we can not only read all about the projects’ work and see updates, but if we then click here next to the donation amount we can view every single donation to that project. What we’re looking at here are the actual transactions on the blockchain. We can see the amount that was donated, which wallet address it came from, and when it was sent. And we know that it’s correct information because we can see the thousands of times this transaction was verified by nodes all around the world.

This multiple, decentralised verification is one of the key reasons that blockchain technology is so exciting! Instead of looking to central institutions like banks or governments to oversee transactions, by having thousands of nodes all around the globe checking the same information, we can take full control of our information.

There’s much more that we can learn from looking at these transaction records, but these three aspects alone gives anyone with the knowledge about how to find this information a completely new level of transparency and traceability that we often don’t have today.

It’s not only the project information that is transparent. Giveth’s wallets are also on chain, which means we can see every financial transaction that occurs for Giveth.

Imagine if every donation that was given to your project was transparent and traceable data that was visible to anyone that wanted to look at it. And imagine if every financial transaction that your project made was also transparent and traceable to anyone that wanted to look at it. And imagine if every financial transaction went straight from your donors directly to your wallet, without any intermediaries. Wouldn’t that be impactful?

So there you have it! This is just a very quick intro into some of the ways that DAOs and web3-based projects are utilising blockchain technology and decentralisation to change how philanthropy works and are exploring ways to make it more community-led and -owned. The question we’re going to explore for the rest of the session today is: Could this work for science funding too?

LINWOOD

Thanks Anna-Marie. I know that was a pretty intense summary of the world of decentralized funding through DAOs. So, let’s take some time to break out to see if people have general questions about how these DAOs work. We are going to split into two groups and Anna-Marie and I will each join one of the groups so that we can try to answer your questions. After about 15 minutes of discussion, we will come back together and then have a short exercise. After that, I will explain how we are going to work together to think about how these DAOs might work for science funding and databases.

Okay, Anna-Marie will launch the breakout groups.

30:00 – 45:00 Breakouts Q&A with Facilitators

LINWOOD

Thanks for participating in those breakouts.

…

So, now that you have thought through some of the basics about DAOs, let’s think a little more deeply about specific uses for DAOs in science and especially whether this use of decentralized governance could be applied in science.

Based on Anna-Marie’s presentation, I hope you already see how we might use DAO approaches to propose and fund scientific research.

Another potential application to think about is whether DAOs could be used to govern shared databases of things like ocean data or earth observation data.

To get started, I want to do a little poll to see how many of you have contributed data to one of the following databases.

Yixin, could you launch the first poll?

LP POLL: Have you contributed data to:

Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS)
IODE (International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange
ESRI’s Living Atlas of the World
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)
EMODNET (European Marine Observation and Data Network)

Okay. And if you have contributed to one of the databases above, please answer this second poll – Yixin? …

LP Poll: How much SAY do you have in how these databases are managed?

None at all
A little, but not enough
A lot, I feel full represented
I don’t really feel like I need to have a say

Of course, some of these databases are governed by country-level representatives. GBIF has representatives from countries that contribute financially to support the database.

The question we want you to consider is whether individual data providers should have a say in governance?

A DAO could potentially be used to govern similar databases or at least new databases. Governance tokens could be earned based on any previously agreed upon criteria – how much data are uploaded, how frequently data are downloaded, financial contribution, time spent verifying data, or based on diversity, equity, inclusion and justice criteria, etc.

Could this work? Could more direct say in governance create incentives to share data?

To think about how DAOs might be used for science funding, governing databases, and other uses, we are going to break out into a handful of small groups to talk more about DAOs and science.

45:00-65:00

BREAKOUT GROUPS – self organized:
In your breakouts, we will send you to a Mural Board where you will see each of the topics we just discussed. Each breakout group will have a row where you can put your group’s top 4 promises and concerns for each topic.

DAOs and Science Funding:
DAOS and Database Governance
DAOS and other types of science governance (you choose by writing your topic in the first sticky note for your group)

You will have 20 minutes.

Please nominate ONE person to keep time and ONE person who can be prepared to summarize (in 2 minutes) the highlights of what your group discussed. PLEASE NOTE THE NUMBER OF YOUR BREAKOUT GROUP – you will want to use the column that matches your breakout group # and later I also will ask you to report out by break out group.

We suggest that you jot down ideas either in the CHAT or you could have someone open a Google doc. Do this for about 10 minutes and then spend the second 10 minutes picking the 4 top or most agreed upon promises and concerns for your group and discussing what you’ve written. Then we will come back to discuss.

Okay, let’s go.

65:00-75:00 Short summary 2 minute summary by each breakout group (AM to organise the threads)

Okay, let’s go around and hear what you have to say.

We will start with Break Out Group #1, 2, and #3.

