Governance, Citizen Science and Ocean Literacy

ACTION DOMAINS
Photo © Mélanie Costa

There is a need for alternative models of Governance and Citizen Engagement, that merge top-down and bottom-up processes, and that understand the role of communities and the environment on ocean, coastal and hydrographic basin planning and management. The work developed through the Governance, Citizen Science and Ocean Literacy action domain supports this view and promotes collaboration among entities (organizations and citizens), contributing to build up collective social, intellectual (knowledge building) and political capital. It also assures the capacitation and empowerment of the civil society in Governance and Literacy, namely for communities, institutions and businesses aiming a higher commitment towards sustainability.

This action domain is transdisciplinary and accounts for multiple levels of policy decision-making and governance, as well as for a multiplicity of geographical interventions. It integrates diverse areas such as biology, geography, planning, sociology, anthropology, engineering, architecture and others, and interacts with most of the other action domains of ARNET.

Public Policies & Strategies

Coordination

Support to coordination

Coordination

Lia Vasconcelos

BIO

Support to coordination

José Xavier

BIO

Support to coordination

Emanuel Gonçalves

BIO

Support to coordination

Alice Newton

BIO
Coordinator

Lia Vasconcelos

Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering – FCT NOVA, researcher at MARE.
Expertise in innovative processes of collaborative decision making, mobilizing and engaging multi-stakeholders aiming new ways of governance.
Support to coordination

José Xavier

Assistant Professor at the University of Coimbra and researcher at MARE. Head of the Portuguese delegation at the Antarctic Treaty Meetings since 2013.

Expertise in marine ecosystems, particularly in the Antarctic system, with leading work related to climate change, essential biological research, interactions between science and Antarctic policies development, and education and outreach.
Support to coordination

Emanuel Gonçalves

Associate Professor at ISPA, researcher at MARE. Member of the Board of Directors and Chief Scientist of the Oceano Azul Foundation. Member of the National Council of Environment and Sustainable Development.

Expertise in marine conservation (with a focus on the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and the qualifiers of marine protection), marine ecology and connectivity in marine ecosystems, behaviour of marine animals, in particular fish, climate effects of marine communities, larval ecology and recruitment processes.

Was deputy-head of the Portuguese Task Group for Maritime Affairs which coordinated the approval and implementation of the National Ocean Strategy. Coordinator of the EU Group at the 9th COP of the Convention of Biological Diversity, which approved the Scientific Criteria for Identifying Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas in the marine realm.
Support to coordination

Alice Newton

Tenured Professor of the University of Algarve, researcher at CIMA.
Expertise in Chemical Oceanography, with important contribution to the assessment of eutrophication in coastal lagoons.
Council member of the Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Ass.; the European Engagement Partner of Future Earth Coasts; member of RAMSAR Mediterranean Wetlands Scientific and Technical Network Climate Change Specialist Group; member of the Future Earth Ocean Knowledge Action Networks development team; Vice-Chairperson of the IMBeR Steering Committee; member of the UN 2nd World Ocean Assessment pool of international experts.
Served on numerous national and international committees and boards, and was the chairperson of LOICZ and of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy expert group.