UNOC3 Side Event launches strategic partnership for Ocean Research and Capacity Building
A significant step forward in international marine science cooperation was achieved on June 12 as Portuguese-speaking African Small Island Developing States (SIDS) committed to establishing Centers of Excellence in Marine Sciences. The initiative, presented during the official UNOC3 side event “Strengthening Marine Science and Capacity Building through the Establishment of Centers of Excellence in Portuguese-Speaking African SIDS,” was led by Cabo Verde’s Ministry of the Sea and Instituto do Mar (IMar) with support from the AIR Centre.
The comprehensive partnership brings together four island nations—Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste—alongside UNESCO’s SIDS Section and Germany’s GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. The collaboration aims to leverage existing scientific knowledge, regional infrastructure, and international cooperation to address critical oceanic challenges facing these vulnerable island communities.
The session gathered distinguished participation from key government officials and scientific leaders, underscoring the initiative’s strategic importance. Ministers from three African nations participated: H.E. Jorge Santos, Minister of Sea of Cabo Verde; H.E. Nilda Borges da Mata, Minister of Environment, Youth, Sustainable Tourism of São Tomé and Príncipe; and H.E. Viriato Soares Cassamá, Minister of Environment, Biodiversity, and Climate Action of Guinea-Bissau.
International organizations were represented by Mr. Vidar Helgesen, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanography Commission (IOC) and Assistant Director-General of UNESCO, and Professor Dr. Katja Matthes, Director of GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. The AIR Centre’s Executive Director Miguel Miranda and Yara Rodrigues, Board Member of Instituto do Mar – IMar (Cabo Verde), also participated in the discussions.
The initiative focuses on five strategic areas critical to building sustainable marine science capacity: strategic partnerships for blue science and innovation, youth capacity building with a dedicated focus on gender equality, evidence-based decision making for marine management, enhanced access to marine data and technologies, and fostering community innovation alongside regional cooperation.
The Centers of Excellence are designed to empower these communities with the knowledge, tools, and expertise needed to protect their marine environments while developing sustainable blue economies.
This represents a significant milestone in South-South cooperation, combining regional expertise with international scientific support to address some of the most pressing oceanic challenges facing island nations in the Atlantic and beyond.
Image of the Day | March 16, 2021 | Sao Pedro, Cabo Verde
Sao Pedro is a small fishing village located very close to the Cesária Évora airport, in Sao Vicente Island, Cabo Verde. On March 2019, during the Workshop on Ocean and Coastal Information Needs organised with GEO Blue Planet, we had the opportunity to meet the local fishing community and learn more about their livelihoods.
Image of the Day | March 15, 2021 | Sao Paulo, Brazil
This is one of the first images taken by the Brazilian Amazonia-1 satellite, which was developed by the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, India, together with other 18 co-passenger satellites onboard of the launching vehicule PSLV-C51, on February 28, 2021. In the image, acquired on March 3, 2021, we can see the sprawling megacity of Sao Paulo in the left side and, just below, the coastal city of Santos (Google maps). More information available on INPE’s Website. Credit: Image courtesy of INPE.
Networking Friday with Konstantinos Topouzelis (UAegean)
On March 19th, 2021, 1-2 PM UTC, Konstantinos Topouzelis, University of the Aegean, marvelled us with his presentation “Fighting the ocean plastic pollution with the use of satellite images and drone data: Plastic Litter Project (PLP), history and future steps”. The moderator was Leah Mupas Segui, who just started a new position with the Pew Charitable Trusts as part of their Preventing Ocean Plastics research team.