IAI fosters ocean science collaborations at COLACMAR
The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) recently participated in a series of scientific meetings and workshops in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, in the context of the Latin American Congress of Marine Sciences (COLACMAR).
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Omar López Alfano, Science Director, IAI
On August 13, the IAI Executive Directorate, together with members of the Foundation for Support to Scientific and Technological Research of the State of Santa Catarina (FAPESC), visited the Blumenau Regional University Foundation (FURB). In a meeting with the rector, Marcia Cristina Sardá Espindola, possible areas of collaboration were discussed. The agenda included a visit to the university herbarium, where Dr. André Luís de Gasper leads key research projects.
On August 14, the IAI organized an exploration of research needs in the region for the upcoming OCEANS II funding call, in collaboration with the Belmont Forum (BF) and the National Alliance for Environmental Research (AllENVI) from France. This exercise focused on identifying scientific gaps and societal needs related to ocean research, involving an in-person and virtual audience that provided valuable feedback for the development of the OCEANS II concept note.
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Larisse Faroni-Perez, Fellow STeP, IAI
That same day, the IAI participated in the "Blue-One Health" workshop, organized by the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (Fiocruz) and FAPESC. This workshop, focused on ocean health and climate change in the Americas, proposed a roadmap with key actions for the coming years, including international events and recommendations for the G20.
During the visit to the SAPIENS Technology Park, where entrepreneurship initiatives in bioeconomy and nature-based solutions are being developed, the potential for collaboration between the production-technology sector and scientific research in Latin America was analyzed.
In addition to presenting the work carried out by the IAI in the region, the Executive Directorate provided information on the call for research on tropical forests and on the transdisciplinary approach. The participation of the IAI in regional projects demonstrates the role it plays as a catalyst for transdisciplinary science in the region and its commitment to international collaboration.