Dates: 1-2 October 2024
Venue: Rhodes, Greece and Online
Hosts: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR)
The Board elected Slawomir Sagan (IOPAN, Poland) as the new EMB vice-Chair for an initial term of three years. The Board discussed the ongoing operations of EMB, and voted to formalise the EMB ECOP Network within the EMB structure.
The Board also received an update on the activities of the EMB Young Ambassadors and EMB Ambassador Alumni.
In terms of science activities, the Board received updates on the ongoing working groups on Deep Sea and Ocean Health and Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal. The Board was updated on the activities towards publication of the new edition of the EMB flagship foresight publication series, Navigating the Future VI, later in October. The Board also selected a topic for a new EMB working group.
The new Chair of EMBCP, Tymon Zielinski, gave an update on the Panel's activities including the upcoming CommOCEAN Conference as well as presenting the impact report for the EMB publication on Marine Science Communication. An update was also given regarding EMB's engagement in ongoing H2020 / Horizon Europe projects EcoScope, BRIDGE-BS, RHE-mediation, BAMBOO and SURIMI, as well as the EMODnet tender, the ERASMUS+ project FLORES and the DG MARE/CINEA tender Towards IPOS.
The Board received an update on EMB's support of the Ocean Decade as an Implementing Partner, as well as EMB's support of the EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and waters.
An open session was hosted by HCMR and had a general theme of "Impacts of Climate Change in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea". The session was opened by Aris Karageorgis (HCMR, Greece), and featured presentations and discussions on a variety of science topics. The closing remarks were given by EMB Chair Fiona Grant. The presentations can be seen below:
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Aris Karageorgis, HCMR - Institute of Oceanography, Greece
- History of the Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes, Georgios–Angelos Hatiris, Gerasimos Kondylatos, Konstantinos Kalaentzis and Vivian Louizidou, HCMR- Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes, Greece
- Coastal erosion along the Hellenic coastline, Vasilis Kapsimalis, HCMR – Institute of Oceanography, Greece
- Exploring and exploiting marine aliens in Greece and beyond: Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?, Voula Karachle, HCMR – Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Greece
- Satellite Ocean colour system vicarious calibration in Crete, Andrew Banks, HCMR – Institute of Oceanography, Greece
- Seagrass ecosystems: a climate victim or a hero?, Evgenia Apostolaki, HCMR – Institute of Oceanography, Greece
