The history of marine stations from the 19th century to the present day was the focus of a lecture given today by Ibon Cancio, professor of cell biology at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and researcher at the Plentzia Marine Station (PiE), as part of the Café con Sal series, organized by the CIM, and with which the tenth edition was inaugurated this Thursday. In an exhibition entitled Marine Stations: 20,000 leagues under the sea since the 19th century into the “Blue Growth”, Cancio recalled that the organisms that inhabit the sea did not begin to be studied until the 19th century, a time from which the development of the skills and infrastructures necessary for their knowledge also began, such as boats or shelters located by the sea. “Marine biological stations were initially conceived to house traveling scientists, constituting resting places that offered equipment, protection, assistance and basic knowledge to visitors,” highlighted Cancio, who recalled before a room full of attendees at his lecture the opening 175 years ago of the first station in Ostend (Belgium).
Since the 19th century, the UPV researcher has highlighted how the oceans have provided a multitude of useful resources, as well as pathways for various basic science topics such as biomedical research; basic biological research on fisheries that triggered transnational collaborative research, and already in the 21st century the development of blue biotechnology. “All this evolution happened because knowledge is power, research is not an expense, but an investment”, points out Cancio, for whom biological stations represent “a key piece for the development of blue growth and for achieving this power, and the Ecimat, PiE and other EMBRC-ERIC stations demonstrate this”.
Ao longo do ano celebraranse outras 12 sesións do ciclo Café con Sal, que rematará no mes de decembro, abordándose temas como o impacto do cambio climático sobre os organismos vivos das Rías Baixas; os efectos dos aditivos plásticos sobre os peixes mariños; a influencia das condicións do hábitat nos procesos ecolóxicos clave para a fauna bentónica mariña ou a xenómica dos mexillóns. A realización destas conferencias conta co apoio da Xunta de Galicia e a Unión Europea, a través do seu cofinanciamento ao abeiro do Programa Operativo FEDER/FSE Galicia 2014-2020
Source: DUVI
