Please note that this year’s webinars are only open to those directly involved with OBON (ie SAC members, project teams and working group members).  However, the presentation recordings will be made available on OBON’s YouTube channel after the event.

The second ‘Americas’ Session, will take place on 7 October, 21:00-22:30 (UK Time), as part of our preparations for the OBON Annual Meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh (30 Nov to 4 Dec 2026).

To help foster discussion and knowledge exchange across the network, we have slightly revised the format compared with previous years.

The first part of the session will feature projects presenting at an OBON webinar for the first time. We have allocated up to 15 minutes per presentation, to allow these projects to introduce their objectives, planned activities and expected contributions to the OBON community.

The second part of the session will include a project that has previously participated in OBON webinars, providing updates on recent progress, achievements and priorities. We have allocated up to 10 minutes for this project update.

To encourage interaction, we have reserved the final part of the session for SAC Reflections, Questions and Comments. This will provide an opportunity for members of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) to share observations, identify common themes across projects, and offer feedback, followed by discussion with all participants.

To ensure that all projects have an opportunity to present and participate in the discussion, we kindly ask presenters to keep within their allocated time. To help with this, Luz will provide a reminder when there is one minute remaining.

Presentation guidance

When preparing your slides, please ensure that you address the information requested in the registration form:

For newly endorsed projects: (Up to 15 minutes)

• A brief introduction to the project, including its objectives and planned activities;
• Any areas where collaboration with the wider OBON community may be beneficial.

For existing projects (Up to 10 minutes)

• One key achievement since the last webinar;
• One challenge or question for discussion;
• One collaboration opportunity or request for support.

You do not need to structure your presentation strictly around these points, but please ensure they are covered, as they will help facilitate discussion and engagement from both the community and SAC members.

Technical Arrangements

To help us start on time, we kindly ask all presenters to join 10 minutes before the webinar begins (20:50 UK time) so that we can test screen sharing and address any technical issues.

If possible, please also share either a PDF version of your presentation or a presentation link with the Secretariat in advance. This provides a useful backup should any technical difficulties arise during the webinar.

Agenda (21:00 UK Time)

OBON Project Community Webinar Series – Americas Session

• 21:00 – 21:05     Connection
• 21:05 – 21:10     OBON Introduction

First Time Projects Presentation

• 21:10 – 21:25  Latin American Ocean Biomolecular Observation Network (LACOBON)- Vanessa Yepes, INVEMAR
• 21:25 – 21:40  GloMBO: Globalising Marine Biodiversity Observations – Pascal Craw, CSIRO
• 21:40 – 21:55  Bio-GO-SHIP – Luke Thompson, NOAA

Projects update

• 21:55 – 22:05  DNA-based Approaches to Fisheries Monitoring – Nastassia Patin, UCSD
• 22:05 – 22:30    SAC Reflections, questions and comments.

We look forward to hearing about your work and bringing the OBON community together ahead of the Annual Meeting.

Please contact Luz in the OBON project office if you have any questions.

Please note that this year’s webinars are only open to those directly involved with OBON (ie SAC members, project teams and working group members).  However, the presentation recordings will be made available on OBON’s YouTube channel after the event.

The first ‘Europe’ Session, will take place on 28 September, 14:00-15:30 (UK Time), as part of our preparations for the OBON Annual Meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh (30 Nov to 4 Dec 2026).

To help foster discussion and knowledge exchange across the network, we have slightly revised the format compared with previous years.

The first half of the session will feature projects presenting at an OBON webinar for the first time. We have allocated up to 15 minutes per presentation, to allow new projects to introduce their objectives, planned activities and expected contributions to the OBON community.

The second half of the session will focus on projects that have previously participated in OBON webinars, providing updates on recent progress, achievements and priorities. We have allocated up to 8 minutes per presentation for these project updates.

To encourage interaction and avoid a series of back-to-back presentations, we have also introduced dedicated SAC Reflection slots. These will provide an opportunity for members of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) to share observations, identify common themes across projects, and offer feedback, followed by discussion with all participants.

To ensure that all projects have an opportunity to present and participate in the discussion, we kindly ask presenters to keep within their allocated time.

Presentation guidance

When preparing your slides, please ensure that you address the information requested in the registration form:

For newly endorsed projects: (Up to 15 minutes)

• A brief introduction to the project, including its objectives and planned activities;
• Any areas where collaboration with the wider OBON community may be beneficial.

