Mercator Ocean International supports the AMAZOMIX oceanographic campaign to study physical processes and their impacts on the marine ecosystem at the mouth of the Amazon
Mercator Ocean International (MOi) is supporting the AMAZONIX campaign, which explores the mouth of the Amazon, from 27 August to 8 October 2021. The campaign is taking place on board the ANTEA, an offshore vessel of the French Oceanographic Fleet operated by Ifremer. Over a distance of more than 6,000 km, a multidisciplinary team of […]
5th Ocean State Report Summary now available
On 22 September 2021, the Copernicus Marine Service and Mercator Ocean International (MOi) released the 5 edition of the Ocean State Report (OSR 5) Summary. Freely accessible online, this annual publication provides a comprehensive and state-of-the-art report on the current state, natural variations, and ongoing changes in the European regional seas and global ocean, particularly […]
CEO of MOi speaks at the IUCN World Conservation Congress – Marseille – 3 to 11 September 2021
Mercator Ocean International has been partnering with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), hosting the Secretariat for SDGs and the NGO Sulitest.org to work on the first educational module dedicated to Ocean and SDG14 “Life below Water”. The module has been launched on July 9th during the High Level Political […]
Mercator Ocean reaffirms its commitment to the UN Global Compact
By issuing its first Communication on Engagement meant for all its stakeholders, Mercator Ocean International (MOi) reaffirms its support to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and its Ten Principles on human rights, labour, environment, and anticorruption. The purpose of MOi is to build a lasting and relevant base of scientific knowledge and operational skills […]
Towards urgent global climate change action: Release of IPCC’s latest report “AR6 Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis”
On 9 August 2021, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the Working Group 1 contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) – “Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis”. One of the eight reports making up the IPCC AR6, the Working Group 1 (WG1) report addresses the most updated physical understanding of the climate […]
Sri Lanka faces environmental disaster following the X-Press Pearl Shipwreck
A cargo ship carrying chemicals and plastic pellets has been burning and beginning to sink off the coast of Sri Lanka starting on May 20th, 2021. The ship, the MV X-Press Pearl, was carrying 1,486 containers. Eighty-one of those were dangerous goods containers, including 25 tons of nitric acid that represents a potential huge environmental […]
Official visit of Ms Annick Girardin, Minister for the Sea
“The Ocean is a common good and it is the issue from which we must start”, President Macron told us at the end of 2019. A few months later, a Ministry of the Sea was set up in the French government. Ms Annick Girardin, former Member of Parliament for Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and Minister for Overseas Territories, […]
Towards a European Coastal Flood Awareness System
In January 2021, Mercator Ocean International joined forces with seven other European organisations to develop a proof-of-concept for a European Coastal Flood Awareness System (ECFAS). ECFAS will provide a much-needed solution to strengthen coastal resilience to climate risk and lessen the exposure of people and assets by monitoring and supporting coastal flood preparedness. By demonstrating […]
France’s maritime challenges
On 22 November 2020, the French General Secretariat for the Sea celebrated its 25th anniversary. To highlight France’s maritime challenges and mark the occasion, the Cahiers d’Administration published a special issue. In an interview with Pierre Bahurel, Mercator Océan’s CEO, he highlighted the actions of Mercator Océan International and the importance of the digital ocean […]
IOC-UNESCO Global Ocean Science Report 2020 & Contributions
In conjunction with its 60th anniversary in 2020, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO launched the Global Ocean Science Report 2020 (GOSR2020). IOC-UNESCO’s flagship report provides a thorough assessment of the status and trends in ocean science capacity around the world. Karina von Schuckmann, an oceanographer for Mercator Ocean international, has contributed to two […]
The Parliamentary Courier focuses on ocean issues for France and the European Union
On the occasion of a European Parliament event last January 2020, the Courrier du Parlement interviewed and explored different views from two French and European actors involved in the European Union on issues surrounding the ocean and its sustainable use: French MEP Catherine Chabaud and Pierre Bahurel, Director General of Mercator Ocean International (link to article here). […]
Tracking the Wakashio Oil Spill in the Indian Ocean
One of the worst oil spills in the Indian Ocean recently occurred when the Wakashio bulk carrier ran aground on July 25 on a reef in southeast Mauritius. The vessel broke in two on August 16 and the bow part was towed offshore to be sunk. The environmental effects have been devastating and responders have […]