The official Opening of the ICES ASC is at 13:00 Monday 23 September. However, the conference programme starts at 09:00 on Monday morning with Manuel Barange's presentation of the new Science Plan and scientific highlights of the ICES network in the past year.
The Science Committee (SCICOM) Open sessions follow the SCICOM Plenary. Traditionally, these sessions are opportunities for the five Science Steering Groups, the SCICOM structures that coordinate the work of the approximately 75 ICES science expert groups, to review their activities, strategize their science, develop synergies and address common challenges. They often result in new proposals for working groups, workshops or theme sessions for forthcoming ASCs. Three of these Steering Groups are organizing meetings this year, with the additional objective to explore the consequences of the new Science Plan for the running of expert groups and steering groups. In addition, a meeting of the ICES-PICES Strategic Initiative on Climate Change and Marine Ecosystems will be held to review the recent and future activities of this coordinated activity on climate change in the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
