ICOS side event at European Digital Ocean Pavillion at the UN Ocean Decade Conference 2025
Date & time: 12 June 2025, 16:30-17:15
Location: European Digital Ocean Pavillion, Palais des Expositions, Nice, France.
How to participate: The event is open to anyone and free-of-charge. Read more.
About
The ocean is a major carbon sink, absorbing a significant share of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. Long-term, near-real-time monitoring of ocean carbon fluxes is essential for assessing progress under the Paris Agreement and informing climate policy. However, significant observational gaps persist, particularly in regions lacking resources and infrastructure, limiting the reliability of global assessments.
Technological advancements are improving the accuracy and efficiency of ocean carbon observations. Innovations in sensor technology, autonomous measurement platforms, and enhanced data processing are expanding monitoring capabilities. Strengthening international collaboration will be key to building a more comprehensive and policy-relevant global monitoring system – but more actions are needed to ensure the sustainability of this system.
This event will discuss the following three points
- Scientific priorities for ocean carbon monitoring – addressing data gaps and improving long-term observations.
- Technological innovations – advancing sensors, autonomous platforms, and data
- The global ocean carbon observing system and new developments – establishing standards and regulations for the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) interventions
Speakers and panelists
- Dr Anya Waite, CEO and Scientific Director, Ocean Frontier Institute, Canada
- Dr Dariia Atamanchuk, Senior Research Scientist, Dalhousie University, Canada
- Dr Louis Legendre, Professor Emeritus, Sorbonne University, France
- Dr Philip Boyd, Professor of Marine Science, University of Tasmania, Australia
Moderator: Dr Werner Kutsch, Director General of ICOS ERIC.
Scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders are invited to discuss how we can enhance ocean carbon monitoring by addressing scientific priorities, advancing technological innovations, and supporting the development of MRV standards to meet global climate commitments.
This event has been funded by the GEORGE project, which has received funding from European Union’s Horizon Europe programme under grant agreement no.101094716.