The scope of the upcoming edition of Monaco Ocean Week is as wide as the world’s oceans themselves.
From shipping and its impact on marine ecosystems around the globe to ocean acidification and marine C02 removal, coral reef protections, the Blue Economy and the increasing demand for improved financing and investment, as well as the pressing need to address coastal erosion, the topics and themes scheduled for debate and discussion at next month’s events are far-ranging and full of ambition.
Between Monday 18th and Friday 22nd March, dozens of talks and conferences will be taking place across the Principality, and many will also be streamed online to allow the public-at-large to participate and hear about the latest discoveries, technologies and policies being made in the field.
Prince Albert II will open the event on Monday 18th March at the Monaco Blue Initiative, which will be held in the Musée Océanographique de Monaco. The main goals of the Monaco Blue Initiative are to “explore and promote synergies between the protection of the marine environment and the development of a truly sustainable blue economy”. It is likely to attract a diverse crowd of government representatives, NGOs, international organisations, the private sector and the media.
Other major cross-sector events include the Pelagos Forum and a meeting of the MedFund’s Board of Directors on Tuesday 19th, the Ocean Innovators Platform on Wednesday 20th, and the Monaco Smart Yacht Rendezvous between Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd March.
A range of biodiversity-themed events are in the works, such as the meeting of the Mediterranean Posidonia Network and two cetacean conferences on Wednesday 20th March, one of which will be held for students at Monaco’s École Saint-Charles.
A full day will be dedicated to the extensive ‘Blue Economy Roundtable: Shipping and the Triple Crisis’ conference that will be headed by the Centre Scientifique de Monaco’s Doctor Nathalie Hilmi on Tuesday 19th March at the Meridien Beach Plaza Hotel.
Science and technology highlights include the 3D seafloor mapping workshop organised by the Mediterranean Science Commission between Tuesday 19th and Thursday 21st and a review of the Monaco Explorations Indian Ocean Expedition in 2022.
Climate and other environmental issues will be discussed at a variety of events, from the marine carbon dioxide removal presentation on Tuesday 19th to an aquaculture-themed talk and a separate coastal resilience conference on Wednesday 20th , as well as a sustainable fashion event on Friday 22nd March.
To explore the full programme, click here.
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Photo credit: Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco