The CIM joins a European research service network to tackle climate change

The Centre for Marine Research (CIM), a member of the CIGUS Network, an initiative launched by the regional government (Xunta de Galicia) that groups together centres of accredited scientific excellence, is part of a European project for the creation of a consortium of research infrastructures. Acting through the Toralla Marine Science Station (ECIMAT), the aim is to boost society’s capacity to act in the face of climate change. 

The network is designed to provide transnational and virtual access services to researchers around the world who are working on climate change adaptation and mitigation. This week, the IRISCC project (Integrated Research Infrastructure Services for Climate Change Risks) held its kick-off meeting in Helsinki, Finland, with the participation of CIM.

The project, which has received funding of over 14.5 million euros from the Horizon Europe programme, aims to understand, address, and mitigate climate change risks in Europe. It will also foster interdisciplinary research into the multiple risks associated with climate change to support evidence-based policymaking and improve Europe’s resilience.

Iriscc, which is organized as a “network of networks,” includes 80 beneficiaries and affiliated entities from 21 countries, representing 14 complementary European research infrastructures and more than 80 national research infrastructure service providers.

CIM is participating in the project through ECIMAT, as part of the European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC-ERIC). Specifically, researchers Pablo Serret, Cristina Sobrino, and María Aranguren will create services to allow the assessment of risks to marine biodiversity and ecosystems caused by the acidification, warming, and deoxygenation of the oceans. Furthermore, researchers from both ECIMAT and CIM will provide services to facilitate the joint study of climate change risks and mitigation strategies through transnational access.

CIM’s research activities are supported by Galicia’s autonomous government (Xunta de Galicia) and the European Union, and co-financed under the ERDF Galicia 2014–2020 Operational Programme.