A common vision of today’s most pressing priorities for marine research and action.
Some 340 European scientists, policy-makers and other experts representing 143 organizations from 31 countries, including DTU Aqua in Denmark, joined forces 8-9 September 2014 at EurOCEAN2014 in Rome to define a common vision of today's most pressing marine-related health and economic threats and opportunities.
Among the speakers was Professor Michael St. John, DTU Aqua, who gave a talk on “North Atlantic and North Sea ecosystems: research gaps, stressors and services”.
In a declaration, concluding the meeting, participants released a 'common vision' of priorities for marine research and action. EurOCEAN 2014 participants also released an agreed, five-year roadmap to achieve expanded, more integrated and effective policy-oriented ocean scrutiny.
In addition to a rising tide of ocean-related threats to human health and economics, the conference pointed to major opportunities in such areas as marine biotechnology, offshore energy, and sustainable aquaculture to create much-needed jobs after one of the worst economic crises in recent history.
Says Jan Mees, Chair of the European Marine Board: "To truly progress our knowledge, European scientists across a broad range of disciplines and domains must make a quantum leap towards holistic approaches and integrated research on a scale which will help us to much better understand, protect, manage and sustainably exploit the seas and oceans which surround us. This is a Grand Challenge; not just Europe, but for human society as a whole.".
Jan Mees notes that the estimated gross value added of the European maritime economy is €500 billion per year. An investment reflecting just 1% of that value would equate to €5 billion in research in Europe, more than double the current level of €2 billion:
About EurOCEAN 2014:
EurOCEAN 2014 was convened by the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the European Marine Board (of which DTU Aqua is a member), the European Commission and three Italian partner institutions: the National Research Council, National Inter-university Consortium for Ocean Science (CoNISMa) and the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS).
EurOCEAN 2014 is part of the EurOCEAN conference series initiated in late 1990s. EurOCEAN conferences provide a regular focal point for the marine and maritime research community and stakeholders to interact with European and member state policymakers and programme managers, to discuss and respond to new marine science and technology developments, challenges and opportunities.
EurOCEAN 2104 Declaration on eurocean2014.eu