Blue-Cloud Hackathon 2025

Monday 29 September 2025 - Thursday 2 October 2025

The Blue-Cloud Hackathon 2025 is a collaborative event inviting scientists, researchers, and innovators to explore the open science ecosystem developed by the Blue-Cloud 2026 project. And, this year, we’re delighted to have a PML team taking part!

PML’s team, led by Dr Tom Mansfield, is named ‘OctoPulse’, and alongside Tom includes:

The team have submitted an idea under Challenge 2 – Supporting Early Warning & Response to Accidents or Natural Events, with their challenge focusing on Octopus booms in the South West UK, investigating their environmental drivers and cross-Channel larval transport, using historical data, modelling, and interactive tools to support adaptive fisheries management and coastal resilience.

The OctoPulse team challenge description:

Octopus population booms occur in the South West UK approximately once every 50 – 75 years. With crab catches falling up to 80% during these events, understanding their drivers is critical for fisheries management.

The science behind this project will explore the hypothesis that octopus booms in Devon and Cornwall may be linked to cross-Channel larval transport, driven by meteorological and oceanographic conditions. Using a combination of historical and modern datasets, including Western Channel Observatory stations, French river outflows and meteorological records spanning back to 1898, aim to investigate the impact of sustained easterly winds and warm summers facilitate the movement of juvenile octopi from continental Europe to the UK coastline.

To explore these drivers, particle tracking models will simulate larval drift under varying wind and current scenarios, integrating historical weather data and river outflow dynamics.

Using the EDITO framework, we will develop interactive decision-support tools that enable scientists, fishers, and managers to collaboratively explore data (e.g. currents in boom and non-boom years), test hypotheses, and co-design strategies for responding to octopus booms. This shared digital environment will facilitate the exchange of knowledge between research and fishing communities, helping to interpret complex environmental signals and anticipate future ecological shifts. By integrating predictive modelling with stakeholder input, the project aims to support adaptive fisheries management, gear innovation, and quota planning to ultimately turn a disruptive phenomenon into a potential economic opportunity. Through EDITO, we will build a foundation for long-term resilience and informed decision-making in coastal ecosystems.

View the OctoPulse team on the Blue-Cloud Hackathon website here >>

Did you know?

Winners of the hackathon will pitch their ideas at the Blue-Cloud 2026 Final Conference & gain exclusive access to the EDITO platform.

The top 3 teams will receive up to €25,000 in total financial support to further develop and promote their solutions, with guidance from the Blue-Cloud project 2026.
Travel expenses covered for the winners to participate in the Final Conference.
Winners will gain exclusive access to the EDITO platform!

Find out more about the Hackathon here >>