EMB Position Paper 25 is a comprehensive look at the current research vessel fleet in Europe, updating the findings and recommendations of EMB Position Paper 10 from 2007 on “European Ocean Research Fleets - Towards a Common Strategy and Enhanced Use”. This publication is the result of a collaboration with the European Research Vessel Operators and presents an overview of the current fleet, its capabilities and equipment, and its management. It then looks to the future, highlighting what will be needed to ensure that the European fleet can continue to provide the same high level of support to science, in particular in specialized areas such as the deep-sea and Polar regions. It also goes beyond the fleet itself, to consider the training of fleet personnel, fleet management, and the role of research vessels in the wider context of ocean observations and the European Ocean Observing System. Read more on European Marine Board webpage.

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EurOCEAN 2019 conference report

The EurOCEAN 2019 conference is an official contribution to the preparatory phase of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). It is an important initial step from the European marine science community to prepare for the UN Ocean Decade and to ensure that it aligns with the EU Framework Programmes. The EurOCEAN 2019 conference report documents the contributions and discussions that took place at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France on 11-12 June 2019. It also includes a brief summary with the main messages from the conference.

Read more on European Marine Board webpage 

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Navigating the Future V: Marine Science for a Sustainable Future

This report provides governments with robust, independent scientific advice on future seas and ocean research from now until 2030 and beyond. The future we want requires a healthy ocean and the sustainable use of marine resources. However, the ocean is under threat from multiple interacting stressors. Moreover, we are still developing the scientific knowledge base and technology to fully explore, understand, observe and predict the ocean and the effect of human activities. Navigating the Future V recommends a solutions-oriented, transdisciplinary marine research agenda, co-designed with all stakeholders and with the governance of sustainability at its core.

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Valuing Marine Ecosystem Services - Taking into account the value of ecosystem benefits in the blue economy.

This Future Science Brief makes some recommendations on how to incorporate outputs from marine valuation studies into the traditional analyses used in resource and environmental economics and into the European marine policy landscape and related management and decision making choices. It is primarily aimed at stakeholders interested in valuation of marine ecosystem services and natural capital accounting, spanning diverse roles from commissioning, managing, funding and coordinating, to developing, implementing, or advising on, marine ecosystem service and natural capital programmes.

The publication was established under the EMB Working group ‘VALMARE’ under the lead of Prof Melanie Austin (Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), UK). A short fact sheet for policy makers is available here.

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EMBs latest Future Science Brief No. 4 “Enhancing Europe's capability in marine ecosystem modelling” looks at how marine ecosystem models are being increasingly used as a tool for ecosystem management. It gives examples of current capability and examines the mismatch between science and policy, providing recommendations to strengthen marine ecosystem modelling capability for current and future societal needs.

The Future Science Brief can be downloaded here and a short factsheet for policy maker

More information on the working group that established this publication is available here.

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” calls for an increase in the relevance of current (and future) European biological ocean observation capacity to strengthen global efforts towards our understanding of the ocean and enhance marine biodiversity conservation, for maintaining a healthy ocean for healthy societies.

The publication can be downloaded from EMB´s

, and a factsheet for policy makers can be found 

. The publication is an official output of the European Marine Board, a strategic pan-European Forum with members including key marine research performing institutes, funding agencies and university consortia.

Strengthening Europe's Capability in Biological Ocean Observations
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