About us

Deepening our understanding of ecosystem responses to climate change is a fundamental step towards reducing uncertainty in projections of biodiversity change over the coming decades. Addressing these responses requires the development and integration of theoretical and modelling approaches, laboratory experiments, field observations and monitoring, as well as experimental manipulation in natural environments.

Recent technological advances, including Virtual Research Environments (VREs), make it possible to complement laboratory and field-based activities by providing advanced tools for data management, curation, querying, analysis, and modelling, thereby enabling machine-to-machine communication and interoperability.

The Phytoplankton Virtual Research Environment (Phyto VRE) is an open virtual research environment developed within the PNRR–ITINERIS project to provide advanced digital tools for the scientific community and environmental professionals. Phyto VRE is an emerging e-Science platform that supports the management, analysis, and modelling of the rapidly growing volumes of phytoplankton data, as well as their integration with laboratory- and field-based information on the structural and functional characteristics of phytoplankton and aquatic ecosystems.

Within an Open Science framework, the VRE promotes data accessibility, harmonisation, interoperability, and reuse, in line with the FAIR principles. This approach facilitates more efficient scientific progress and supports sustainable and reproducible research practices.

The VRE supports research activities aligned with international objectives and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030), including actions to combat climate change (SDG 13), the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and marine resources (SDG 14), the protection and restoration of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (SDG 15), and the strengthening of global partnerships for sustainable development (SDG 17).