The Marine Research Center of the University of Vigo, CIM-UVigo, will open its doors to the public this Friday and Saturday, December 11 and 12, with the launch of the website virtualcim.uvigo.gal, a platform where you can access the work carried out daily by the 15 research groups that are part of this center in a very informative way. “During these days we will showcase the cutting-edge marine research that our 200 researchers develop with passion and dedication throughout the year,” explains Daniel Rey, director of the CIM, in the presentation video of the days, adding that despite the difficult circumstances that are being experienced due to the pandemic, the center did not want to give up on holding an event that, year after year, gives them the opportunity to get closer to the public.
This particular virtual visit gives shape to the fourth edition of the Singular Science Conference, in which more than 700 people from Vigo and the surrounding area have already participated, who were able to get to know the different facilities of the CIM and learn up close what is done in this center and the importance of the work that these scientists do for society as a whole. “Our main mission is to contribute to the management and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources in general through research and the transfer of knowledge based on science”, emphasizes Rey in the video. As every year, the Singular Science Conference is financed by the General Secretariat of Universities of the Department of Culture, Education and University Planning of the Xunta de Galicia through the Aid Program for the accreditation, structuring and improvement of research centers of the University System of Galicia, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund within the framework of the FEDER Galicia 2014-2020 operational program.
Very informative activities designed for the general public
On this occasion, the virtual visit is structured in four blocks that reflect the four areas in which the CIM laboratories are located: the Ecimat, on the island of Toralla; the Olimpia Valencia and Ciencias Experimentalis buildings on the Vigo campus, and the Campus da Auga building in the case of Ourense. In each building, in addition to several pages with videos and informative labels, there will be a chat and a videoconference room through which the public will be able to ask their questions and interact live with the research staff working at the CIM. This chat room will be launched tomorrow, Friday and will remain open until Friday the 18th, so that interested people can leave their messages or questions that will then be answered by the corresponding researchers.
Three million euros annually and scientific publications every two days
As in previous years, the visit will maintain its markedly informative character and is designed for the general public. In this sense, the organizing team emphasizes that in the coming months the videos will be subtitled to also disseminate them internationally.
In the virtual welcome, the director of the CIM recalls that the researchers at this center are able to achieve an average of three million euros annually and publish a scientific research article every two days, articles that address issues such as climate change, pollution, marine biodiversity, the development of renewable energies or the comprehensive and sustainable management of the coastal zone.
Among the numerous researchers participating in the videos are Jesús Troncoso, Estefanía Paredes and Ricardo Beiras, from the Coastal Ecology group; Fran Ramil, of Environmental Biology; Elena Ojea, Raquel Ruiz and Xochitl Édua Elías, from Future Ocean Labs; Ana Bernabeu and Gianluca Marino, from the GEOMA group; Carlos Bendicho, from the QA2 group, and Moncho Gómez, Iago Algarra and Marisela Des, from Ephyslab.
The virtualcim.uvigo.gal platform will be available from tomorrow, Friday.
Source: DUVI
