Interdisciplinary Marine Early Career Network Newsletter
September 2021
Welcome to the latest issue of the Interdisciplinary Marine Early Career Network (IMECaN) newsletter!

If you are interested in providing ideas, contributing a story or being featured in the newsletter, contact us at imecan@dal.ca or @IMECAN4.

In this newsletter:
  • ClimEco7 summer school
  • Participants’ feedback on the ClimEco7 summer school
  • Interesting read: “Equity in Science: advocating for a triple-bind review”
  • Expressions of interest to join the IMECaN organizing committee
  • Upcoming events and opportunities
ClimEco7 summer school
The ClimEco7 summer school took place from August 9-13th, 2021, with 58 students selected from 32 countries and eight lecturers from Australia, Canada and France. The summer school was endorsed as a United Nations Ocean Decade Event!. ClimEco7 covered topics such as interdisciplinary ocean science for sustainable development, climate change and the world’s oceans, an introduction to modelling and management, and science and policy. The summer school had a strong focus on networking with several breakout groups each day to ensure participants got to meet everyone else in small groups.

All the talks from the ClimEco7 summer school are available on the IMBeR website here.
Participants' feedback on the ClimEco7 summer school
Laura Basconi
I am a PhD student in Science and Management of Climate Change at Ca’ Foscari University Venice. The PhD. venture allowed me to introduce the topic of climate change in my mainly marine ecological background. I discovered the existence of the ClimEco summer school, over the day dedicated to IMECaN at the “Future Ocean 2” conference in Brest, France (2019). Since then, I was thrilled to participate in one of them. My interest was not put out even when the school was not held in 2020 because of the Covid-19 outbreaks. 

Even if I had really hoped to have it in Cabo Verde this year, the ClimEco7 was still a really bright experience in my career path. I believe that the ClimEco summer schools are always a useful experience but I reckon that if your research topics fit exactly in the ones touched by the school (i.e., climate change, ecosystem modelling and science-policy interface), as it was for me, it is a must-have proof in your professional CV. We have plenty of time to network and satisfy our curiosity with the best experts in the field. Give it a go next time, you will not regret it! I am grateful to all the organizing committee and all the brilliant minds who headed the courses. Thanks a million to all of you!
Romeo Saldívar-Lucio
From marine science and its interaction with social science, fisheries, and climate change, the IMBER Summer School ClimEco7 has been a remarkable source of inspiration for more than 50 participants from all over the world. Understanding why it was inspiring is not difficult. Our historical relationship with the ocean has a great debt: to enjoy and use it without exceeding the speed of the regenerating processes. Thus, listening to experienced researchers about how they have faced each new scientific challenge to improve our understanding of the oceans, represented an opportunity to understand much of what has been advanced in marine sciences and to visualize the new research needed towards sustainability. The interdisciplinary vision of the summer school is undoubtedly a great success, because the role of humans in marine ecosystems must be discussed, regulated, and represented in the equations of the models.
Interesting read: "Equity in science: advocating for a triple blind review"
We are very pleased to announce that our article “Equity in Science: advocating for a triple-blind review” is in press at Trends in Ecology and Evolution. This publication is the result of a collaboration among the IMECaN organizing committee and it was led by our chair, Steph Brodie. This publication is a very important step for us since it represents our commitment to better support equity in science. Read the full article here.
Expression of interest to join the IMECaN organizing committee
IMECaN is inviting applications from early career researchers (ECRs) to join its organising committee. IMECaN aims to provide a networking platform for ECRs to develop collaborations; provide training and development in areas not traditionally provided through formal education and training programmes; and provide leadership opportunities for ECR marine researchers, particularly from developing nations. This is a great opportunity to become more involved in IMBeRs activities, and collaborate more broadly with scientists from around the world. More information on IMECaN activities can be found here.

Applications are open to marine science students (Masters and PhDs), and early career researchers (less than eight years post-PhD). 

To apply, please send the following information to here:
  • Brief CV (max. 2 pages)
  • Letter of motivation (~200 words) with information on how your skills and knowledge will contribute to IMECaN activities, and explaining why you would like to join the organising committee.

Expression of Interest submissions will close on September 30th, 2021. Applicants will be notified of the outcome via email.
Upcoming events and other opportunities
  • The WMU-Nippon Foundation currently have PhD Scholarship Opportunities available as part of the Closing the Circle Programme; Marine Debris, Sargassum and Marine Spatial Planning research. The programme explores challenges and potential solutions to marine debris, Sargassum threats and marine spatial planning in Small Island Developing States with a particular focus on the Eastern Caribbean region. More information may be found on the programme website.
  • Strategic Initiative on Integration of Early Career Scientists (SIIECS). This Strategic Initiative is intended for all marine scientists (and other marine experts) who identify themselves as being in the early stages of their career and who wish to be involved in ICES activities. SIIECS aims to encourage interdisciplinary work between early-career scientists and contribute to the discussion on diversity, equity, and inclusion within ICES. SIIECS is looking to build an interdisciplinary team of early-career scientists including social and natural scientists and other marine experts affiliated with ICES. More information on this new Strategic Initiative can be found here. Anyone interested in joining can sign up. Applications for ToR leaders will close on Friday, September 24th and we will contact applicants sometime before the end of October. Contact Karolina Reducha Andersen for more information.
  • IMBeR West Pacific Symposium 2021 “Changing West Pacific Ocean: Science and Sustainability” is open for registration. Abstract submission deadline is 15 September 2021.
  • SimAtlantic conference 15 September 2021: lessons from the European Atlantic for implementation of maritime spatial planning in transboundary contexts.
  • Two University of California Santa Cruz science positions on acoustic telemetry. Apply by Sep 30.
  • Two Postdoctoral Research Fellow positions on the contribution of fisheries to sustainable food systems.
  • PhD position in psychology on sustainable seafood production and consumption.
  • PhD Research Fellow in biological oceanography.


Share job opportunities with us by sending an e-mail to imecan@dal.ca or tweeting @IMECaN4
 imecan@dal.ca