Collaborative Research: Travel: International Council for Exploration of the Sea: Travel Support for Academic Participants, 2024-2027

The International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) was founded in 1902. It is a prominent intergovernmental organization that conducts science and provides management advice on marine resources in the North Atlantic and neighboring seas. ICES is the preeminent intergovernmental organization conducting science and providing management advice on marine resources in the North Atlantic and neighboring seas. Over 3,000 scientists from over 800 institutions in its 20 member countries participate in the activities that it organizes each year. Its mission is to “advance and share scientific understanding of marine ecosystems and the services they provide and to use this knowledge to generate state- of-the-art advice for meeting conservation, management, and sustainability goals.” The United States has been a member of ICES since 1912. The US role in ICES has become more important as global concerns related to overfishing, effects of climate change, loss of biodiversity, ocean acidification, harmful algal blooms, and effects of aquaculture on ecosystems have become international in scale and requiring coordinated research programs. Their work focuses on the North Atlantic, but also includes the Arctic, Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. The participation of U.S. academic scientists in ICES activities will advance our ability to develop and harness new techniques and technologies for observing marine ecosystems; and advance our understanding of their structure, function, and dynamics. The PIs request funds to support travel by U.S. academic scientists to allow participation in the ICES Annual Science Conference, its Working Groups and Workshops, Symposia, Theme Sessions, and Training Programs. Applications by young and established scientists will be considered to assure strong representation by the U.S. academic community in ICES activities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.