With the aim of supporting EU-Caribbean cooperation in marine research, the European Commission organised the EU-Caribbean Workshop on Marine Science Cooperation, that took place on 14-15 November at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Barbados.
Ana Lillebø, Vice-Rector of the University of Aveiro and scientific coordinator of the A-AAGORA project, was invited by the European Commission to participate in this Workshop. Her presentation, entitled “Coastal Restoration with Nature and People: The Living Lab concept of the A-AAGORA project”, focused on potential collaborations between the two regions, to cocreate roadmaps and innovative solutions for coastal restoration, in line with the objectives of the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” and the United Nations Decade of Oceans.
The event was opened by the Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology, Hon. Davidson I. Ishmael, and brought together multiple stakeholders to explore the potentialities, needs and gaps in marine research and cooperation for the Caribbean and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Discussions focused on critical issues such as coastal resilience, fisheries management, marine protected areas, ecosystems and biodiversity, ocean observation and research infrastructures.
A key aspect of the workshop was to promote and support a long-term sustainable bi-regional multi-stakeholder dialogue. To this end, opportunities for EU-Caribbean cooperation in marine research under the Horizon Europe (HE) programme were presented as well as projects and initiatives already under development.