Project review and practical testing

On June 9, 2026, the PEOPLE-ECCO consortium held a hybrid workshop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in collaboration with Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) and their local network, coinciding with the “Coral Triangle Day”. RCM is one of the Early Adopters within the PEOPLE-ECCO project and CEO Julian Hyde clarified the organization’s specific role and interest. The event successfully engaged over 70 online participants alongside those attending in person. The morning session provided a comprehensive overview of the project, featuring presentations on the overall outline by Jasper Van doninck (ITC), EO analysis for coral reef and seagrass mappings by Gyde Kruger (DHI), and a preview of the web-based user interface for monitoring these ecosystems by Matthes Rieke (52°North).

The afternoon session transitioned into practical application, as in-person attendees participated in hands-on testing of the PEOPLE-ECCO user interface. This testing phase is a cornerstone of the project’s co-design principles, which prioritize end-user input to refine and enhance project deliverables. Jan Speckamp (52°North) provided a deeper dive into the user workflows of the PEOPLE-ECCO platform and supported the participants with their own EO analysis.

The feedback collected during this workshop will be directly incorporated into the project’s final stages, ensuring the tools remain effective and responsive to the needs of the stakeholders. The project will conclude in September 2026.

Find more details about the workshop – including session slides – at the full article.

PEOPLE-ECCO is funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) as one of the projects in the Pioneering Earth Observation Applications for the Environment (PEOPLE) series of the Earth Observation Science for Society (EO4Society) program.