John Pope receives the ICES Outstanding Achievement Award

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award to John Pope of the United Kingdom for his sustained commitment to developing ICES as a vibrant international institution as well as for his achievements in science, management, policy, and mentoring.
Described by the Chair of the Awards Committee, Ed Houde: “It was John Pope who saw the need to make ICES attractive to the best marine scientists and engage them in work linking the best science to the most relevant and reliable advice.” The award, which is the highest expression of recognition for an individual’s contribution to ICES, was presented at the ICES Annual Science Conference (ASC), held in Bergen, Norway, in mid-September.

Over 700 participants gathered in Bergen to exchange ideas and establish partnerships during the week-long conference. The conference focused on two particular science areas: the sustainability of aquaculture and the oceanography and ecology of the Arctic in the context of climate change. In total, 18 theme sessions covered a wide range of topics, including the effects of renewable energy production on aquatic life, the evolution of marine frameworks to prevent overfishing and the multidisciplinary perspectives in the use of science and scientific advice in Marine Spatial Planning.

Iratxe Zarraonaindia from the University of the Basque Country, Spain, was awarded the Best Presentation Award for her study on population genetic structure and traceability of the European anchovy using SNP-type markers. Her presentation was described as “a fascinating and detailed genetic study, very well explained including important implications for management and traceability”. Benjamin Planque from the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, won the Best Poster Award for his study on dynamic stochastic foodweb model for the Barents Sea ecosystem. All award winners, including Early Career Scientists, as well as summaries of all the Theme Sessions are available on the ICES website. Recordings of the ASC opening and plenary lectures are available on the ICES YouTube channel.

The Council, the governing body of ICES, will further discuss the science needs for aquaculture and the Arctic as well as other emerging topics at its 100th statutory meeting in Copenhagen next week. The 2013 ICES Annual Science Conference will take place in Reykjavik, Iceland, 23-27 September.

ICES
FiskerForum.com