Ocean acidification poses a growing challenge to marine organisms and ecosystems and therefore also to many countries relying on marine resources. Research on this topic, which is affecting Member States all around the globe has been evolving continuously, however still lacks general public awareness. To build awareness of ocean acidification and to encourage collaboration between Member States, the IAEA held a meeting in Vienna, Austria, from 10 to 12 April. Twenty-seven countries attended the meeting, including Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, China, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Iraq, Kenya, Kuwait, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Namibia, Palau, Peru, Philippines, Slovenia, Thailand and Turkey. The meeting, organized under an interregional IAEA technical cooperation (TC) project1/, aimed to allow counterparts to present their work, capacities and needs, based on a questionnaire circulated earlier in the year. In addition, possibilities for regional and interregional collaboration were explored, and participants discussed data sharing and management efforts, as well as data synthesis products, gaps in capacity building, and possible outreach activities. Project work plans were adapted accordingly.
IAEA technical cooperation support through the interregional project aims to foster collaboration and coordination among participating Member States, and to start a discourse with other interested countries and parties. The overall goal of the project is to help build capacity to measure and study ocean acidification, and to connect countries and regions with an interest in this emerging environmental problem. The project aims to promote standardization of methodology, and to support and encourage capacity building, regional and inter-regional networking, collaboration and data sharing, and outreach to key stakeholders.
