Barcelona Sea of Science
Barcelona Sea of Science is leading collaborative efforts to promote knowledge transfer to the general public regarding ocean science:
- Barcelona City Council, through the implementation of the 2018-2028 Coastal Plan, remains committed to increasing the general public’s understanding of ocean science and raising awareness in order to help conserve a healthier ocean.
- The Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM) runs activities, such as the ICM Divulga programme, to make ocean culture more accessible to city residents. These initiatives translate into long-term well-equipped experimentation spaces that bring together basic and applied research and real-time scientific outreach. These new spaces for ocean and polar research encourage curiosity, exploration and the discovery of the sea world and high-latitude ecosystems.
In this context, Barcelona City Council and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) have agreed to work together to expand the city’s scientific ecosystem, with the goal of supporting knowledge transfer on ocean science. The expansion of the CSIC’s centres, with a strong focus on ocean culture and engaging city residents, will include a space for joint activities with local and neighbourhood organisations, helping the general public access ocean culture.
Barcelona is part of the Ocean Cities network, one of the UNESCO’s Ocean Decade programmes, which seeks to transform the way coastal cities interact with the ocean. The members of the consortium agree on the need to make the ocean dimension part of coastal cities to influence both city residents’ daily consumption habits (micro level) and urban and port planning work (macro level), having a positive impact on nearby seawater.
What are we doing?
In July 2022, Barcelona City Council and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) agreed to expand the leading ocean research centre located on Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta. This protocol reflects their shared interest in creating scientific outreach spaces and experiences that strengthen the bonds between ocean culture and city residents. The project is making progress on several goals, including:
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Drawing up the Barcelona Sea of Science Master Plan together with the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM) and Barcelona City Council’s Coastal Office and Department of Science and Universities.
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Drafting the final plan, based on the current preliminary design and operational plan, in order to carry out the initiative at the Port Olímpic’s Moll de Marina wharf.
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Participating in the Monitoring Committee for the protocol, made up of three members from each institution, which has met to supervise the necessary administrative procedures and guarantee the proper implementation of the project, in accordance with the protocol signed.
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Implementation of the Ocean Cities Network project (until 2025), within the Ocean Decade in the Mediterranean programme, selected by the UN as part of the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
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Active collaboration in the organisation of ocean science events, including the Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona in 2024, which was highly successful in terms of participation and led to the Barcelona Statement.
