ARNET hosts its first national meeting
ARNET hosts its first national meeting
More than 100 researchers took part in the event, which strengthened collaboration between MARE, CIMA and CBMA, while reinforcing the role of science in informing public policy for aquatic ecosystems.
The University of Minho hosted the 1st ARNET National Meeting on 3 and 4 July in Braga. This event brought together, for the first time, the scientific community behind the associated laboratory, established in 2020, and welcomed over one hundred participants. Over the course of two days, researchers shared results, discussed pressing challenges, and built stronger connections between teams and institutions working across Portugal towards the sustainability of aquatic ecosystems.
The opening session featured the directors of the three founding institutions: Pedro Raposo de Almeida (MARE – University of Évora), Sara Raposo (CIMA – University of Algarve), and Cláudia Pascoal (CBMA – University of Minho). Among the key messages were the urgency of strengthening coordinated action across the ARNET network, the strategic importance of associated laboratories in the national research system, and the growing need to bridge science and policy.
The first day included presentations of ARNET’s five research domains:
(i) aquatic exploration and monitoring
(ii) environmental sustainability
(iii) environmental risk
(iv) biotechnology and nature-based solutions
(v) governance and literacy
New researchers hired through ARNET’s dedicated funding were also introduced, presenting projects ranging from the early detection of invasive species and valorisation of fishery industry waste, to ecosystem monitoring using satellite imagery.
That morning, results from a horizon scanning exercise were also presented. This collaborative effort involved several network researchers and aimed to identify the key strategic challenges for Portuguese aquatic ecosystems in the next decade.
In the afternoon, three cross-cutting ARNET working groups were introduced: the data management platform, the service platform, and the communication group. These were followed by domain-specific meetings, where researchers from different institutions explored the main challenges and opportunities within each area. The sessions concluded with a plenary sharing of key messages and action points.
The second day featured the public roundtable “Monitor, Evaluate and Act: challenges for the management of aquatic systems”, bringing together representatives from institutions with key roles in the territory: António Martinho (ICNF), Frederico Lopes (Águas do Norte), Graça Fonseca (CCDR-Norte), and Pedro Raposo de Almeida (ARNET/MARE), moderated by Cláudia Pascoal (ARNET/CBMA). The discussion highlighted the need to strengthen the link between scientific knowledge and public policy, and underscored the role of networks like ARNET in the monitoring, evaluation and management of aquatic resources.
The ARNET Meeting marked an important step in consolidating the network, promoting collaborative science that is more engaged with real-world challenges. For the organisers, this moment represents not only a milestone, but above all a starting point for a new phase of joint action between MARE, CIMA and CBMA — in closer dialogue with society and decision-makers.