The United Nations Ocean Decade conference will take place in Barcelona from 10-12 April at the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB). More than 50 on-site satellite events will take place at the main venue and will be open to all registered participants in the conference.
Additionally, around 80 off-site satellite events open to the public will take place in different alternative locations in Barcelona from 8 to 9 April.
These parallel events will provide additional opportunities for networking and discussion and serve the attendees to know and contribute as main actors with solutions to face the Ocean Decade’s challenges.
Satellite events on-site
In-person events only for registered participants at the UNODC | Barcelona International Convention Centre – CCIB
🌊 How will UN Ocean Decade programmes on biological observations address the Vision 2030 recommendations for Challenge 2: Protect and restore ecosystems and biodiversity?
This workshop aims to bring together the communities contributing to two major UN Ocean Decade (UNOD) programmes addressing biological and biodiversity observations in the ocean and coastal waters: the Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (MBON) and Marine Life 2030 (ML2030). While the UNOD is now developing a broad (and growing) portfolio of projects that are grouped under broader thematic programmes, there has so far been little scope for interaction and collaboration between programmes. This joint event will explore recommendations of the Challenge 2 White paper, supporting common solutions for collective impact. Project: MBON.
Host: Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO).
Co-hosts: Atlantic International Research Centre – AIR Centre, Scripps, USF, INVEMAR, Universiti Sains Malaysia, EMBRC.
🗓 Wednesday, April 10th, 13:15 to 14:45 CET
📌 Caribbean Sea Room (124 + 125)
👤 Contact person: Sophie Seeyave, Joana Soares
🌊 An Ocean of Food: Science and Solutions for Ocean-Climate-Food Challenges
This event will bring together UN Ocean Decade Actions that are working to address Challenge 3: “Sustainably feed the global population”.
The event will showcase diverse efforts and solutions from blue food-related Decade Actions (based on the Vision WG3 White Paper) and will showcase the ambitious research conducted under the H2020 ASTRAL project, focused on integrated multi-trophic aquaculture.
This event aims to reach a greater appreciation of the pivotal role that the ocean and ocean science play in shaping sustainable food systems, and the knowledge, funding, technology, and implementation gaps currently hindering opportunities to strengthen that role.
Host: Atlantic International Research Centre – AIR Centre (Portugal) and Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions (USA)
Co-hosts: UN Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, Food and Agriculture Organization, Aquatic Blue Food Coalition, Global Action Network for Sustainable Food from the Oceans and Inland Waters for Food Security and Nutrition, Institute for Marine Research – IMR, Norway, Norwegian Research Centre – NORCE
🗓 Thursday, April 11th, 8:30 to 9:45 CET
📌 Meeting room 129-130 – Mediterranean Sea – P1 floor
📃 Event Programme here
👤 Contact person: Natalia Ospina-Alvarez
🔗 Pre-registration to the satellite event here (for room capacity control)
*This satellite event is organised with the support of the project ASTRAL (GA No 863034) funded by the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
Satellite events off-site
🌊 Global awareness, research activities and network to address ocean microplastic pollution
This Satellite Event aims at increasing the awareness about plastic pollution providing new insights, knowledge, and solutions. It will offer a platform to share recent scientific findings, discuss international initiatives to build capacity around the world (such as the IAEA NUTEC initiative) or inform policy-makers about (such as the policy brief from the North Atlantic Microplastic Centre), and exchange on successful examples of how research is contributing to implementing ocean protection by effective input to large intergovernmental organisations such as the UN and EU (e.g. preparation to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic pollution).
Hosts: NORCE (Norway) and IAEA (Monaco)
Co-hosts: AIR Centre, SINTEF Oceans, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, European Atomic Agency
🗓 Tuesday, April 9th, 17:00 to 18:30 CET (in-person event) | PRBB – Barcelona Biomedical Research Park
📌 Room Marie Curie
👤 Contact person: Alessio Gomiero
🔗 Pre-registration to the satellite event here (for room capacity control)
*This event is co-organised in the framework of the project LabPlas (GA No 101003954) funded by the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
🌊 Ocean Decade MPA Forum: Marine Protected Areas: Progress, obstacles, and solutions
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are the lynchpin of ocean conservation. As we move towards our target of effectively protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, we need to focus more on the “effectively” part of the equation. This forum, hosted by a myriad of organisations working across the globe, will take the form of a hybrid workshop-symposium, and will explore four cross-cutting themes over the two days: (1) What seemingly insurmountable obstacles are we facing?; (2) What best practices have we developed to ensure effective implementation of existing MPAs?; (3) What solutions to obstacles have we found that may be useful to other areas?; and (4) How can we scale up and mutually strengthen our projects, and how can we maintain the momentum of community engagement?
🗓 Monday & Tuesday, April 8-9th, 09:00 to 18:00 CET
📌 World Trade Center, Auditorium. Port Hub.
🔗 Registration form here
👤 Contact person: Alex Hearn, Veronica Relano, Joana Soares
Posters
Posters will be displayed at CCIB coffee break areas.
The Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON): A community of practice to coordinate marine life observations and advance the goals of the UN Ocean Decade.
Joana Soares (AIR Centre)
