The SMART Experimental Facilities for Aquatic Processes (SEFAP) consortium is a network of experimental facilities where researchers can study complex aquatic processes in detail. Thanks to SEFAP, it is possible to monitor and predict changes in the quality of Dutch freshwater. The consortium is coordinated by the Dutch Institute for Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). DANS and the University of Twente are contributing as data partners.
Over the next ten years, the mini-ecosystem facilities at NIOO-KNAW, Radboud University, Leiden University and the Sinderhoeve site of Wageningen University & Research (WUR), will collaborate to expand and strengthen their facilities, as well as acquiring new equipment. This will transform the network into a collaborative hub for Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technologies (SMART) that can be used for state-of-the-art aquatic research.
These research facilities are essential for effective water management and evidence-based policy advice, as lakes, ponds and rivers are under constant threat from chemical pollution, microplastics, climate change and invasive species. Crucial to this infrastructure are the management, accessibility and reusability of both data and the underlying calculations and models.
As a data partner, DANS is involved in the challenge of making the SEFAP research data FAIR and optimising the archiving and sharing of sensory and automatically measured data. With its knowledge of these subjects, DANS will give the project a significant boost.
In addition to the LTER-LIFE project, SEFAP is the second large-scale research infrastructure within the green life sciences in which DANS plays an active role.
More information about SEFAP can be found on the NIOO website.
