Cleviston Haynes, the Barbados Ambassador to Ireland, recently visited the Marine Institute headquarters in Galway to discuss collaboration between the two countries in the areas of marine research and sustainable ocean management initiatives.
The Marine Institute’s CEO, Dr Rick Officer, emphasised the importance of knowledge exchange and international cooperation to address the pressing challenges facing the world's oceans. Ambassador Haynes welcomed the partnership with the Institute at this time, as Barbados is committed to developing a marine conservation plan that enables sustainable and equitable use of the ocean.
The two countries are working together on initiatives that support marine spatial planning, climate adaptation, and the sustainable use of ocean resources.
The partnership also aligns with the Marine Institute’s Our Shared Ocean programme, which focuses on building capacity and supporting research in SIDS through initiatives funded by Irish Aid, Ireland’s programme for overseas development. Recent projects under this programme include seabed mapping and ocean surveys using Ireland's research vessel fleet; exploring innovative methods to mitigate coastal erosion and flooding; and facilitating collaboration between scientists to address shared marine challenges.