Ocean Decade Conference 2024 Barcelona

Showcasing the ��Ƶ's research on an international stage

Researchers from the ��Ƶ, alongside colleagues from the labs, contributed to the UN Ocean Decade Conference, joining the global Ocean Decade community and partners to celebrate, take stock of progress, and set joint priorities for the future.

Focused on ‘delivering the science we need for the ocean we want’, the, was hosted by the Government of Spain in Barcelona from 10 – 12 April 2024.

The Conference provided a unique opportunity to convene and prepare existing and future Ocean Decade partners in advance of the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference and the 2025 United Ocean Conference.

��Ƶ researchers played their part in this conference speaking at both official and satellite events and the conference itself, including a keynote talk.

Experts were also on hand on a dedicated Marine Research Plymouth exhibition booth from 8 April.

Our delegation

Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS

Director of the Marine Institute
Professor Kerry Howell

Professor of Deep-Sea Ecology
Professor Jason Hall-Spencer

Professor of Marine Biology
Dr Thomas Davies

Associate Professor of Marine Conservation
Kizzy Beaumont

PhD Student
Dr Imogen Napper

Visiting Research Fellow
Dr Max Kelly

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr Amelia Bridges

Research Fellow

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Events we participated in

Plenary Session 1: Science and Solutions for a Clean, Healthy and Resilient Ocean

Wednesday 10 April, 15:00–18:00

Dr Imogen Napper was a panel member at this , focusing on Challenges 1, 2 and 5 – Marine Pollution, Ecosystems and Ocean-Climate Nexus.

The Conference’s Plenary Sessions commence with a keynote speaker followed by a moderated roundtable discussion providing an overview of achievements, future opportunities and remaining challenges for the issues in question.

Venue: One Ocean Room,

Parallel Session 1 – Oral Presentation: Introducing the Global Ocean Artificial Light at Night Network

Wednesday 10 April, 16:30–18:00

Dr Thomas Davies gave an oral presentation introducing a global network of light pollution research.

Light pollution is not well represented on the Ocean Decade agenda, and this event will facilitate new opportunities for networking with existing Decade programmes and projects, and for forming new partnerships with stakeholders from across industry, policy and government, as they work towards feasible management solutions for light emissions into the ocean.

The Conference’s parallel sessions – Science Solutions Forums – start with a presentation of key elements of the Vision 2030 White Paper for the relevant Challenge and followed by a series of oral presentations on innovative science-society solutions that are contributing to or aligned with the Challenge. The sessions close with a moderated interactive dialogue to develop key recommendations from the session for reporting back to plenary.

Venue: Arctic Ocean Room,

Parallel Session 2 – Oral Presentation: What data are we missing? Using natural capital and ecosystem service indicators to demonstrate the quality and quantity of natural assets in Plymouth Sound National Marine Park

Thursday 11 April, 11:30–13:00

PhD student Kizzy Beaumont gave the presentation.

Venue: Pacific Ocean Room,

Ocean carbon: The knowns and unknowns

Friday 12 April, 8:30–9:45

Professor Jason Hall-Spencer presented the International CO2 Natural Analogues Network (ICONA) project, a UN Ocean Decade project that is using natural analogues to understand how ocean acidification will impact marine ecosystems. Principal Investigator, Jason explained how natural analogues mimic future environment:

“These include volcanic gas seeps, tidal lagoons, or upwelling areas that result in higher than average CO2 levels being present in the surrounding ocean. We can use these environments to investigate what the marine ecosystems might look like in the future given the projections for ocean acidification.”

This breakfast event illustrated and discussed the importance of integrated ocean carbon research, which aims at filling knowledge gaps in ocean carbon science for sustainable development by designing and promoting the implementation of a new generation of underpinning research to support emerging ocean-climate policy.

Venue: Pacific Ocean Room (Area 08),

Ocean Census: Discovering Marine Life

Friday 12 April, 8:30–9:45

Professor Kerry Howell was one of the expert speakers at this symposium, who will delve into the Ocean Census’ strategies and scientific objectives.

Ocean Census is a pioneering biodiversity project initiated by The Nippon Foundation and Nekton, with an ambitious goal of discovering 100,000 new species in the next decade. Building on the legacies of The Census of Marine Life and others, the endeavour is a global collaboration undertaken by a diverse and inclusive network of partners, accelerating species discovery, enhancing data sharing, inspiring public engagement and driving impactful policy changes addressing the urgent biodiversity crisis.

Venue: One Ocean Room,

Tackling Plastic Pollution Together

Friday 12 April, 13:15–14:45

Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS delivered the keynote address at this Satellite Event led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) UK.

The event also included a panel and showcase of the science that is helping us build our understanding of this challenge, guide effective solutions and drive policy decisions to beat plastic pollution.

More than 12 million tonnes of plastic waste pollute our ocean each year and this could triple by 2040 if we do not act. As the negotiations for a new global plastic pollution treaty continue, science remains critical in understanding the challenge and driving effective solutions. Join us and a panel of experts at this networking and knowledge-sharing event with capacity building and international collaboration at its heart. Make new connections as we showcase science that is helping us to build our understanding of the challenge and guiding effective solutions to beat plastic pollution.

Venue: Sargasso Sea Room,

Deepening the Decade: Deep Ocean Actions for a sustainable ocean

Friday 12 April, 13:15–14:45

Deep-sea ecologist Professor Kerry Howell was one of the panellists representing 15 or more of the Decade Actions that target or incorporate the deep ocean. Discussions featured cross-cutting early career, capacity development, data and knowledge generation achievements and actions that produce ocean solutions and address the Decade Challenges.

The highlighted a set of communal goals for the deep ocean developed by the Ocean Decade’s Deep Ocean Research and Management Community of Practice.

Venue: Southern Ocean Room, (CCIB)