AZTI brings together leading experts in the sustainable management of estuaries and coastal seas at ECSA 59

• AZTI technology centre is collaborating with the academic editorial Elsevier and the Association of Estuarine and Coastal Sciences in the organisation of the 59th edition of the ECSA conference

• From 5 to 8 September, the capital of Gipuzkoa will become a meeting point for the scientific community specialising in marine environmental conservation, with nearly 500 researchers from 45 countries from all over the world

• As part of the congress, which will be held at the Kursaal, the 18th edition of the AZTI Summer School will also be held at the Donostia Aquarium

Pasaia, 5 September 2022– From today, 5 September, until Thursday 8 September, the Basque Country brings together the leading experts in the sustainable management of estuaries and coastal seas at the 59th edition of the ECSA conference. AZTI , together with the academic editorial Elsevier and the Estuarine and Coastal Science Association (ECSA), is organising this international meeting with scientific knowledge in the marine environment for application in marine sustainable management as the main conference topic.

The four-day event, which is coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the European association, will take place at the Kursaal in San Sebastian and will bring together nearly 500 researchers from 45 countries from all over the world, who will present the global challenges in the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems.

“Estuaries and coastal seas are facing multiple pressures from human activities, which result in the loss of habitats and biodiversity, the introduction of invasive species or polluting waste, the overexploitation of resources and the degradation of the state of health of the sea. In addition, climate change is drastically modifying the structure and functioning of marine systems. To reverse this situation, it is necessary to apply management measures based on the best possible scientific knowledge,” explains Dr Angel Borja, principal researcher at AZTI, and organiser of the congress.

Under the main conference topic, “Using the best scientific knowledge for sustainable management of estuaries and coasts”, ECSA 59 will cover all aspects related to this topic through 44 sessions, 274 oral presentations and 197 posters: observation and monitoring of coastal seas, assessment of the state of health of the marine environment, development of field and laboratory methods, climate change, restoration of degraded systems or solutions to problems facing the sea.

In addition, the programme also includes a total of five invited speakers who will cover different topics: how to increase coastal resilience to flooding and erosion; nature-based solutions for urban coastal areas; problems and solutions for beaches; simulation of future changes in marine ecosystems; and impacts of renewable energies on fisheries and marine spatial planning.

“International collaboration and the participation of multidisciplinary teams, through the use of new monitoring, analysis and evaluation tools, and moving towards open science, can help to manage the activities we carry out in estuaries and coastal seas and, consequently, contribute to achieving the sustainability of seas and marine resources,” adds Dr Angel Borja.

Summer School at the Aquarium

Additionally, as part of the conference, the 18th edition of the AZTI Summer School will be held on 8 and 9 September at the Donostia Aquarium, which will also be the first of a series of initiatives linked to the European GES4SEAS project, coordinated by Dr Angel Borja and funded by the European Union’s Horizon programme.

Under the title “Addressing the cumulative impacts of multiple human pressures on marine systems”, the course organised by AZTI will be attended this year by 8 professors and more than 50 participants from 19 countries.

The full programme of ECSA 59 is available on the event’s official website.