Nicosia: Leading scientists and policy experts from across Europe, Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean gathered in Nicosia from 19 to 21 November for the international workshop ‘Threats to the Mediterranean Marine Ecosystems in a Warming World,’ hosted by the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the workshop, held at The Cyprus Institute, is a major milestone of a program funded by the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) – the global network uniting more than 150 national academies of science, medicine, and engineering. The initiative is led by the Cyprus Academy in collaboration with the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC) and the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC), and carried out in close coordination with the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative (EMME-CCI).
The opening session featured addresses by Prof. Achilles Emilianides, President of the Cyprus Academy, Prof. Stavros Malas, President of The Cyprus Institute, Dr. Ourania Kosti, Executive Director of IAP, Prof. Wim van Saarloos, President of EASAC, Dr. Jackie Kondo, President of NASAC, and Maria Panayiotou, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment. Costas Kadis, EU Commissioner for Oceans and Fisheries, highlighted the necessity of regional collaboration in his keynote address, emphasizing regional approaches grounded in science and shared responsibility.
Through the EU’s Pact for the Mediterranean, a framework for joint action and innovation to protect marine ecosystems and coastal communities is being established. Dr. Ourania Kosti praised the Cyprus Academy’s leadership in fostering scientific collaboration across continents, stating that such projects exemplify the role academies play in connecting regional expertise to global science policy.
The workshop coincided with the release of the EMME-CCI Report on the Marine Environment and Resources, coordinated by Dr. Aristomenis Karageorgis, Director of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the Eastern Mediterranean’s marine ecosystems and highlights urgent research and policy priorities.
Prof. Costas N. Papanicolas, Principal Investigator of the IAP Project, noted that the initiative unites scientific excellence from Europe, Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean to transform knowledge into action. He added that it strengthens the bridge between science and policy and enhances the region’s ability to address shared environmental challenges.
The three-day workshop was preceded by a public lecture and panel discussion at The Cyprus Institute on ‘Climate Change and the Marine Environment: Global and Regional Challenges.’