The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO is currently implementing the project Invasive alien species and other ocean stressors: Furthering the scientific knowledge and capacity basis in the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME), which is funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). The main IOC partner for the project is the Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO- CSIC, Spain).

The project aims at furthering the scientific knowledge and capacity basis in the countries in the region (Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal and Spain (Canary Islands)) by adding a focus on the effects of multiple ocean stressors to the knowledge base of the Canary Current system. This new focus includes a collaborative approach to the question of invasive alien species (IAS).

This is the seventh of a series of project meetings, shaped as a Workshop to: (i) present progress on the CCLME Alien Species Database; (ii) discuss the issues encountered while populating the database and taking decisions about how to address those; and (iii) present the developments  in the CCLME Eco-GIS Viewer to present the CCLME Alien Species Database.

The meeting is programmed for 11 December 2023, 11-14:30 h CET (virtual). It will be held in English.

This capacity development effort is aimed at enhancing oceanography capacities in the region, providing room for scientific discussions. Networks will be built through the attendance of regional experts and postgraduate students from different countries and with different backgrounds.