For existing projects (Up to 8 minutes)

• One key achievement since the last webinar;
• One challenge or question for discussion;
• One collaboration opportunity or request for support.

You do not need to structure your presentation strictly around these points, but please ensure they are covered, as they will help facilitate discussion and engagement from both the community and SAC members.

Agenda

OBON Project Community Webinar Series – Europe Session

• 14:00 – 14:05     Connection
• 14:05 – 14:10     OBON Introduction

First Time Projects Presentation

• 14:10 – 14:25     HERPOPS (Violaine Dolfo – Institute of Marine Research, Norway)
• 14:25 – 14:40    BIOcean5D (Raffaele Siano – IFREMER)
• 14:40 – 14:55    eDNA expeditions 2026-2028 (Saara Suominen – UNESCO)
• 14:55 – 15:05     SAC Reflections, questions and comments.

Projects updates

• 15:05 – 15:13     DNA-based approaches to fisheries monitoring (Filipe Costa – University of Minho)
• 15:13 – 15:21      Marma Detox (Heli Routti, Norwegian Polar Institute)
• 15:21 – 15:30     SAC Reflections, questions and comments.

We look forward to hearing about your work and bringing the OBON community together ahead of the Annual Meeting.

Please contact Luz in the OBON project office if you have any questions.

The series will also help set the scene for discussions at the OBON Annual Meeting, taking place from 30 November to 4 December 2026 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, by giving us an opportunity to hear from projects ahead of the meeting and identify common themes, opportunities and priorities across the community.

All project leads have been emailed directly to share webinar dates and a link to help us finalise the programme.  We request all projects to complete the form by 14 September.

Please note that this year’s webinars will only be open to those directly involved with OBON (ie SAC members, project teams and working group members).  However, the presentation recordings will be made available on OBON’s YouTube channel after the event.

Please contact Luz in the OBON project office if you have any questions.

To help us with planning, we ask OBON project representatives to please complete the registration form as soon as possible: https://forms.gle/YViXwnK3KNSnQ6Fn6

We expect to share the draft agenda in early October, but in the meantime, we would appreciate receiving your registration and travel support information as early as possible.

Travel support

Please complete the form as soon as possible so that we can plan the allocation of travel support funding. Responses will be reviewed as they are received, and available funding will begin to be allocated from 15 September on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please note that travel support funding is limited this year. If you have access to other sources of funding for your travel, we would be very grateful if you could use those resources, as this will allow us to support colleagues who would otherwise be unable to attend.

For those requiring travel support, the registration form will remain open until 14 September 2026.

If you do not require travel support, the form will remain open until 30 October 2026.

Looking ahead

As a new addition this year, the registration form also includes an opportunity to express interest in hosting a future OBON Annual Meeting. To help the community plan further ahead and secure dates earlier in organisational calendars, we are beginning discussions around potential hosts for the 2027 and 2028 Annual Meetings.

If your organisation may be interested in hosting, we encourage you to indicate this in the form. Interested organisations will have the opportunity to present their proposal during the Annual Meeting, after which nominations will be considered through the OBON election process.

Unable to attend?

If you already know that you will not be able to attend, please let us know responding to this message. We would also encourage your organisation or project to nominate a delegate to participate on your behalf where possible, so that we can ensure broad representation from across the OBON community.

We are looking forward to welcoming you to Dhaka and bringing the community together for what promises to be an exciting and productive meeting.

The Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON) is building a global network of researchers, observing systems, and infrastructure to generate interoperable biomolecular data across the inland-to-ocean continuum. Concurrently, the network is working to expand reference libraries, integrate biomolecular data into ecological models, and build global capacity to ensure equitable access to these technologies.

OBON has a session at ALSO 2027 and invites contributions from both limnological and oceanographic communities. We particularly welcome studies spanning methodological advances, observing system development, reference library creation, time-series and field observations, modelling applications, and the translation of biomolecular data into management and policy outcomes. We particularly encourage research demonstrating how biomolecular observations can address the drivers of environmental change, map freshwater-to-marine connectivity, and create new opportunities for aquatic ecosystem stewardship, conservation, sustainable living marine resources and resilient aquatic futures.

Find out more, and submit your abstract (from 28 July) at: https://www.aslo.org/san-juan-2027/

Keywords: eDNA, Biodiversity, Biomolecular, Technology, Citizen Science

OBON hosted two sessions at the 2026 Ocean Sciences Meeting, which was held in Glasgow, UK, from 22-27 February 2026.

