Coastal Zone Canada 2025 Conference information, including program and abstracts, can be found here
Abstract
Established in 1969, GESAMP is a group of independent scientific experts providing advice to the UN system on scientific aspects of marine environmental protection. It is currently sponsored by ten UN entities. GESAMP conducts and supports marine environmental assessments; undertakes in-depth studies, analyses and reviews of specific marine topics; and identifies emerging issues impacting ocean health. GESAMP’s core group currently consists of 17 independent scientific experts, drawn globally from many relevant disciplines. Studies and assessments are carried out by dedicated working groups, members of which come from the broader GESAMP network. To date, GESAMP has addressed a wide range of marine topics and produced 52 in-depth studies, 11 of which focus specifically on the coastal zone. The studies have involved more than 500 scientists from 50+ countries. GESAMPs core work is published as peer-reviewed reports in the on-line GESAMP Reports and Studies Series, and in scientific journals. Working Group 1’s hazard assessments of bulk chemicals carried by ships provide key advice to policy makers and regulators within the International Maritime Organization, working under various international regulations and codes. The group’s scientific output on key topics, e.g., plastics and chemicals at the air-sea interface, is used widely by the UN, national governments, intergovernmental groups, non-governmental groups and the scientific community, one paper having been cited approximately 2000 times. Given escalating concerns about the ocean, both as a recipient of impacts as well as in its role in planetary climate change, GESAMPs assessments and advice will continue to be needed now and well into the future.
Citation
Watson-Wright, W., & Wells, P. G. (2025). The United Nations Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP): An ocean and coastal science-policy interface standing the test of time. Coastal Zone Canada Conference, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, 9-11 June 2025.
Related Blog Post
Khan, J., Legault, A., MacDonald, B.H., Manuel, P., Margeson, M., Martinez Calderon, D., Webster, A., & Wells, P.G. (2025, July 30). Strengthening Coastal Resilience and Relationships: Reflections on the 2025 Coastal Zone Canada Conference. EIUI Blog. https://eiui.ca/strengthening-coastal-resilience-and-relationships-reflections-on-the-2025-coastal-zone-canada-conference/