Hosted at the renowned Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, this meeting marked key decisions and exciting developments for JPI Oceans. Chaired by Niall McDonough from the Marine Institute in Ireland, the event also welcomed new member Ayrton Hüüs from the Estonian Ministry of Climate, as well as representatives from the European Commission DGs RTD and Mare, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Canadian Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR).
The Board approved the European Marinas Network as a Joint Action after a one-year scoping period. The other Scoping Action, on offshore freshened groundwater, will be revisited in Spring 2025, with a final decision expected then.
The Board also decided on ideas for new Joint Actions. Among the submissions in response to JPI Oceans‘ latest solicitation for ideas, it was decided to pursue the topic of ocean oxygen, or the lack thereof, in the form of a Scoping Action. Two submissions had suggested that JPI Oceans addressed deoxygenation and oxygen limitation. Several other topics were also looked into by the Board with great interest but couldn’t raise the required level of commitment.
Another major development was the approval of a new Joint Action between JPI Oceans and JPI Climate focused on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). This Rapid Response Action, proposed by JPI Climate, will skip the scoping phase due to the imminent public interest in the topic.
The meeting also saw the presentation of key outcomes from ongoing Joint Actions. The Ecological Aspects of Microplastics Joint Action shared a new brochure outlining key results of its recently concluded projects, while the Sea Level Rise Knowledge Hub presented its first European Assessment Report on Sea Level Rise and received approval to move into a second phase.
The Board also noted the success of JPI Oceans and the EOOS Resource Forum’s initiative to collate National Charts on ocean observing, with those for Greece and Germany published now, constituting an important step towards enhancing ocean monitoring capabilities across Europe.
As part of the meeting, participants engaged in a Strategy Workshop to converge on the future direction of JPI Oceans. Following the discussion at the JPI Oceans Strategic Navigation Forum last June, the workshop focused on refining our strategic approach. The group emphasised the importance of improving science-policy interaction and moving beyond traditional science communication methods. Successful examples, such as the "Small particles, big concerns" European Parliament event, were highlighted as models to follow. Ideas for enhancing communication were directed to the purpose of generating impact. The workshop also addressed JPI Oceans' organisational structure and implementation approaches, with a focus on adopting a flexible approach with international cooperation allowing hybrid model of application of our implementation tools.
The MB also reviewed the constructive assessments of concluded and ongoing Joint Actions. The Science for Good Environmental Status (S4GES) Joint Action received positive feedback and approval for initiating a second phase with a joint call for proposals to be launched in early 2025. Additionally, it was agreed to transfer the concluded Munition in the Sea Joint Action into a Strategic Engagement with the European MMinE-SweepER project at its centre.
Updates were provided on several Strategic Engagements, including the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP), the Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters with its Prep4Blue CSA, the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA) with its supporting OKEANO CSA, and the Advancing Marine Research Infrastructures Together (AMRIT) project. JPI Oceans’ involvement in the UN Ocean Decade, particularly in the upcoming 3rd UN Ocean Conference and One Ocean Science Congress, was also outlined.
The next General Assembly and Management Board meeting will take place in spring 2025, at the JPI Oceans Secretariat in Brussels, in a hybrid format. The autumn 2025 meeting will be hosted by Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) in Rhodes, Greece. These meetings will continue to shape JPI Oceans' trajectory, advancing global ocean science research and strengthening international cooperation by developing, funding and implementing trans-national research agendas.