BiodivPond
BiodivPond is a pilot monitoring initiative supported by Biodiversa+ for the period 2026 to 2028. The full title is “Biodiversity monitoring of ponds: evaluating the applicability of novel methods and identification of obstacles to wide use”.
The objectives of the BiodivPond pilot are:
Establish a transnational pond monitoring network across Europe: Each active contributor will sample a minimum of 6 ponds (80 in total) during late spring of 2026 for biodiversity and key local environmental pond conditions following a highly standardised sampling protocol based on traditional methods, eDNA and PAM, targeting amphibians, fish, aquatic macro-invertebrates, and bats.
Design and pilot a citizen science-based biodiversity monitoring scheme for ponds across Europe: All active contributors will collaborate in the development and implementation of a participatory citizen science-based monitoring scheme focusing on amphibians, fish and aquatic macro-invertebrates. The monitoring will follow a standardised field protocol to assess key local environmental pond conditions and to collect samples for the analysis of eDNA. A total of 500 additional ponds are located in different biogeographical regions throughout Europe.
Deliver a shared open-access data infrastructure: A publicly accessible digital repository hosting all genomic (eDNA) and acoustic (PAM) data, including relevant metadata and species occurrence information, is operational by the project’s end, facilitating transparency and reproducibility.
Operationalise data integration workflows: A tested and transferable pipeline enabling the integration of eDNA and PAM data into national and international biodiversity databases, and Europe-wide frameworks is in place and usable by all project partners.
Provide user-friendly biodiversity visualisation tools: Interactive tools and dashboards displaying species presence and geographical distributions have been developed and made available to stakeholders, including nature managers, policymakers, and the public.
