Science on Monday: The Blue Planet. Aproaches to our Knowledge of the Marine Environment

At a time when the debate over climate change is very much in the foreground, and especially following the recent United Nations Global Climate Change Conference in Paris, increasing our scientific knowledge of the oceans and the seas has become a particularly important objective, given that they occupy a considerable proportion of the Earth’s surface, and thus represent a highly active element in terms of shaping our life on this planet. The importance of oceans is so great that the Earth can truly be described as a “Blue Planet”.

The Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM), the CSIC research centre specialising in marine science and which, together with the Marine Technology Unit (UTM), is managed by CMIMA (Mediterranean Centre for Marine and Environmental Research – CSIC), constitutes the largest marine research centre in Spain, and one of the most important in the Mediterranean region. It is devoted entirely to the study of the seas and oceans.

Its research projects seek to examine the area in greater depth and to increase our scientific knowledge, and to discover what role the oceans play in the context of the planet. Wide experience in the form of a team of experts made up of over 300 specialists in different fields of oceanographic research (including physics, chemistry, geology and biology) provide the organisation with a comprehensive overall view of the marine ecosystem. Likewise, they enable it to assess changes and the human impact on this environment, and to look for solutions.

The aim of this series of lectures is to inform the general public of the importance of our knowledge of the marine environment, with all the implications this has for the many different dynamics of our “Blue Planet”.

Cycle: Science on Monday: The Blue Planet. Aproaches to our Knowledge of the Marine Environment

Organized by: The Residence for Researchers, CSIC-Delegación en Cataluña, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)