Both sessions were part of the Ocean Technology and Observatories topic.

The Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON) featured prominently at the Ocean Sciences Meeting (26 February 2026, SEC, Glasgow) with both an oral session (OT41B) and a poster session (OT44F), highlighting rapid progress in biomolecular approaches to ocean observing and sustainable development.

The Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON) is a global initiative revolutionizing ocean monitoring through biomolecular science, including environmental DNA (eDNA).

Endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade, OBON leverages cutting-edge science to enable real-time, large-scale observation of marine life and ecosystems. OBON has established a global biomolecular network that collects and analyzes eDNA and other biomarkers from coastal to open waters, with the aim to address critical issues such as pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change. OBON is also building global capacity to improve biomolecular observation and analysis, while promoting equitable access to ocean knowledge and resources.

Through Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) data principles, integrated models, and collaborative approaches, OBON enhances the usability and interpretation of biomolecular data and contributes to the creation of actionable ocean knowledge. This work supports informed decision-making by empowering researchers, policymakers, and communities to better manage and conserve marine ecosystems.

With its scalable framework and inclusive approach, OBON serves as a critical tool for sustainable ocean stewardship and for advancing a holistic vision of ocean health in the decades ahead.

This funding is part of the Scaling Autonomous Integrated Global eDNA Observations (SAIGe) Collaboration, supported by the Minderoo Foundation.

To maximise impact and advance OBON’s objectives, this call will prioritise:

• Projects based in the West Pacific region.
• UN Ocean Decade endorsed projects associated with OBON
• Members of OBON Working Groups.

Submit an Expression of Intent (EoI) to Apply by 10 December.
Selected EoIs will be contact by 12 December, and invited to submit a full proposal by 14 Jan 2026.

Please read the Full Call for Expression of Intent and the SAIGe Funding Procedures of this call before submitting an Expression of Intent.

More information – links and downloads

• Call for Expressions of Intent to apply for the OBON-SAIGe Microgrants (Mailchimp)
• SAIGe Funding Procedures
• Expression of Interest form (proposal summary – 100 words max)
• Proposal Template for OBON Microgrants

Further information

If you have any queries please contact the OBON Programme Manager:

Ms. Luz H Rodriguez-Vargas

E-mail: lro@pml.ac.uk; please CC observing@obon-ocean.org in all correspondence to ensure that e-mails are picked up by a member of the team during the holiday period.

The OBON Network Spotlight: Projects Wave 2025 webinar series, hosted by the Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON), features presentations from projects endorsed as Ocean Decade initiatives under the OBON Programme.

Held during October, it provided viewers with the opportunity to learn about the progress of existing projects and be introduced to newly endorsed ones. The webinars covered a range of themes and, to increase accessibility for both presenters and attendees, the three sessions were spread across different time zones.

Two recent additions to the OBON Network – ANEMONE and PASTIME – were introduced in the June Webinar, watchable here.

The recordings are all publicly available on YouTube

1. OBON Projects – European Time
14th October 2025 from 13:00 – 14:30 BST (UTC +1)

• NEW PROJECT: Marma-detox – Whales and polar bear in a petri dish: decoding marine mammal toxicology through in vitro and in silico approaches – Anders Goksøyr, Norway
• NEW PROJECT: Blowomics – Courtney Waugh & Louise Fargette, Norway [NB unable to present – a separate recording will be made available at a later date]

2. OBON Projects – Americas Time
15th October 2025 from 21:00 – 22:30 BST (UTC +1) – Register here

• Marine Biodiversity Library & MPA eDNA monitoring – Kristen Westfall, Canada
• Pacific eDNA Coastal Observatory – Jennifer Sunday, Canada
• West Coast OBON – Nastassia Patin, USA
• BeBOP – Katie Pitz, USA

3. OBON Projects – Asia-Pacific Time
23rd October 2025 from 06:00 – 07:30 BST (UTC +1) – Register here

• OceanOmics: Monitoring & Protecting Ocean Life – Eric Raes & Philipp Bayer, Australia
• Making eDNA FAIR – Miwa Takahashi, Australia
• EMO BON – Ioulia Santi, France
• NEREA – Lucia Campese, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
• HI-BON – Matt Lemay & Colleen Kellogg, Hakai Institute [NB unable to present – a separate recording will be made available at a later date]

All webinars were recorded and uploaded to OBON’s YouTube channel, allowing you to revisit the content or catch up if you cannot attend live.