Marine Biodiversity and Resources in a Changing Environment

The Embassy of France in Ireland and the Irish Research Council will be hosting a second iteration of their Ulysses Conference on Tuesday the 10th of September 2024.

This year’s conference will bring together French and Irish researchers around the topic of Marine biodiversity and resources in a changing environment. What are the links between human changing activities and marine biodiversity? How do the coastal communities adapt to this changing environment?

France and Ireland have been jointly supporting the Ulysses programme funding joint research across all disciplines for over 27 years. For the second time, the Ulysses conference builds on this programme by proposing a platform of discussion between researchers, innovators, policy makers and Ulysses strategic funding partners Eirgrid, SEAI, Ademe and RTE France, to share their perspectives on how research could best inform policy development on joint topics of interest for both our countries.

Cooperation between Ireland and France on maritime areas of strategic importance

France and Ireland are firmly committed to preserving the oceans and deep-sea biodiversity, as demonstrated by Ireland’s endorsement of France’s call for a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining.

With a view to hosting the third United Nations Conference on the Oceans (UNOC3) in Nice in 2025, France is aiming for an international mobilization for ocean protection similar to that for climate, ten years after COP21 and the Paris Agreement.

The long-standing marine science links between Ireland and France are taking on a new political dimension that now includes economic and climate issues. As coastal nations with rich maritime traditions, France and Ireland have a shared interest in benefitting from the economic and environmental benefits of the ocean and developing cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as marine renewable energy, marine biotechnology, maritime area planning, maritime safety and surveillance, and maritime transport and logistics.

This 2nd Ulysses conference will open in Ireland the Year of the sea, declared by President Macron to prepare for UNOC3.

The research event in September 2024 can explore the role that research can play in furthering ties between French and Irish researchers in these areas, ultimately impacting on policy-making.

A detailed agenda will be shared in due course.

Location: Iveagh House Iveagh House Dublin Ireland