About MECOS 3

The year 2020 is the time for the 3rd International Symposium on Marine Ecosystems Challenges and Opportunities (MECOS3) organized by the Marine Biological Association of India (MBAI).  The previous 2 MECOS’s have been outstanding successes.  MECOS2 brought together marine scientists, researchers and teachers from all over the world. In all, 628 authors, including four invited keynote speakers contributed and the presenting authors were from 49 affiliations such as research institutions, universities, colleges and NGOs.

Healthy oceans, coasts and related ecosystems are crucial for economic growth and food production, but they are also fundamental to global efforts to mitigate climate change. The MBAI executive viewed the concerns about marine ecosystems and the large amount research work addressing these, and felt that MECOS3 would be an ideal platform to address the current status of the marine ecosystems of the world during 7-10 January, 2020.  

Billions of people worldwide -especially the world’s poorest- rely on healthy oceans to provide jobs and food, underscoring the urgent need to sustainably use and protect this natural resource.  According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), oceans contribute $1.5 trillion annually in value to the overall economy. The FAO estimates that around 60 million people are employed in fisheries and aquaculture, with the majority of those employed by capture fisheries working in small-scale operations in developing countries. While ocean resources have the potential to boost growth and wealth, human activity has taken a toll on ocean health. Proper management of fisheries, investment in sustainable aquaculture and protection of key habitats can restore the productivity of the ocean and return benefits to billions in developing countries while ensuring future growth, food security and jobs for coastal communities.

MECOS3 aims to address the above concerns by inviting marine biology/ fisheries/ oceanography/ marine biotechnology/ social science researchers to present their new work on the following theme areas amidst their peers.  It is expected that the outcome of the deliberations in MECOS3 would be guidance for researchers and policy makers for the next 3 years.