PRESS RELEASE:
High-Level International Workshop on Mediterranean Marine Ecosystems Organized by the Cyprus Academy
Nicosia, 24 November 2025 —
From 19 to 21 November, leading scientists and policy experts from across Europe, Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean gathered in Nicosia for the international workshop “Threats to the Mediterranean Marine Ecosystems in a Warming World,” hosted by the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts.
The workshop, held at The Cyprus Institute, is a major milestone of a program funded by the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) — the global network uniting more than 150 national academies of science, medicine, and engineering. The initiative is led by the Cyprus Academy in collaboration with the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC) and the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC), and carried out in close coordination with the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative (EMME-CCI).
The opening session was addresses by Prof. Achilles Emilianides, President of the Cyprus Academy; Prof. Stavros Malas, President of The Cyprus Institute; Dr. Ourania Kosti Executive Director of IAP, Prof. Wim van Saarloos, President of EASAC; Dr. Jackie Kondo, President of NASAC; and Hon. Maria Panayiotou, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.
In his keynote address, Prof. Costas Kadis, EU Commissioner for Oceans and Fisheries, underscored the importance of regional collaboration:
“The Eastern Mediterranean is among the regions most exposed to the impacts of climate change — from rapid warming and acidification to invasive species and rising seas. Tackling these threats requires regional approaches grounded in sound science and shared responsibility. Through the EU’s Pact for the Mediterranean, we are creating a framework for joint action and innovation to protect our marine ecosystems and coastal communities.”
Dr. Ourania Kosti, commended the Cyprus Academy’s leadership in advancing scientific collaboration across continents, noting that projects like this one exemplify the role academies can play in connecting regional expertise to global science policy; she observed that “this projects reflects so positively on the Cyprus Academy and indeed Cyprus as whole”.
The workshop coincided with the release of the EMME-CCI Report on the Marine Environment and Resources, coordinated by Dr. Aristomenis Karageorgis, Director of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. The report offers the most comprehensive assessment to date of the Eastern Mediterranean’s marine ecosystems and highlights urgent priorities for research and policy.
In his address, Prof. Costas N. Papanicolas, Principal Investigator of the IAP Project, remarked: “This initiative brings together scientific excellence from Europe, Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean to transform knowledge into action. It strengthens the bridge between science and policy and deepens the region’s collective capacity to address shared environmental challenges.”
The three-day workshop followed a public lecture and panel discussion at The Cyprus Institute on “Climate Change and the Marine Environment: Global and Regional Challenges.”
Media Contact
Office of Communications, Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts
📧 info@academyofcyprus.cy
