Researchers from the Centre of Marine Science of the Algarve played a central role in organising the international workshop ‘We Are Ocean: The Planetary Organism (WeOcean)’, which took place between 4 and 6 May at the University of the Algarve’s Penha Campus, bringing together 110 researchers, artists and experts from 15 countries to reflect on the ocean as a central element of the planet’s living system.
Co-organised by CCMAR, the University of the Algarve, the Institut de Ciències del Mar and the Associació SeaWilding, and promoted by EuroMarine through the TransOcean working group, WeOcean established itself as a meeting point for marine science, social sciences, philosophy, art and public policy.
Over the course of three days, researchers from CCMAR were involved not only in the scientific and institutional organisation of the event, but also in facilitating sessions, debates and immersive experiences that sought to explore new ways of understanding the relationship between humanity and the ocean.
For Patrícia Isabel Pinto, coordinator of the local organising committee, this first edition of WeOcean was “a unique event”, due to its ability to bring together scientific, human and artistic perspectives around a common concern.
“We managed to bring together marine scientists, social scientists, philosophers and artists to discuss ocean conservation and reflect on the various ocean sciences.”
According to the researcher, the impact was felt on both a scientific and a personal level.
“We received excellent feedback, both from the speakers and the academic participants, who told us they had gained much more personally and professionally than they usually do at conferences in their fields of expertise.”
“What if we were all ocean?”
Among the CCMAR researchers involved in the initiative was Caio Ribeiro. Speaking during the event, he highlighted the multidisciplinary spirit that characterised the three-day gathering:
“What if we are all ocean? The ocean is not just all around us; it is within us. Our humanity is part of a living planetary organism.”
The researcher also emphasised the importance of integrating science, art and critical thinking on a single platform:
“I am grateful to be part of a community that dares to cross the interdisciplinary boundary between science and art, thought and action.”
Deep-sea science in the spotlight
The scientific component of CCMAR was also represented by researchers from various research groups. One of the contributions came from the ECHO group, with a presentation on deep-sea ecotoxicology, as part of the session ‘The Living Ocean: A Renewed Understanding of the Living Planet’.
“The deep ocean is too often imagined as remote and untouchable. The reality is the opposite.”
The presentation explored the impact of emerging contaminants, nanomaterials, antifouling biocides and the potential impact of deep-sea mining on abyssal ecosystems, emphasising the importance of including deep-sea science in the debate on planetary health and sustainability.
“Bringing this conversation into a workshop dedicated to rethinking our belonging to the living planet felt like exactly the right place to have it.”
Structured around three themes — The Living Ocean, Expanding Reality and A Common Future? — the programme combined scientific lectures, interdisciplinary debates, artistic experiences and field activities, including a field trip to the Ria Formosa Natural Park.
With strong participation from its scientific community, CCMAR reinforced, through WeOcean, its international standing as a research centre committed not only to producing marine knowledge of excellence, but also to building new bridges between science, society, culture and public policy.
More than just discussing environmental challenges, WeOcean sought to inspire new ways of relating to the ocean: based on interdependence, collective responsibility and the building of more sustainable futures. And it is at the heart of this dialogue between science and humanity that CCMAR wishes to be.
