Dates: 27-28 April 2023
Venue: Online
The Board approved two new EMB membership applications from NORCE and SINTEF, both from Norway, meaning that EMB now has 37 members from 18 countries. Three members of the Executive Committee, Alan Evans (NERC, UK), Fiona Grant (Marine Institute, Ireland) and Katrin Schroeder (CNR, Italy) were re-elected for a second term. The Board also had an opportunity to meet the new and current EMB Young Ambassadors, who also updated the Board on their recent and upcoming activities, including the planned EMB ECOP Network Forum.
The EMB Young Ambassadors present themselves and their planned activities at the Spring Plenary 2023 meeting. From left to right: Juliette Aminian Biquet, Alfredo García de Vinuesa, Alexandra Hahn and Riwan Leroux
In terms of science activities, the Board received updates on the recently launched EMB publication on Offshore Renewable Energy, and on the ongoing working groups on Coastal Resilience, Marine Habitat Mapping, Ocean Oxygen, Deep Sea and Ocean Health and Blue Carbon. The Board was updated on the activities towards developing the new edition of the EMB flagship foresight publication series, Navigating the Future VI. An update was also given regarding EMB's engagement in ongoing H2020 projects EuroSea, EcoScope and BRIDGE-BS, as well as the EMODnet tender and the ERASMUS+ project FLORES.
The Board received an update on EMB's support of the Ocean Decade as an Implementing Partner, including the "EMBracing the Ocean" Ocean Decade artist-in-residency programme, where they were introduced to the newly selected artists for 2023-2024.
The new EMBracing the Ocean programme artists present themselves and their planned work at the Spring Plenary 2023 meeting. From left to right: Sonia Levy and Rhoda Ting
Finally, information was presented to the Board on the organisation of the next edition of the EurOCEAN conference series, to be held on 10-11 October 2023 in Vigo, Spain, with a number of European and local partners.
An open session was hosted by the EMB Secretariat and focused on Gender and Diversity Equity and Inclusion. The session was opened by Sheila Heymans, Executive Director of EMB, and focused on the topic in general as well as what EMB is doing and what the members could do to support gender and diversity equity and inclusion. The session featured a keynote presentation and a panel discussion with relevant European and international initiatives, as well as an opportunity to brainstorm ideas in breakout groups. The closing remarks were given by EMB Chair Gilles Lericolais. The new EMB Gender and Diversity Equity and Inclusion plan can be found here. The presentations can be seen below:
- Keynote: Gender balance and diversity in marine science research: Why it is critical to act now - Rebecca Shellock (University of Tasmania, Australia)
- What is EMB doing regarding Gender and Diversity? - Sheila Heymans (Executive Director, European Marine Board)
- The Baltic Gender Project - Basak Kisakurek Ibsen (GEOMAR, Germany)
- The EuroSea Project Gender and Diversity Board - René Garello (IMT Atlantique, France)
- Empowering Women for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science - Zhen Sun (World Maritime University, Sweden)