João Cannig-Clode in the Monaco Blue Iniciative and Monaco Ocean Week

MARE researcher João Canning-Clode had the opportunity to take part in the Monaco Blue Initiative and Monaco Ocean Week, which took place between March 17-20. His presence was part of the "Edinburgh Ocean Leaders" program, and he also took part in the annual meeting of the Edinburgh Ocean Leaders, which took place between March 12-15.

The Edinburgh Ocean Leaders program is designed to accelerate the leadership, creativity and influence of outstanding ocean professionals, working together to make a positive and significant impact on ocean health. Each year eight ocean leaders are selected from a wide range of fields, with João Canning-Clode being selected in 2023. This program supports leadership training, mentoring, professional development and networking opportunities, which enabled the researcher to participate in the Monaco Blue Initiative and Monaco Ocean Week.

The Monaco Blue Initiative and Monaco Ocean Week is an event sponsored by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, where representatives of governments, international organizations, civil society, NGOs, the private sector, the scientific community and the media come together to develop synergies with the aim of protecting the marine environment and developing a truly sustainable blue economy.

In this year's edition, the MARE researcher was a speaker on two panels: "Action-based Ocean Leadership", where he spoke about his leadership path and the creation of MARE-Madeira, and "The Great Blue Wall Initiative", where he spoke about the importance of low-cost research, monitoring and community involvement to help decision-making, especially in countries on the African continent.