Description of Organisation
The Marine Board, which was established by its Member Organisations with the support of the European Commission in 1995, works to promote and coordinate scientific activities within the main marine research institutions in Europe. Regarded as a driving force for marine sciences in Europe, the Marine Board operates by creating a forum for its Members Organisations, identifying strategic scientific issues, providing a voice for European marine science and promoting synergy in the management of both national programmes and research infrastructure facilities and investments.
In addition, the Marine Board is also the joint coordinator of MarinERA (an FP6 ERA-NET) in association with Ifremer (French Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea).
The Marine Board is also involved in AMPERA, an FP6 ERA-NET whose aim is to foster prevention of, and best response to, accidental marine pollution. Within the consortium the Marine Board is responsible for the coordination with other European Research Area related activities.
Marine RTD Funding Programmes
The Marine Board does not run marine RTD Funding Programmes as such. However one of the Marine Board’s assets is its capacity to be proactive in identifying research priorities through establishing and supporting Working Groups (WGs). These WGs are composed of high level European experts who elaborate on marine science and technology topics which need to be addressed. In principle, the expected output is a position paper, subsequently used at national or European levels to catalyse research programme priorities.
2007 will see:
- The completion of the Climate Change WG’s task with the publication Impacts of Climate Change on the European Marine and Coastal Environment (Marine Board position paper 9);
- The completion of the Ocean Fleets WG’s task with the publication of European Ocean Research Fleet - Towards a Common Strategy and Enhanced Use (Marine Board position paper 10);
- The completion of the Remote Sensing WG’s task with the publication of Remote Sensing of Shelf Seas Ecosystems (Marine Board Position Paper 11);
- The publication of the Impacts of Acoustic Geo-surveying Techniques on Marine Mammals in association with the Sea Mammal Research Unit – University of Saint Andrews (UK);
- The establishment of a joint Marine Board – ICES – EFARO WG on Ecosystem-based-management of Ocean Resources (with particular reference to fisheries);
- The continuation of the Marine Board Communications Network activities.
Forthcoming Events / Announcements:
2007 will see the relocation of the Marine Board Secretariat from the ESF offices in Strasbourg (France) to the site of Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) in Ostend (Belgium), in association with the secretariats of EFARO (European Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Organisations) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s Marine Data Management Training Programmes
