In 2011 a Europe-wide poll of citizen's attitudes was conducted looking at marine climate change issues. Levels of concern and awareness were assessed among 10,000 people across ten countries, as well as levels of trust in different types of marine science (academic, government-funded, industry) and media platforms (newspapers, internet, television, scientific papers). Citizens proved themselves to be relatively well informed about many topics, including magnitudes of change observed in the past or anticipated in the future.
Are ICES scientists necessarily better informed about climate change than the public? Do they express higher levels of awareness and concern, and how are they engaged in making a real difference for society? What elements of climate change are most important to include in the forthcoming ICES Strategic Plan? What research topics should be prioritized in future collaborative bids or ICES workshops?
In this open session, the ICES/PICES Strategic Initiative on Climate Change Impacts on Marine Ecosystems (SICCME) will attempt to assess levels of consensus, understanding and engagement with climate change issues among the ICES community.
Over the past six years SICCME experts have contributed to assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and have organized many workshops, theme sessions and symposia including contributing to four major symposia on “The effects of climate change on the world's oceans". During this session SICCME will also report back on insights from the 4th International Symposium (June 4-8 2018, Washington DC).
