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The Science We Need for the Ocean We Want

7 October 2021
Organized jointly with UNESCO, and the co-operation of FAO, an IAEA Scientific Conference on the Disposal of Radioactive Waste at Sea convened Member States and experts at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco in November 1959. This was the first time this important topic was discussed and would ultimately lead to the foundation of its first International Laboratory of Marine Radioactivity in 1961. The opening of the IAEA's marine laboratories in Monaco that same year marked the start of a new era for marine environmental research. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em>The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco first accommodated the IAEA's International Laboratory of Marine Radioactivity in 1961. In fact, the International Laboratory of Marine Radioactivity was initially a three-year programme in which the Oceanographic Museum, along with the Government of Monaco, partnered with the IAEA. The initial activities were centered around assisting Member States to investigate the effects of radioactivity on the marine environment. <br /><br /> <em>Oceanographic Museum, Principality of Monaco, 1966. (Photo: IAEA)</em> <strong>Research on Marine Radioactivity Made Nuclear Science Matter for Ocean Conservation</strong> <br /><br /> Marine science as such was in its infancy in the 1960s, with many of the world’s major oceanographic institutions at their inception. With 4 scientists, 10 technical and administrative assistants on board, the IAEA Laboratory in Monaco was at the forefront of this new field, albeit in a limited research area at this time. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em> <strong>Research on Marine Radioactivity Made Nuclear Science Matter for Ocean Conservation</strong> <br /><br /> Marine sediments have the particular ability of binding fallout and waste radionuclides, and in shallow seas most of the radioactivity will be found on the sea floor. In this photo, the IAEA scientist works with a marine sediment core obtained from one of the national oceanographic institutions. These institutions cooperated with the IAEA Laboratory in a five-year programme on radionuclide behavior in the ocean and coastal sediments. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em> <strong>Research on Marine Radioactivity Made Nuclear Science Matter for Ocean Conservation</strong> <br /><br /> Monitoring marine radioactivity remains, to date, a key focus at the IAEA Environment Laboratories. For 60 years, these laboratories have played a prominent role in research on radionuclides in the marine environment and related capacity building around the world. This photo illustrates an IAEA scientist dissecting molluscs at the International Laboratory of Marine Radioactivity based at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em> The work of the Laboratories isn't just done at a desk or even in a laboratory facility. Sampling missions across the world’s oceans are an essential requisite of data collection as part of larger international collaborations. Through its dedicated Radiometrics Laboratory, the IAEA plays an important role in supporting Member States' marine monitoring during radiological or nuclear emergencies, such as the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011. Like in this photo, seawater and sediment are collected offshore the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant for an interlaboratory comparison of analysis results involving Japanese, IAEA and other laboratories. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em> Such exercises are organized regularly by the IAEA to assist laboratories worldwide to test and improve their analytical performance. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em> In 2002, with the generous support of the Government of Japan and Principality of Monaco, a low level underground counting facility (U-lab) for applied research, production of reference materials and capacity building was launched as part of the Radiometrics Laboratory. Below 11 metres of rock under the Place d'Armes square of Monaco, the facility is set up to reduce 'background noise' caused by cosmic rays – high energy particles from outer space. This enables IAEA researchers to detect very low levels of radioactivity in a range of marine samples including seawater, fish and sediments. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em> <strong>Early detection as the best form of prevention for seafood safety</strong> <br /><br /> In recent years, there has been an increase in the severity, frequency and geographical range of the rapid growth of algae, known as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). A sudden onset of harmful algal blooms can poison fish, shellfish and other marine life; and pose a major threat to people’s health and fishermen’s livelihoods. Almost every coastal country in the world has suffered from their effect. This satelite image reveals a large coastal algal bloom. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: European Space Agency (ESA)</em> <strong>Early detection as the best form of prevention for seafood safety</strong> <br /><br /> Scientists are concerned that climate warming and other anthropogenic activities may exacerbate the intensity and impacts of Harmful Algal Blooms. For many years, the IAEA Environment Laboratories have promoted the use of a nuclear-based technique known as the Receptor Binding Assay (RBA), a highly sensitive and precise method that allows scientists early detection and monitoring of biotoxins caused by HABs. Several successful applications have been reported and documented in Chile, El Salvador, Colombia and Cuba. