Given the rise in sea temperatures and coral bleaching in the Caribbean, these will be the primary issues addressed by researchers during the first edition of the Ocean Forum.
From Tuesday, August 22, to Thursday, August 24, the forum explained how climate change has impacted the Caribbean in various ways, such as increasing sea temperatures and causing coral reefs to bleach.
These coral barriers serve as natural defenses against hurricanes, with the current season at its peak of risk.
“Climate change is one of the factors that will most affect the viability of our tourist destination for the next 20 or 30 years,” the organizers mentioned.
They also pointed out that Quintana Roo (a Mexican state) lags behind in terms of laws and regulations for environmental conservation, which are not on par with international organizations.
“What we want is to transcend and create a high-profile academic forum that provides space for internationally renowned experts. We aim to have a dialogue with national and local experts, as well as government officials, so that it ultimately results in the drafting, design, and implementation of public policies,” the organizers explained.
These policies will be aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources, and they are intended to be taken to both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
The thematic lines of the Ocean Forum include Biodiversity and Ecology of Aquatic Ecosystems, Marine Plastic Pollution, Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity, Fishing and Food Security, Climate Change and Ocean Protection, and Environmental Policies for Ocean Conservation.
Plastic pollution is also one of the major environmental issues in the state.
👉 #Entérate | Hoy inicia el 1er. Foro por el Océano, que se lleva a cabo en la Universidad del Caribe.
— Novedades de Quintana Roo (@novedadesqroo) August 22, 2023
Ellos serán algunos de los ponentes que estarán del 22 al 24 de agosto. pic.twitter.com/xe0pfdPgYX
The forum will take place at the University of the Caribbean and will feature experts such as marine ecologist Peter Sale, María del Carmen García Rivas, biologist Lorenzo Álvarez Filip, Rosaura Cuevas Villar, a member of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), among others.
TYT Newsroom