The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) has participated in the United Nations Conference on the Oceans, held in Barcelona to discuss the health of the planet’s seas and oceans, presenting a poster poster summarising the contribution of its last 100 projects to the 10 challenges set by the Conference for the Decade of Ocean Sciences.
The poster graphically showed how through its support to marine research, technology development and ocean facility management, PLOCAN has contributed to the understanding and solution of problems such as marine pollution, ecosystem health and restoration, sustainable blue economy, climate change mitigation, scientific capacity building or ocean observation.
PLOCAN’s participation in this UN event served to raise awareness of its work in favour of the oceans and its commitment to the challenges set for the Decade, promoting coordinated efforts towards the sustainable development of ocean sciences and technologies. The poster generated interest among the audience, showing the value of the Singular Scientific and Technical Infrastructure in ocean research and conservation.
The analysis of PLOCAN projects highlighted the critical role of unique scientific infrastructures (ICTS) in advancing the goals of the Decade of the Ocean. PLOCAN test centres have accelerated the development, validation and implementation of sustainable technologies, plans, business models and policies, while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. As a centre for continuous innovation and improvement, PLOCAN’s test centres have promoted an iterative approach to developing and refining sustainable solutions, while serving as a seedbed for the development of new competences and skills required for the sustainable blue economy. PLOCAN flagship projects exemplify the contributions of the test centres to the challenges of the Decade of the Ocean, focusing on crucial areas such as ocean restoration, nature-based solutions, renewable energy and open science.
In addition, an oral presentation on unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and their contribution to the European Ocean Observing System (EOOS) was given in the Session dedicated to Challenge 7, which aims to expand global observing systems.
PLOCAN thanks the Government of the Canary Islands for its collaboration in the recent participation in the Barcelona Conference, highlighting the opportunities for synergies and unity in favor of ocean sustainability. The invitation from the Expert Committee of the Canarian Agenda 2030, in close collaboration with the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, strengthened the vision of working together from the Canaries towards a sustainable ocean future, demonstrating the potential of the union between government, academia, and research to drive transformative initiatives for the benefit of our marine environment.
Proyecto BlueMissionAA
Finally, the side event “Building a strong scientific community in support of a sustainable Atlantic Ocean”, co-organised by the BlueMissionAA Project, in which PLOCAN participates, should be highlighted for its importance for PLOCAN’s main area of work. It showcased initiatives such as the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance and the wider Atlantic Ocean community, as well as other collaborative research projects spanning from the Atlantic to the Arctic, showcasing diverse voices and perspectives.
BlueMissionAA aims to establish a coordinating infrastructure to enable and support the implementation of the EU’s Horizon Europe programme’s Restore our Oceans and Waters Mission. This project brings together the key scientific knowledge and digital capabilities needed to address the challenges of the Oceans Mission related to climate change, sustainable blue economy and the protection of marine ecosystems.
