22/10 The
Government has today published a 15 year strategy to deliver world
class marine science which will inform decisions on food and
energy security, managing the seas sustainably and climate change.
By coordinating marine science across Government, devolved
administrations and agencies, the UK will become a world leader in
marine environment science and expertise. This partnership
approach comes at a time when the need for new knowledge about our
oceans and seas has never been greater as we begin to understand
the impact that climate change and our own behaviour has had on
the Earth’s waters.
The new strategy, a recommendation from the House of Commons
Select Committee Report “Investigating the Oceans”, has been
developed in partnership with the devolved administrations in
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and with significant input
from organisations and individuals with marine science interests.
It provides a direction for future marine science by identifying
three high level priority areas:
Understanding how the marine ecosystem functions;
· Responding to climate change and its interaction with the
marine environment; and
· Sustaining and increasing ecosystem benefits.
Launching the strategy, UK Marine Science Minister, Huw
Irranca-Davies, said:
“Our seas and oceans are vital to our very existence, helping to
provide us with the air we breathe and supporting eighty per cent
of the world’s biodiversity. Seas and oceans also provide us with
food and the means to generate renewable energy. Yet the seas and
oceans are under pressure from human activities and climate
change.
“Understanding how human activities affect the seas and oceans,
and how the changes taking place will affect us, is key to making
critical policy decisions to enable the marine environment to be
managed sustainably. The UK Marine Science Strategy will help to
ensure we have the evidence we need to support decisions which
will affect generations to come.”
The UK Marine Science Strategy will be delivered through a
cross-government committee, reporting to Ministers. This will
ensure effective co-ordination of marine science across central
government departments, devolved administrations and government
agencies. The wider marine science community will also continue to
contribute to the strategy and its delivery.
Priority actions that have been identified in a publicly
available delivery plan include indentifying gaps in research and
developing a more co-ordinated approach to the funding of
long-term monitoring of our seas and oceans.
Notes to editors
1. The UK Marine Science Strategy and associated delivery plan
can be found at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/marine/science/mscc.htm
and was launched at the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science
and Technology.
2. The strategy was developed by the Marine Science Co-ordination
Committee (MSCC) composed of representatives from: Centre for
Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Department
of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), Department of
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) , Department for
International Development (DFID), Department for Energy and
Climate Change (DECC), Department for Transport (DfT), Environment
Agency, Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Marine
Scotland, Met Office, Ministry of Defence (MoD), Natural
Environment Research Council, Northern Ireland Executive, Scottish
Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Government, Welsh
Assembly Government and the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office.
Three independent members also sit on the Committee.
3. In developing the strategy the MSCC engaged with a wide range
of stakeholders with marine science interests through its website
and a series of workshops held in London, Reading and Edinburgh.
Contacts:
Defra Press Office
Phone: 020 7238 6600
NDS.DEFRA@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Martin Deller
Phone: 020 7238 5334
martin.deller@defra.gsi.gov.uk