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.
Summer@LSTS 2020 – Session #7 with Katy Croff Bell (MIT Media Lab)
Summer@LSTS 2020 will continue on August 27th, 2020, 2:30-3:30 PM UTC, with Katy Croff Bell, who presented Deep Sea Exploration: Past + Present + Future. Dr. Katy Croff Bell is a deep sea explorer with a background in ocean engineering, maritime archaeology, and geological oceanography, and has led dozens of expeditions around the world. Bell is passionate about developing new ways to better understand the ocean and and make it more accessible to everyone around the world. Currently, she is the Founding Director of the Open Ocean Initiative at the MIT Media Lab and a Fellow at the National Geographic Society, developing programs for low-cost, distributed deployment of new and emerging technologies for ocean exploration and community building. Previously, as Executive Vice President of the Ocean Exploration Trust, Bell led the development of exploration, research, and educational outreach activities for E/V Nautilus, including management of scientists, engineers, educators, and students from 30+ countries working together to conduct telepresence-enabled expeditions around the world.
Summer@LSTS 2020 – Session #6 with Gerard Dooly (University of Limerick)
Summer@LSTS 2020 continued on August 27th, 2020, 1:00-2:00 PM UTC, with Gerard Dooly, who will present Autonomous Control & Inspection Capabilities for Complex Sites. Operation of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) in the commercial sector are generally undertaken through manual control with significant dependence on pilot skill and with video feedback from onboard camera systems. These systems and mode of operation was developed for the oil & gas industries and may not be fully suited other applications such as offshore wind and other difficult environments. The progression towards more autonomy in the ROV sector offers larger operational windows as well as other safety and cost benefits. The University of Limerick has developed autonomous systems to address this technical gap and presents solutions though interfaces onto a commercial light work-class ROV, the MRE-ROV. This talk centers around the first year of operations for the UL MRE-ROV and discusses the technological developments ongoing within the UL research lab. The discussion also centers on technologies for resident robotics systems such as autonomous intervention, live 3D reconstructions, autonomous docking and advanced imaging systems. Test results are from ship based operations off the Irish coast on a number of sites varying from Shipwreck to Coral Grounds and Oil & Gas infrastructure.
II International Forum on the Environment and Blue Economy