ONE-BLUE concludes its Autumn School with three days of advanced training on marine pollution and monitoring

ONE-BLUE concludes its Autumn School with three days of advanced training on marine pollution and monitoring

  • Fifteen students from across Europe completed an intensive programme led by fifteen experts from eleven institutions
  • The training covered chemical pollution, marine ecosystems, cutting-edge monitoring tools, EU funding and research ethics

ONE-BLUE has successfully concluded its Autumn School, held from 18-20 November at La Cristalera in Miraflores de la Sierra (Madrid, Spain). The three-day programme brought together 15 PhD who received high-level training from 15 experts in marine pollution analysis, environmental monitoring, and innovative technologies designed to better understand contaminants of emerging concern in a changing ocean.

The Autumn School officially opened on 18 November with a welcome by Prof. Marinella Farré and Dr. Marta Llorca (IDAEA-CSIC), followed by an initial quiz to assess the participants’ baseline knowledge.

Over the following three days, participants engaged in a comprehensive agenda combining scientific lectures, practical demonstrations and case-based learning:

  • Dr. Stefano Polesello (CNR-IRSA) on chemical pollution regulation in seawater
  • Prof. Anna Kärrman (Örebro University) on suspect and non-target analysis
  • Dr. Maria Larsson & Prof. Magnus Engwall (Örebro University, online) on NAMs and effect-directed analysis
  • Dr. Montse Sala, Prof. Carles Pelejero & Dr. Ramiro Logares (ICM-CSIC) on microbial ecology, climate change, acidification and omics approaches
  • Prof. Marinella Farré (IDAEA-CSIC) on microfluidics, hands-on lab-on-chip exercises, and chemical analysis of CECs
  • Dr. Laura Rodríguez-Lorenzo (INL) on Raman and SERS-on-chip monitoring systems
  • Dr. Itziar González (ITEFI-CSIC) on hydrodynamics and acoustics in lab-on- chip devices
  • Dr. Nikos Antoniou (CyRIC, online) on communication systems for remote marine environments
  • Patricia Cavanillas and Rocío Armada (FINNOVA) on practical guidance on EU funding programmes (Horizon Europe, LIFE) and best practices for project communication
  • Dr. Anne Morrissey (DCU) and Dr. Marta Llorca (IDAEA-CSIC) on research ethics and FAIR data
  • and Dr. Victoria Osorio, Dr. Marta Llorca, and Prof. Marinella Farré on the final case study

With all sessions completed and active participation throughout, the ONE-BLUE Autumn School closed with very positive feedback from the students, who highlighted the scientific quality, practical relevance and collaborative environment of the training.

The Autumn School contributes to ONE-BLUE’s mission to advance knowledge of contaminants of emerging concern, improve monitoring technologies, and support the next generation of marine researchers working to protect ocean health in the context of climate change.