Polar Collaboration for Global Impact

Changes occurring in the Arctic and Antarctic have consequences far beyond the polar regions. They affect the global climate system, ocean circulation, sea level, ecosystems, biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles, and increasingly influence environmental, social and economic decision-making worldwide.

Because these processes operate across regions, disciplines and national boundaries, understanding them requires equally broad and coordinated scientific approaches. International collaboration, shared infrastructures, multidisciplinary research and long-term observation are essential to produce more robust, comparable and impactful polar science.

In recent years, several international platforms, networks and coordinated initiatives have been developed or strengthened to support this type of cooperation, facilitate access to polar infrastructures and data, align research priorities and increase the visibility and impact of scientific results. These collaborative frameworks also create stronger links between research and policy, helping to translate scientific evidence into assessments, recommendations and informed decision-making at national and international levels.
 

From a national point of view:

For the Portuguese polar community, participation in these international structures is particularly relevant. Portugal’s engagement in organisations and frameworks such as SCAR, COMNAP and CCAMLR, among others, strengthens its integration in the international polar research system, supports access to scientific and logistical networks, and increases the visibility and influence of Portuguese research in the development of shared priorities, assessments and policy-relevant knowledge.

This international dimension is also central to the quality and ambition of Portuguese polar science. Collaboration allows national teams to participate in larger and more interdisciplinary research programmes, share expertise and infrastructures, compare observations across regions and timescales, and contribute to scientific questions that cannot be addressed effectively by individual countries or disciplines alone.

The 2026 Conference will therefore provide a forum to present recent results, discuss ongoing and emerging scientific activities, identify new opportunities for collaboration and strengthen links between researchers, institutions and international programmes. It will also provide an opportunity to discuss how scientific excellence, coordinated observation, technological development and interdisciplinary approaches can increase the contribution of polar research to global knowledge and to evidence-based policy.

Building on previous editions, the Conference will continue to support the development of the Portuguese polar community, promote scientific networking, encourage the participation of early-career researchers and reinforce Portugal’s contribution to international polar science.

Polar Collaboration for Global Impact reflects this perspective: global consequences require globally coordinated science, and stronger collaboration can increase both the scientific quality and the societal and policy relevance of polar research.

 

This event is organised by Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve (CCMAR/CIMAR LA), Campus de Gambelas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal

Please do not hesitate to contact us: polar2026@ualg.pt 

Abstracts should be submitted until 30 September 2026 by filling the abstract submission form.

Topics

Abstracts should indicate a main topic and a secondary topic.

• A. Biodiversity, Ecology and Ecosystem Function
• B. Physiology, Adaptation and Biological Responses to Change
• C. Polar Oceans, Biogeochemistry and Aquatic Systems
• D. Atmosphere, Climate and Cryosphere
• E. Geology, Geophysics and Polar Earth History
• F. Polar Observation, Remote Sensing, Planetary Sciences and Extreme Environments
• G. Human Dimensions, Governance and Sustainability
• H. Technology, Infrastructure, Collaboration and Science Policy

Oral Presentations 

Oral presentations should be presented in English and have a duration of 15 minutes (regular communications - 10' presentation + 5' questions). Oral presentations will be performed in person.
 

Posters

Posters should be presented in English with the A0 dimension (1189 mm x 841 mm; height x width).

Best Communication Award

Prizes will be awarded to the best oral presentation and to the best poster presented by students or young researchers. The request for inclusion in the list of communications to be evaluated must be indicated on the abstract submission form. Only communications in which the presenter is the author under evaluation will be considered.

Abstracts

Abstracts should be in English, with a maximum of 2000 characters (including spaces) or 300 words in text (excluding title, authors and affiliations). All  abstract elements must fit in a single page with the indicated formatting and font size. Maximum of 3 abstracts per scientist (2 for oral presentations and/or 3 for posters). 

Abstracts should be submitted in the format explained in detail in the abstract submission form.

Abstracts Submission Form