Winter School lecturer Sam Dupont, from the University of Gothenburg, demonstrates a technique for an experiment on sea urchin fertilization. (Photo: IAEA)
The IAEA is training early-career scientists to assess the impacts of ocean acidification and pollution, helping countries respond to environmental changes.
Marine biodiversity faces growing pressure from environmental changes and pollution. To help countries understand and respond to these combined threats, the IAEA is equipping young scientists with advanced skills to study the ocean's most pressing challenges.
The Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC) trained 14 early-career scientists from around the world in key concepts and cutting-edge techniques to assess the impacts of environmental changes from multiple stressors on the ocean. The third edition of the OA-ICC Winter School on Ocean Acidification and Multiple Stressors was held at the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco from 24 November to 5 December 2025.
Threats to Ocean Health
The ocean faces multiple pressures, including from acidification, warming and pollution. These stressors threaten biodiversity and food security in many regions. Understanding their combined effects is essential to develop effective mitigation and adaptation strategies.
"Ocean acidification is not occurring in isolation, but expertise in studying multiple stressors is often lacking. The OA-ICC capacity building programme plays a key role in expanding this knowledge base," said Lina Hansson, Associate Project Officer at the IAEA.
During the two-week course, participants learned best practices in experimental design and applied them in a hands-on laboratory study. They investigated the combined effects of ocean acidification, warming and lithium pollution on the reproductive success of a common Mediterranean Sea urchin.
Participants also visited the Laboratoire d'Oceanographie de Villefranche (LOV) in France for practical training in seawater chemistry monitoring and connected with researchers at the Centre Scientifique de Monaco. The Winter School emphasized science communication and community engagement. Through a series of guest lectures, participants explored principles for co-designing research, including integrating traditional knowledge from local communities.
"The Mediterranean Sea is heavily affected by multiple stressors. Record-breaking marine heatwaves, pollution, combined with acidification, have led to mass mortality of key species," said Steeve Comeau, Research Scientist at LOV and Winter School lecturer. "Training this new generation in multifaceted experimental approaches is critical for predicting future impacts."
Building Global Capacity for Science-based Ocean Management
Frédéric Gazeau of the Laboratoire d'océanographie de Villefranche demonstrates how to collect seawater sample using a Niskin bottle. (Photo: IAEA)
The participants, who study diverse marine ecosystems from Caribbean coral reefs to Patagonian shellfish habitats, concluded the school by presenting plans to implement their new skills in their home countries.
Emma Pontes, an early-career researcher from the United States studying Caribbean coral reefs in South Florida, said, "I'm taking away a better understanding of experimental design practices to answer complicated multi-stressor questions. I'll be rethinking our approach to optimize our experiments."
The IAEA, through the OA-ICC, is strengthening global capacity to produce actionable data and science-based knowledge. This information is vital for policymakers and resource managers working to safeguard marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
The Winter School is organized annually in collaboration with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation as part of its Ocean Acidification and other ocean Changes - Impacts and Solutions (OACIS) initiative, the Laboratoire d'Oceanographie de Villefranche (LOV), and in partnership with scientists from the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) project Changing Ocean Biological Systems (COBS).
