Marine scientists gather in Qingdao for intl seminar

Top scientists from both home and abroad called to strengthen efforts to innovate in marine science and technology to benefit mankind in the future, in a high-level seminar held in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province on June 23.

The seminar was attended by more than 100 scientific experts from around the world. Qingdao is renowned in China for its marine studies.

The event was organized by the Qingdao Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, or QNLM, and the Department of Science and Technology of Shandong province.

Wu Lixin, head of the QNLM's executive committee, said humanity is facing many challenges in many aspects such as oceanic and climate change, marine security, marine resource development, marine ecology as well as marine observation and forecasts in the 21st century.

"The span of time and space in oceanic phenomena is huge, from Heisenberg’s observation problem to Milankovich cycles, from oceanic turbulence to climate change, from 0.1 seconds to 10,000 years in time units and from only one kilometer to 100,000 kilometers in space," added Wu, who is also an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Wu went on to call for more international cooperation and concerted efforts in global marine research.

Jose Santos is the director of the International CLIVAR Project Office, a project of the World Climate Research Program. He echoed Wu's opinion, saying that international cooperation is important.

"It can't be initiated by only one country, it needs joint efforts from all the countries in the world," Santos said.

As the first pilot lab in China, QNLM has been committed to collaborative innovation on the global stage since its establishment in 2015.

In May, 2017, QNLM joined hands with the Australia-based Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization to establish The Center for Southern Hemisphere Oceans Research, which aims to protect the ocean environment.

In November, 2017, QNLM teamed up with the United States partners to establish the International Laboratory for High-Resolution Earth System Predication, which aims to improve long-range forecasts for extreme weather.

The Qingdao lab is also mulling over establishing two new research centers with Russian and German partners, as well as focusing on Arctic studies, climate change and deep-sea technologies.

Walter Mooney, a research seismologist and geophysicist at Untied States Geological Survey, spoke highly of the QNLM's efforts in collaborative innovation.

Mooney emphasized that multidisciplinary studies are necessary in marine research and highlighted the need for collaboration.

"Marine research requires data sharing and marine technological innovation needs international cooperation," added Mooney, who is also a member of the Academia Europaea.