The online conference "Protecting our oceans, the challenge of Europe's global leadership", organised on 16 June by the Brussels Office of Aix-Marseille University, brought together some twenty internationally renowned scientists in dialogue with representatives of the European Commission, UNESCO and civil society organisations. Nearly 350 participants followed the presentations and exchanges on two major subjects: the fight against marine ecosystems' disturbance caused by climate change and the challenge of the dispersion of marine pollutants and contaminants. These are two areas where the excellence of Aix-Marseille's oceanographic research is making a contribution of global significance. The event, focused on the interactions between marine sciences, public policies and society, was part of the 2021-2030 United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
The interventions of internationally renowned oceanographers from AMU and Europe or young researchers from AMU whose work is proving to be promising, provided a high-level contribution to the questions raised concerning the protection of the oceans. The contribution of lawyers from CERIC (UMR DICE) offered an original interdisciplinary perspective in this field:
- Highlighting the multiple anthropogenic sources (greenhouse gas emissions, fisheries, visible and invisible pollution and contamination) and the alarming rate of marine biodiversity loss and ecosystem service degradation.
- The complexity of international ocean governance, due to the fragmentation of international environmental law (law of the sea, climate law, international environmental law), makes an integrated approach to ocean protection difficult.
- The challenge of observation and understanding: the oceans, in particular the seabed, remain poorly explored and the impacts of climate change or contaminants (including combined impacts) remain partially studied
This conference was one of the first contributions to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
Speakers
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Prof. Eric Berton President, Aix-Marseille University |
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Ms Maria da Graça Carvalho Vice-Chair, Committee on Fisheries, European Parliament |
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Mr Jean-Eric Paquet Director General for Research and Innovation, European Commission |
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Mr Pascal Lamy |
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Dr Elisabetta Balzi Head of the Healthy Oceans and Seas Unit, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission |
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Ms Delphine Vitali |
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Dr Niall McDonough Chair, Healthy Productive Oceans and Seas Joint Programming Initiative (JPI Oceans) |
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Mr Aodhán Fitzgerald Coordinator, Eurofleets+ (Eurofleets) |
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Dr Vladimir Ryabinin |
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Ms Geneviève Pons Director General, Jacques Delors Europe Institute |
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Dr Monica Verbeek Executive Director, Seas at Risk |
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Ms Gaëlle Haut Representative, Surfrider Foundation Europe |
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Prof. Adelino Canario Director, Marine Science Centre, University of Algarve, Faro (Portugal) |
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Dr Mar Benavides Researcher, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography, Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD)/Aix-Marseille University |
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Prof. Carol Robinson Professor of Marine Science, University of East Anglia, Chair of the IMBeR Steering Committee |
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Dr Sophie Gambardella Researcher, Centre for International and Community Studies and Research, CNRS/Aix-Marseille University |
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Prof. Geir Johnsen Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) |
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Dr Jean-Marc Fromentin Deputy Director, UMR Biodiversity, Exploitation and Conservation (MARBEC), IFREMER |
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Prof. Dr Martin Visbeck Head of the Physical Oceanography Research Unit, GEOMAR, Kiel (Germany) |
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Dr Philippe Delaporte Vice-President for Research, Aix-Marseille University |
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Dr Richard Sempéré Director, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanoraphy, Marseille (France) |
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Dr Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida Researcher, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography, CNRS/Aix-Marseille University |
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Dr Eve Truilhé |
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Dr Pascale Ricard Researcher, Centre for International and Community Studies and Research, CNRS/Aix-Marseille University |
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Mr Karl Stoeckel EU Liaison Officer, Aix-Marseille University |
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Mr Naoufal Aouane Deputy EU Liaison Officer, Brussels Office, Aix-Marseille University |
Conference partners
- The European Commission
- The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO
- TheJoint Programming Initiative Healthy and Productive Oceans and Seas (JPI Oceans)
- TheMediterranean Institute of Oceanology (MIO)
- The South Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region
- The Centre for International and Community Studies and Research (CERIC )
- Eurofleets+
- UnILiON (network of university representative offices in Brussels)
- TheFrench Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER)
- The European Committee of the Regions
Brussels Office of Aix-Marseille University
Mr Karl STOECKEL
EU Liaison Officer
- Email : karl.stoeckel@univ-amu.fr
Mr Naoufal AOUANE
Deputy EU Liaison Officer
- Email : naoufal.aouane@univ-amu.fr