Nicosia: The Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts has received a grant from the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) to support its initiative addressing threats to Mediterranean marine ecosystems due to climate change. The project, titled “Threats to the Mediterranean Marine Ecosystems in a Warming World,” aims to focus on the Eastern Mediterranean, a region particularly vulnerable to climate change but with limited research coverage.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Cyprus Academy, in collaboration with the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC) and the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC), emphasizes the importance of scientific excellence and regional cooperation in tackling global challenges. The project aims to study the impact of climate change on marine and coastal ecosystems in the Mediterranean, which are threatened by rising temperatures, medicanes, flash floods, prolonged droughts, sea acidification, rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and invasive species.
Building on the Cyprus Government’s Cyprus Climate Initiative, this research will enhance scientific understanding of climate-induced stressors on the Mediterranean’s marine environments and aid in policy development at various levels. The grant comes from the InterAcademy Partnership, a global network of over 150 academies of science, engineering, and medicine, representing more than 30,000 professionals from over 100 countries.
The project, supported by the Simons Foundation International, aligns with IAP’s strategic initiatives to address global challenges such as climate change and promote sustainable development through partnerships between countries of different income levels. This grant is a significant milestone for the Cyprus Academy, marking its first competitive international funding. Professor Achilles C. Emilianides, President of the Cyprus Academy, praised the award as a testament to the Academy’s scientific capabilities and its growing international recognition.
Led by Academician Professor Costas N. Papanicolas, the project will be conducted under the Cyprus Academy’s new Research Office on Climate Crisis and Sustainable Development.