AquaEcOmics meeting: exploring aquatic ecology through omics. March 17-20, 2025. Program and abstracts booklet

We present an overview of the recent establishment and development of the Italian Omics Observatory Newtork of marine biodiversity, constituted by 4 long-term ecological data sites within the Italian National Biodiversity Future Centre. Specifically, we are developing an observatory at the Senigallia station, situated in the central part of the Adriatic Sea. The station is identified by a buoy in the sea, which has been sampled monthly, beginning in February 2024. Among the primary results achieved are: 1) the integration of the Italian initiative into the global network of genomic observatories (i.e., EMOBON); 2) the adoption and implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for sampling the various biological components of the water column; 3) the establishment of a repository of biological samples and associated data, aimed at supporting long-term studies on Mediterranean biodiversity. Our immediate research goals are to identify biodiversity patterns within the station over time, compare these patterns across all 4 stations, and understand the factors influencing these patterns.