On 24 March 2026, CIESM’s Science Council convened for its latest session, bringing together the Chairs of the Commission’s Scientific Committees in their role as key scientific ambassadors. As with every Science Council meeting, the session provided an important opportunity for dialogue, exchange and collective reflection, allowing the Commission to benefit from the expertise of its Chairs in order to help guide priorities, refine orientations and ensure that its scientific direcrigourremain relevant, coherent and forward-looking.
The meeting included updates on several core programmes and initiatives, with particular attention given to recent developments in Migratory Species, Hydrochanges and PRISM. These exchanges offered an opportunity to review ongoing progress, highlight current dynamics across programmes, and situate this work within the Commission’s broader scientific agenda.
A dedicated exchange also focused on how the Commission can further strengthen the way its science is communicated, shared and used, particularly how data and results can be presented more clearly, connected to decision-relevant questions, and disseminated in formats that reflect both the rigour and the practical value of this work across the Mediterranean and Black Sea region.
In that spirit, the Council reflected on the value of ensuring that the Commission is meaningfully represented in the many events, meetings and forums to which it is invited. Such occasions provide important opportunities to strengthen visibility, build relevant connections, and ensure that its science continues to inform discussions where regional cooperation and marine knowledge are most needed.
The session also provided an opportunity to open early reflections on the future Congress, with initial exchanges on its relevance, direction and broader scientific positioning. While still at a preliminary stage, these discussions helped frame some of the considerations that may inform the next steps in preparing this major moment.
Throughout the discussions, the Science Council reaffirmed the importance of CIESM’s role as an independent, intergovernmental commission and a neutral platform for cross-border scientific cooperation.
