This 8-hour course is designed to empower ocean scientists by providing comprehensive understanding and practical skills in using the Marine Environmental Indicators Virtual Laboratory running in Blue-Cloud Virtual Research Environments (VREs). Evaluating environmental conditions of marine areas is crucial to provide data-based support for decision-making in ocean management. In this course, the participants will learn about important and widely used marine environmental indicators: 1) Marine Heatwave (MHW), 2) Ocean Heat Content (OHC), 3) Trophic Index (TRIX), and 4) Storm Severity Index (SSI).

The general goal is to equip ocean scientists with the knowledge and skills to effectively navigate, utilize, and customize the Marine Environmental Indicators Virtual Lab for assessing marine environmental conditions and supporting ocean management decisions.

This course is organized by CMCC, INGV, OGS, KNMI, and VLIZ, with the support of the UNESCO IOC OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA).

Format and Duration

This is a fully online, self-paced course with no synchronous sessions. The estimated time required to complete the course is approximately 4 hours of asynchronous activities, including video lectures, readings, quizzes, and practical exercises.

Venue

Online

Language of Instruction: English

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this training, learners will be able to:

• Use the Virtual Laboratory within a Virtual Research Environment
• Explain the relevance of marine environmental indicators
• Calculate the Marine Heatwave (MHW) indicator
• Interpret spatial trends of the Marine Heatwave (MHW) indicator
• Explain the Ocean Heat Content (OHC) indicator
• Analyze spatial trends of the Ocean Heat Content (OHC) indicator
• Identify potential eutrophication hotspots using the Trophic Index (TRIX)
• Understand and compute the Storm Severity Index (SSI), interpret its spatial and temporal patterns, and analyze storm impacts using Jupyter Notebooks and cloud-based tools within the Virtual Research Environment
• Use the MEI Web Application to generate environmental indicators

Course Content

The course is composed of six online modules:

• Module 1: Introduction This module provides a comprehensive overview of marine environmental indicators, delving into their significance in assessing ocean health and their application in informed decision-making. Participants will learn about the crucial role these indicators play in evaluating marine ecosystems and gain an understanding of the BlueCloud VLab and its partners involved in this initiative.
• Module 2: Marine Heatwave (MHW) This module explores the computation of the Marine Heatwave indicator, providing insights into its relevance for understanding climate change effects on sea surface temperature. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the data sources used to calculate this indicator, and learn to navigate and utilize the provided notebook for practical analysis and visualization.  
• Module 3: Ocean Heat Content (OHC) This module provides a thorough exploration of the Ocean Heat Content indicator, offering a comprehensive understanding of its significance as a key metric in assessing global climate change and its impact on ocean dynamics. Participants will delve into the various data sources that inform this indicator, and acquire practical skills in utilizing the provided notebook for in-depth analysis and interpretation of OHC data.
• Module 4: Trophic Index (TRIX) This module examines the impact and application of the Trophic Index, focusing on its utility as a key indicator of eutrophication and overall water quality in marine environments. Participants will be introduced to the relevant data sources that are used to calculate the Trophic Index, and will gain hands-on experience using the provided notebook for data analysis and informed interpretation of Trophic Index values. 
• Module 5: Storm Severity Index (SSI) This module delves into the impact of the Storm Severity Index, investigating its role as a crucial measure of coastal vulnerability and its implications for risk assessment and management. Participants will explore the data sources used in calculating the SSI and gain the expertise needed to apply the provided notebook for practical calculations and informed interpretation of storm-related impacts. In addition users will be taught how to run the Storm Severity Index on the Cloud Computing Platform.
• Module 6: Using the MEI Web Application  This module provides a practical introduction to the MEI Web Application, which allows users to compute and explore all Marine Environmental Indicators through an intuitive graphical interface. This module focuses on how to use the web app to run the same analyses covered in the previous modules using Jupyter Notebookin, in  a simpler, code-free environment. Participants will learn how to navigate the web interface, select indicators, configure parameters, and interpret the generated outputs. 

Target Audience

This course was prepared for researchers, data scientists, and academic professionals involved in ocean science and related fields who are interested in enhancing research capabilities through advanced digital tools and collaborative platforms. It is also suitable for:

• Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in marine and environmental sciences
• IT professionals supporting research activities in scientific institutions
• Project managers and coordinators involved in research projects that utilize Virtual Research Environments (VREs)

Prior experience with D4Science or Virtual Research Environments and scientific programming may be required.

Organizers

• CMCC https://www.cmcc.it, https://oceanexpert.org/institution/15381
• INGV https://www.ingv.it, https://oceanexpert.org/institution/6939
• OGS https://www.ogs.it/en, https://oceanexpert.org/institution/6941
• KNMI https://www.knmi.nl/home, https://oceanexpert.org/institution/12233
• VLIZ https://vliz.be/nl, https://oceanexpert.org/institution/6223 

Facilitators

• Francesco Palermo: CMCC (https://oceanexpert.org/expert/77906)
• Rafael De Menezes: CMCC (https://oceanexpert.org/expert/30900)
• Simona Simoncelli: INGV (https://oceanexpert.org/expert/22199)
• Enrico Baglione: INGV (https://oceanexpert.org/expert/56170)
• Nydia Catalina Reyes Suarez: OGS (https://oceanexpert.org/expert/37482)
• Jan Willem Noteboom: KNMI (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4909-7865)
• Marco Lettere: Nubisware

Registration, Costs, and Technological Requirements

This course has no tuition fee and is open to everyone. No application is required, self-enrolment with open registrations.

To follow this course, participants need access to:

• A computer with a modern operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux)
• Latest version of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari
• JavaScript and cookies enable
• dBroadband internet access (minimum 0.5 Mbps)
• Speakers or headphones, microphone

Prior experience with D4Science or Virtual Research Environments and scientific programming may be required for some activities. Additional resources can be found at: https://blue-cloud.org/

UNESCO is committed to promoting equal access principles. Registration from minority or underrepresented groups is strongly encouraged.

How to enrol

Please register on the OceanExpert website (www.oceanexpert.org). Once your OceanExpert account is approved (this is not done immediately), you can self-enrol in the course. If you already have an OceanExpert account, you can self-enrol in the course using your OceanExpert username and password.

First log-in OceanTeacher, then access the course page and click on self-enrolment. The enrolment key for all courses is VLab4*2026EN1

Assessment & Certificate

This course contains a set of multiple-question automated assessments to evaluate your learning. You will be required to complete a pre and post self-assessment related to the course content, and be requested to fill out a feedback survey at the end of the course to reflect on your learning experience and identify areas for improvement. This will also provide valuable feedback for course teachers and organisers to enhance future training sessions.

Note: All quizzes are graded automatically, and the grades are returned to you immediately.

A certificate will be awarded to all participants that successfully completed all the lessons, activities and assessments. The passmark is 80%. Responding to the feedback survey is a requirement for certificates to be awarded in all OTGA courses.

Contacts

For course organisation, please contact: Cyrielle Delvenne; cyrielle.delvenne@vliz.be

For additional questions, please contact the OTGA Secretariat (ioc.training@unesco.org), always using the name of the course as email subject.

Cancellation Policy

In the event of cancellation of the course by the OTGA or its affiliates, we will provide notification of cancellation at least 7 days prior to the course date. In the event of cancellation by the attendee, we should receive notification of cancellation at least 7 days prior to the course date.