workshop

FABM workshop 2025

Update 14 November: We have now reached the maximum number of participants for the workshop. If you are still interested to join, please let us know as soon a possible. You will then be placed on a waiting list. A place may then be offered to you at a later stage.

We are planning a one-week workshop for current and aspiring users of the Framework for Aquatic Biogeochemical Models (FABM) from 16 to 20 June 2025 in Eupen, Belgium. This workshop is being organized by Bolding & Bruggeman, the main developers behind FABM, and will be led by Jorn Bruggeman, Karsten Bolding and Nicolas Schnedler-Meyer.

This workshop is aimed at both early career and established scientists. No prior experience with FABM is necessary. We will cover most aspects of FABM use and development, including:

• implementing new biogeochemical and ecological models
• best practices for testing and debugging
• using testbeds: from 0D box models and 1D water columns, to 3D regional and global ocean circulation
• sensitivity analysis, calibration and data assimilation (all in a 1D testbed)

These topics will be introduced over the first three days of the workshop. The remaining two days are reserved for working on your own use cases - model development, application, or analysis - while supported by FABM experts.

The workshop will cover numerous recent developments in and around FABM, including new tools and models being developed within the European projects OceanICU and NECCTON. A range of state-of-the-art aquatic ecosystem models will be available for use, including ERSEM, BFM, PISCES, iHAMOCC, ERGOM, ECOSMO, MOPS.

Participants will work on their own computers (Linux, Mac or Windows). Instructions on how to install all necessary software will be provided at least one week before the workshop. All necessary software is open source and freely available; no root or administrator privileges will be needed for installation.

Venue and travel

We will stay in Kloster Heidberg in Eupen, Belgium (Google Maps). This provides the meeting room and also offers accommodation. We anticipate that most participants will want to stay on-site.

Kloster Heidberg is a three-minute walk from the Eupen railway station, which can be reached by direct train from Liège (40 minutes) and Brussels-South (1 hour 45 mins). It is also reachable by bus from Aachen (30 mins).

The workshop will start Monday 9:00 and continue until Friday 17:00 (five full days). We anticipate that some participants may want to travel back on Friday and therefore leave early. As this day is reserved for working on your own use cases, this is possible without missing any part of the plenary program.

Cost

The cost per participant is € 950 excl. VAT (€ 1149.50 incl. VAT). This covers the workshop organization, meeting room, coffee and tea, lunch, and two dinners (Monday, Wednesday). It does not include accommodation. We recommend staying on-site, which will be bookable and payable separately to the venue (€ 95 per night for a single room, € 115 for a double). Further information about room bookings will be provided in the email confirming your registration.

Registration

We aim to have between 20 and 30 participants. To secure your place, we ask you register by emailing your contact details to workshop2025@bolding-bruggeman.com, and to pay a deposit of € 100 excl. VAT (€ 121 incl. VAT). This deposit will be fully refunded if the workshop does not go ahead. After you register via email, you will be sent an invoice for the deposit.

When you register, please include:

• your full name
• email address
• postal address (to be listed on the invoice)
• VAT number (if applicable; it will be included on the invoice)
• specific dietary requirements, if any

If you have specific topics (tools/regions/models) you would like to work on during the workshop, please mention those too. We will consider that when fine-tuning the program.

Registration will remain open until we reach 30 participants or until 15 November 2024, whichever comes first.

Further information

If you have questions about the workshop, please send these to workshop2025@bolding-bruggeman.com.