On 19-21 May, Skopje, northern Macedonia, hosted the first workshop of the COST PalaeOpen Aquatic Proxies, Working Group 2, on ecosystem change studies using diatoms and chironomids. The event was attended by 21 scientists from various European countries, including Dr Neringa Gastevičienė, NRC Laboratory of Quaternary Research.
The aim of the workshop was to initiate and strengthen the European diatom and chironimid research community and to promote the open and fair (FAIR and OPEN) sharing of palaeontological data through the common Neotoma platform.
The two-day workshop featured short presentations by the organisers Dr Stefan Engels, Dr Xavier Benito and participants, including Dr Oliver Heiri, who spoke on the structure of datasets. The programme also included three working group sessions to discuss data structure, taxonomic harmonisation and merging data into common sets. Participants delved into the practical aspects of paleoecological data management and downloading using Tilia and R studio programmes. These sessions were led by Dr Walter Finsinger and Dr Petr Kunes.
In addition to the intensive scientific programme, the seminar provided participants with opportunities for informal discussions during lunch and coffee breaks and the official seminar dinner. Seeking to enrich the content of the event and to foster cooperation among the participants, an educational excursion to Lake Ohrid, one of the oldest and deepest freshwater lakes in the world, with exceptional ecological and geological significance, was also organised.
