Program Update: Census of Marine Life – February 2011
The Census of Marine Life is continuing the distribution of results from the 10 year program throughout the scientific community. At the beginning of February, the Census attended the UN FAO Committee on Fisheries meeting in Rome, Italy, where Census scientists organized and participated in side events, technical meetings about incorporating Census of Marine Life data into FAO processes, and had a display area with Decade of Discovery materials available. More information about this event is available on the Census Secretariat webpage. Dr. Paul Snelgrove, author of “Discoveries of the Census of Marine Life: Making Ocean Life Count,” has given several lectures at marine institutions and conferences, and will continue throughout the spring. To keep up with Dr. Snelgrove’s schedule and to learn more, please visit his Facebook page.
Also this month, the Census of Marine Life Scientific Steering Committee participated in an internal evaluation of program, examining the success and lessons learned about managing large research programs. This report complements an external review in progress by Dr. David Penman. Dr. Penman will be visiting the Washington D.C. area May 18-19 to brief interested audiences on his findings.
Finally, the Census of Marine Life Beyond 2010 Scientific Planning Committee, a committee tasked with developing ideas for a new marine biodiversity research program, will meet at the end of March in Washington D.C. The group will outline a strategy for a potential new program, building on Census work. Specifically, carrying it forward with new goals and themes to be presented and discussed at a workshop that will be held in conjunction with the 2nd World Conference on Marine Biodiversity in September 2011. This group will be working over the next few months to build broad community support for the plan and to raise funding for implementation of a new program.
