Over 40 colleagues from 10 organizations that are collaborating on ECOSS project gathered between 12th and 14th February 2020 in Bologna to take a look back at what has been accomplished in the first year of the project and to brainstorm on a way forward to achieving the main goal of the project - to establish Ecological Observing System in the Adriatic Sea (ECOAdS) and contribute to biodiversity conservation. Now looking forward to the Second Meeting of partners in Croatia.