30th of June 2025 - The Mário Ruivo Memorial Lecture, an initiative led jointly by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO), EurOcean Foundation, and Portugal, is proud to announce the winner of its second edition. Among several outstanding applications, the esteemed Early Career Ocean Professional (ECOP) selected is Vânia Baptista, Principal Investigator of Little Fish STP (São Tome and Príncipe).
The Mário Ruivo Memorial Lecture aims to provide a platform for emerging talents in the field of ocean science and projects that contribute to the sustainable management of the ocean. This initiative pays tribute to the late Professor Mário Ruivo, former Executive Secretary of the IOC/UNESCO and a passionate advocate for ocean science and its role in achieving sustainability.
As the winner of the lecture, Vânia Baptista will present her groundbreaking project to 151 Member States during the 33rd Session of the IOC/UNESCO Assembly, taking place in Paris as part of Ocean Science Day on the 30th of June 2025. Her project, "Little Fish STP," addresses the urgent need to capacitate local communities with marine biodiversity management tools that support blue growth, improve quality of life, and ensure the conservation of threatened species. Focusing on the endemic Sicydium bustamantei (“peixinho”) in São Tomé and Príncipe, the project combines scientific research, fisheries assessment, and community engagement to promote sustainable resource use and adaptation to global change.
In anticipation of this event, Vânia Baptista shared her thoughts: "It is a profound honour to receive this award, which pays tribute to a remarkable man who played a pivotal role in advancing Portugal’s connection with the Ocean. As a woman and early-career scientist, presenting this project at the IOC/UNESCO represents a valuable opportunity to underscore the vital contribution we make to scientific progress and ocean protection."
Endorsed as an official contribution to the Ocean Decade, which is being coordinated by IOC/UNESCO, the Mário Ruivo Memorial Lecture aims to recognize and stimulate ECOPs who are making significant contributions to the United Nations' 2030 Agenda, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 14, "Life below water," and the vision and mission of the Ocean Decade.
Launched for the first time in November 2022, the Mário Ruivo Memorial Lecture is a prestigious platform for early career ocean professionals to showcase their research and projects. By promoting the exchange of knowledge and ideas, the lecture series serves as a catalyst for advancing ocean science and sustainable development worldwide.
The Mário Ruivo Memorial Lecture will be livestreamed on the 30th of June, at 16h45 (CEST), here.
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Professor Mário Ruivo
(1927 – 2017)
An expert in Biological Oceanography, Mário Ruivo was one of the pioneers of marine biology in Portugal. He held high political positions (Secretary of State for Fisheries, Minister for Foreign Affairs – 1974/75), and led the Delegation of Portugal to the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1974-79). Mário Ruivo was the Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) from 1980 to 1989, and, later on, the delegate of Portugal to the IOC. His achievements at the IOC reinforced his prestige at the international level. With a deep ethical sense, Mário Ruivo had his eyes set on future generations, and he thereby established a pact of responsibility, which gave him an indefatigable strength to persist and fight for his ideals, without giving up. With the aim of promoting marine science, technology and ocean literacy, he was a crucial element in the creation of the EurOcean Foundation and of its scientific network, of which he was its founder and President.
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC) promotes international cooperation in marine sciences to improve management of the ocean, coasts and marine resources. The IOC enables its 151 Member States to work together by coordinating programmes in capacity development, ocean observations and services, ocean science and tsunami warning. The work of the IOC contributes to the mission of UNESCO to promote the advancement of science and its applications to develop knowledge and capacity, key to economic and social progress, the basis of peace and sustainable development.
Proclaimed in 2017 by the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (‘the Ocean Decade’) seeks to stimulate ocean science and knowledge generation to reverse the decline of the ocean health and catalyse new opportunities for sustainable development. The vision of the Ocean Decade is ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’. The Ocean Decade provides a convening framework for scientists and stakeholders from diverse sectors to develop the scientific knowledge and the partnerships needed to accelerate and harness advances in ocean science to achieve a better understanding of the ocean system and deliver science-based solutions to achieve the 2030 Agenda. The UN General Assembly mandated UNESCO-IOC to coordinate the preparations and implementation of the Decade.
EurOcean Foundation is an independent, non-profit, scientific organization with the mission to support advances in European marine science and technology, by fostering information exchange, interaction and innovation among its network members, the ocean community and broader society.
Founded in 2002, through the collaboration of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), and the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER), EurOcean has a Europe-wide network of 19 organisations dedicated to ocean science and technology.
For media requests please contact:
Sara Granchinho | EurOcean Foundation | Sara.granchinho@eurocean.org