75:00-85:00 Open Discussion and Summary

RESULTS:

Trust, transparency, democratization, flexibility, and the potential to reduce bias and increase equity were common themes in the breakouts. Potential risks that were identified including security and energy costs. At least one participant noted the risks that DAOs will not work well for science funding if voting participation rates are not high or representative. The findings from the breakout sessions are summarized below.

Findings from the Breakout Groups: Potential and Risks for DAOs and Ocean Science
	DAOs for Science Funding	DAOS for Database Governance	Common Threads
Potential Benefits	Crowdfunding, new sources of revenue Trust (general and public trust) in how decisions are made Decreased biases in funding Democratize funding Community building Extends range of funding	Transparency (where data are used and for what) Increased funding and flexibility for independent (non-institutional scientists) Scalability (if we want every scientist to share data, centralized databases are not prepared and cannot adjust governance fast enough) Commercialization feedback (create a way for channeling payments or royalties back to data creators, through the DAO) Potential to catalyze and inform innovation and emergent tech Enables Collaboration	Collaboration, community building, trust and transparency.
Risks	Energy consumption Uninformed Decision makers Who decides/votes?	Energy consumption Data privacy/security Could grow and become as ineffective as large, centralized databases Data accessibility Where does data reside?

85:00-90:00 Quick wrap-up (LP):

Thanks so much for your time and input today. We will leave the Mural Board open until close of business on Monday to give you some time to go back and add more comments. Then, Anna-Marie and I will write up a summary of our findings that we will share via Linkedin and Medium. If you want to be notified by email, please make sure you put your email in the chat. Also, if you want to be acknowledged in the write-up, please let us know in the chat also.

Now, to finish, we would like each of you to think of one sentence to reflect on what we did today. Put this in the chat, but don’t hit enter until I say.

Okay, 1 minute to get your thoughts together.

Now ENTER!

We will leave that up for a minute and then close the webinar.

Thanks everyone!

The post ODF Block Chain and Science – Workshop Script appeared first on ODF Sweden.

ODF Sweden’s Webinar Series

Yixin Zhang — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 01:37:00 +0000

ODF Sweden endeavors to turn ocean data into innovation opportunities for the digital blue economy. We have brought people from various domains to create data-driven innovations. For example, to better understand the Swedish ocean ecosystem diversity, to investigate the impacts of climate change on ocean ecosystem diversity, we built models to predict the spread of invasive species, and combined AI and citizen science to analyze a large amount of deep-sea videos across decades to identify the ocean species. We are also predicting algae bloom to help oyster farms and the tourism industry. You can read more about ODF Sweden’s projects here.

In the ODF Sweden’s Webinar Series, we have invited the following speakers, as listed below. We meet on Zoom and try to wrap up within one hour. Please connect through button below:

Meeting ID: 592 916 7010.

December 1, 2021, 12pm
Mafalda de Freitas, Project Manager of the PELADRONE project and CEO of Peniche Ocean Watch
PELADRONE – Digitally transforming Portuguese SME fisheries and coastal communities
A blog post on this webinar
Recording of the webinar:

June 14, 2021, 1pm
Andrea Cabrera, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute
Assessment of Abundance and Distribution of Oysters along the Swedish West Coast Using Towed Video
A blog post on this webinar
Recording of the webinar:

May 20, 2021 1pm
Alex Alcocer, Oslo Metropolitan University.
Miniature underwater gliders with autonomous deployment and recovery capabilities
The webinar covered work in progress, the presenter has requested that the recording is not published.

April 30, 2021, 1 pm
David Langlet, School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg.
Law as Facilitator (or Obstacle) for Science Based Marine Governance
Recording of the webinar:

April 15th, 2021, 12 pm
Jonas Hentati Sundberg, Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
Using AI and citizen science to reveal seabird secrets.
A blog post on this webinar

Recording of the webinar:

March 16th, 2021, 12 pm
Magnus Engelbrektsson, Executive Secretary of the North Sea Commission.
Cooperation between maritime regions: CPMR and the North Sea Commission
Jessica Hjerpe Olausson, Maritime expert at Region Västra Götaland
The strategic development plan for VGR 2021-2030, implications for the Blue Economy
A blog post on this webinar

Feb 25th, 2021, 12 pm
Thomas Mennerdahl and Sarah Alkhateeb, MMT Sweden AB:
Deep learning to assist in reporting of subsea pipeline inspection
The webinar covered work in progress, the presenter has requested that the recording is not published.

Data-driven innovation is an attractive approach and a challenging approach. As one of the pioneers in combining AI and ocean data for ocean relevant innovations, ODF Sweden has been learning and gaining experiences and knowledge. We would like to share our learning, and also invite experts who are working on data-driven innovation in various contexts to share their expertise.

Look forward to the webinar series!

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