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em> <strong>Nuclear techniques to tackle global challenges</strong> <br /><br /> The eastern tropical Pacific Ocean is home to some of the world’s most unique marine reserves such as the Galapagos Islands, included in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. Isolated at some 1000 km from the continent, the Galapagos Islands are one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world. Located at the confluence of three ocean currents, the Galapagos are a meeting place for marine species but unfortunately also plastics. Recent research at the IAEA has revealed that the microplastic pollution in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean is set to continue to increase in the coming decades. <br /><br /> <em>Microplastics in the water column was monitored with the use of plankton net by scientists of the Galapagos Science Center. (Photo: IAEA)</em> <strong>Nuclear techniques to tackle global challenges</strong> <br /><br /> Single use plastic bags are most common plastic debris found in the ocean and abundant almost in every corner of the world. Sunlight, wind and waves break down these large plastic debris into smaller and smaller pieces to become microplastics. <br /><br /> <em>Pieces of weathering plastic bags found in the Mediterranean Sea water during sampling exercise in Monaco. (Photo: IAEA)</em> <strong>Reveal how microplastics accumulate and move through the body of a living organism</strong> <br /><br /> Plastic particles below 5 mm in length are called microplastics. Due to their small size, some plastic fragments can be mistaken for plankton and may inadvertently be consumed by marine animals such as mussels, shrimp and fish. This photo depicts a brine shrimp, also known as Artemia, after having consumed microplastic particles (in green). <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em> In laboratory settings, IAEA researchers use radiotracers to study the movement and fate of microplastics within the animals to understand how exactly these are accumulated - whether through the digestive system or through their gills, depending on the organism. This includes research where microplastics are fed to shrimp to understand their uptake and possible transfer into the food chain, and projects that bring scientists from around the world, to understand the potential impact of microplastics on seafood safety. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em> <strong>Nuclear analytical techniques for forensics</strong> <br /><br /> Nuclear and isotopic techniques are also essential tools for identifying and tracing the sources of chemical pollution, especially in the case of an oil spill accident. The IAEA assist Member States with forensic oil spill methodologies to identify and trace the sources of hydrocarbons within the oil. Through Technical Cooperation projects, countries receive guidance on the design of marine pollution programmes, sampling and analysis of contaminants as well as measuring their levels and determining the impacts. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF)</em> <strong>Monitoring mercury in seafood</strong> <br /><br /> At the IAEA Environment Laboratories, scientists also look into other contaminants like lead and mercury, which can enter the food chain and affect the safety of our seafood. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: iStock Images)</em> Using nuclear techniques, the IAEA assist Member States with mercury monitoring programmes upon request. In this photo, a scientist prepares marine samples for mercury analyses. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em> Ocean acidification is a growing global concern and a key target of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal on the Ocean (SDG 14). <br /><br /> In 2012, the IAEA launched an Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC) in response to recommendations from the scientific community and the increasing concern in Member States. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em>Applications of nuclear-derived techniques in assessing the impacts of ocean acidification plays a major role in capacity building. Studying coral samples, shellfish or bone structures of marine animals, such as juvenile cuttlefish exposed to an acidic seawater conditions, helps scientists understand the ongoing impacts of ocean acidification processes on these fragile marine ecosystems and gain data to help mitigate climate change. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em>A wide variety of living marine organisms - from zooplankton to small sharks - in aquariums of the IAEA Environment Laboratories in Monaco provide unique opportunities for research and training to its Member States. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em> These state-of-the-art experimental aquaria help assess the impacts of human activities on the marine environment and build national capacity for Member States to facilitate informed policy making and better preserve and protect marine ecosystems. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em> Capacity building is one of the key pillars of the Agency's assistance to Member States. As the only marine laboratories within the United Nations system, the IAEA Environment Laboratories assist Member States in training, conducting sampling missions and undertaking cutting edge research. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: IAEA)</em> They also receive numerous fellow scientists from coastal countries, especially those with limited technical and scientific resources, to acquire the necessary methods and tools to address their national marine environment challenges. <br /><br /> <em>Ms Miriam Zayter, Visiting Fellow from Lebanon, within the framework of her PhD, is gaining practical experience by assisting in the development of analytical methods for emerging organic contaminants at the IAEA's Marine Environmental Studies Laboratory in Monaco. (Photo: IAEA)</em> Our work continues expanding further as we explore nature-based solutions to climate change. As the largest ecosystem on the planet, the world’s oceans are a pillar of climate regulation and a powerful source of solutions to the changing climate. IAEA scientists collaborate with a wide range of research institutions to assess carbon sequestration rates in coastal environments using nuclear techniques to better understand the natural carbon cycle. <br /><br /> <em>(Photo: Daniel Gustavo von Sperling Vasconcellos Venturini, Brazil)</em>

Organized jointly with UNESCO, and the co-operation of FAO, an IAEA Scientific Conference on the Disposal of Radioactive Waste at Sea convened Member States and experts at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco in November 1959. 

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