Official Side-Event
Driving Change with Data : The Integrated Marine Debris Observing System

June 12th 2025, 5-6.30pm 
Mama Shelter - Nice, France

Driving Change with Data : The Integrated Marine Debris Observing System


Taking place alongside the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, this official side-event hosted by GEO Blue Planet will introduce IMDOS – the Integrated Marine Debris Observing System.
Tailored for a non-technical audience, the event will highlight the global initiative’s mission, showcase successful international collaborations, and explore how harmonized data and monitoring systems support marine litter policies worldwide. 

IMDOS was launched following the OceanObs’19 Conference as a joint initiative of GOOS (Global Ocean Observing System) and GEO Blue Planet, and a partner of the UNEP Global Partnership on Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter (GPML). The initiative aims to support global marine debris monitoring by promoting the development of standardized, FAIR, and open data frameworks that help fill knowledge gaps and meet diverse stakeholder needs. 



The event will feature examples of effective international cooperation in marine litter monitoring, data harmonization, and policy support by the global community. It will bring together a wide range of stakeholders, from scientific institutions to intergovernmental organizations, creating a space for dialogue, and collaboration. 
The side-event will conclude with a cocktail dinner to foster networking and informal exchanges among participants. 
Prior to the public session, IMDOS will hold a closed Steering Committee meeting to assess progress made during the first six months since the committee's appointment in December 2024. The Steering Committee includes representatives from 20 leading research institutions across 13 countries, alongside key global partners. 

Join us to learn more about this initiative and explore how science and collaboration are shaping the future of marine debris monitoring.

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Thursday 12th June, 2025 Agenda

More information will be available soon.  
16:00 - 17:00
Welcome Coffee
17:00 - 17:10
Welcome Notes by Organisers (Dr. Audrey Hasson, GEO Blue Planet Executive Director)
17:10 - 17:30
The integrated Marine Debris Observing System
- Vision and Mission (IMDOS co-chairs) - Implementation (Daphné Lecellier, GEO Blue Planet Programme Manager)
17:30 - 18:00
Inspiring examples from the IMDOS Community
- Monitoring litter to inform decision-making (Dr. Georg Hanke, EC- JRC) - Collaborative Governance for Marine Litter Monitoring in Brazil (Vitoria Scrich, UNESCO Chair for Ocean Sustainability and Pr. Alex Turra, University of Sao Paulo) - Harmonization of Monitoring and Assessment of Plastic Pollution by NUTEC (Dr. Marc Metian, IAEA-NUTEC)
18:00 - 18:30
Open Discussion with the IMDOS Steering Committee
18:30 - 22:00
Cocktail Dinner

Discover IMDOS

Learn more about our activities and initiatives on our website
IMDOS Website

Organisers

GEO Blue Planet initiative 

Mercator Ocean International

IOPAN

with the help of IMDOS Steering Committee