Barcelona Sea of Science
The Barcelona Sea of Science project includes two synergistic actions to promote the transfer of knowledge on ocean sciences to the general public:
- With the implementation of the 2018-2028 Coastal Plan, Barcelona City Council is pursuing its aim of increasing the general public’s knowledge about ocean science and raising awareness, in order to help conserve a healthier ocean.
- The ICM is carrying out activities – such as the ICM Divulga programme – to bring knowledge about the oceans to the people. These will become permanent areas for scientific dissemination in an appropriate location with adequate resources. In this respect, the new spaces dedicated to ocean and polar research combine basic and applied studies with direct and current scientific dissemination, stimulating the curiosity, exploration and discovery of the general public with regard to both the marine environment and high-latitude ecosystems.
Therefore, as part of their aim to further the transfer of knowledge on ocean sciences to the general public, Barcelona City Council and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) have agreed to collaborate on expanding the city’s scientific ecosystem, promoting a project to expand the CMIMA’s current facilities (with a marked emphasis on scientific education activities and outreach for the general public) in order to organise the work linked to these new facilities, which will be accessible to city residents in general and will include a place for joint activities with organisations in the neighbourhood and the rest of the city.
Barcelona is part of the Ocean Cities network, which aims to change the way coastal cities interact and develop with the ocean. The members of the consortium agree on the need to implement an oceanic aspect of coastal cities that drives the daily functioning of a city: from a micro level (citizens’ daily consumption habits) to a macro level (urban and port planning activities and their impact on local marine waters).
What are we doing?
In July 2022, Barcelona City Council and the CSIC agreed to expand the ocean research centre on the seafront promenade in Barceloneta. The two institutions have approved a protocol expressing their mutual interest in expanding the CSIC centres, with the aim of creating spaces for scientific dissemination and strengthening the links between ocean science and the public. The project addresses a number of different challenges, including:
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Developing a master plan for the Barcelona Sea of Science in partnership with the CMIMA, the Department of Science and Universities, and the Coastal Management Office, the latter two being part of the Barcelona City Council.
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Drafting of the final project, based on the current preliminary design and operational plan, in order to carry out the initiative.
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Participation in the Protocol Monitoring Committee, made up of three members from each institution, which met to review the procedures necessary to implement the project in an appropriate manner, in accordance with the signed protocol.
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Implementation of the Ocean Cities Network project (until 2025), which is part of the Decade of Oceans in the Mediterranean programme, selected by the UN as the programme for the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
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Active collaboration in organising activities linked to ocean science, such as the well-attended Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona in 2024, which resulted in the Barcelona Ocean Decade Statement.
