From 23 to 26 June, professionals and researchers will share experiences and take part in workshops on the observation, management and conservation of the coastal and marine environment
Source: Fuerteventura Island Council, host of the event
From this Tuesday, Fuerteventura is hosting the second edition of the ECOMARIS Meeting, an international scientific initiative led by the ECOAQUA University Institute of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), which is taking place with the support of the INTERREG MAC 2021–2027 Programme, in line with its Priority Axis 1. ‘Smart MAC’, involving partners from the Canary Islands, Madeira, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, and the Azores. Over the course of several days, professionals, researchers and institutions from these territories will share knowledge and experiences to advance the observation, management and conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems.
The official opening of the conference, held today, Tuesday 23 June, at the Fuerteventura Training and Conference Centre, was attended by Marlene Figueroa, Councillor for Ecological Transition and Environmental Sustainability at the Fuerteventura Island Council; Yaiza Fernández-Palacios, a researcher at the ECOAQUA University Institute of the ULPGC and coordinator of the ECOMARIS project; João Gama Monteiro, a research associate at the Faculty of Life Sciences of the University of Madeira and a full member of MARE-Madeira and ARDITI; and Antonio Gallardo, director of the Fuerteventura Biosphere Reserve.
A photograph of the opening of the event featuring the director of the Fuerteventura Biosphere Reserve, Antonio Gallardo; the coordinator of ECOMARIS and researcher with the BIOCON group at ECOAQUA, Yaiza Fernández-Palacios; the Councillor for Ecological Transition and Environmental Sustainability at the Fuerteventura Island Council, Marlene Figueroa, and João Gama Monteiro, a research associate at the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Madeira, and a full member of MARE-Madeira and ARDITI.
Marlene Figueroa welcomed the attendees and emphasised that “it is a pleasure for Fuerteventura to host this international meeting, which brings together representatives from four countries and five archipelagos in Macaronesia to share knowledge and experiences regarding the conservation of the marine environment”.
She also noted that “projects such as ECOMARIS reinforce the role of the Biosphere Reserve as a space for innovation, research and cooperation, generating useful tools to improve the protection and management of our coastal and oceanic ecosystems”.
For her part, the ECOMARIS project coordinator, Yaiza Fernández-Palacios, emphasised that “this second partners’ meeting enables us to assess the project’s progress, coordinate upcoming actions and organise specialised workshops that facilitate the exchange of knowledge and skills amongst the participating territories”.
Fernández-Palacios also emphasised that “one of ECOMARIS’s main objectives is to transfer the methodologies and technologies developed in the scientific sphere to public authorities, businesses and the general public, thereby promoting their practical application in the management and conservation of the marine environment”.
Innovation applied to the marine environment
The event is taking place from 23 to 26 June in Fuerteventura and includes three specialist workshops aimed at improving the technical skills of professionals involved in the observation, management and conservation of the coastal and marine environment.
Group photo with the participants at the opening of the ECOMARIS International Conference.
The programme addresses issues such as the use of drones and other environmental observation technologies, the management of geographic information applied to the marine environment, and data analysis for the monitoring of coastal ecosystems. The sessions combine theoretical and practical content, encouraging the exchange of knowledge amongst specialists from the various participating regions.
The meeting will also provide an opportunity to share experiences and best practices developed in different regions of Macaronesia, strengthening collaboration between organisations working in fields related to sustainability, research and the conservation of the marine environment.
The 24th and 25th June will be dedicated to the annual meeting to coordinate and review the project’s activities, which is reserved for consortium partners.
Throughout the event, the project exhibition will be open to visitors at the Fuerteventura Training and Conference Centre between 10.00 and 12.00 and between 17.00 and 18.30. Here, visitors will find several information panels explaining the objectives of ECOMARIS, as well as various models depicting marine life. For guided tours of this exhibition, advance booking is required by calling 676978871. Visitors will also be able to enjoy a marine experience using virtual reality headsets.
Cooperation between regions
ECOMARIS is a cooperation project that promotes the exchange of knowledge and the development of innovative tools to improve the monitoring, management and conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems.
The holding of this second meeting in Fuerteventura consolidates the island’s role as a key venue for debate, training and cooperation on sustainability and the protection of the natural environment, fostering the creation of networks between institutions, professionals and research centres from different regions.
Project participants
The 11 partners participating in the project, representing each of the regions, are:
Canary Islands:
-University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, through ECOAQUA.
-Fuerteventura Island Council, through the Biosphere Reserve.
-elittoral Estudios de ingeniería costera y oceanográfica SLNE.
-Tecnofly Canarias, S.L.
Azores, Portugal:
-Regional Secretariat for the Sea and Fisheries: Regional Directorate for Fisheries.
-Regional Directorate for Maritime Policies.
Madeira, Portugal:
-Regional Secretariat for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment.
-ARDITI – Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation.
-University of Madeira.
Cape Verde:
-BIOSFERA 1 – Association for the Defence of the Environment.
São Tomé and Príncipe:
-Association of Friends of the Príncipe Island Biosphere Reserve (AARBIP).