![CIESM_Member_States](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/CIESM_Member_States.jpg)
The Mediterranean Science Commission, or CIESM, (
French: ''Commission Internationale pour l'Exploration Scientifique de la Méditerranée'') unites 24 Member States, hundreds of marine Institutes, and thousands of marine researchers from all shores of the Basin and adjacent seas, to exchange on the latest advances in oceanography.
Created by an International Conference held in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, Spain, in November 1919 the Commission promotes multilateral international research on
marine sciences
Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamic ...
via the international use of national research stations and scientific exchange. Originally the organization was restricted to countries bordering the Mediterranean and the Black seas and is now open to other countries engaged in marine research in the broad region.
Early years
Two professors, the Italian
Decio Vinciguerra
Decio Vinciguerra (23 May 1856 – 5 October 1934) was an Italian physician and ichthyologist who for many years was Director of the Aquarium of Rome.
Early years
Decio Vinciguerra was born in Genoa on 23 May 1856.
He studied at the University of ...
and the German
Otto Krümmel, thought it would be useful for the fishing industry to promote oceanographic exploration of the Mediterranean Sea. Based on Vinciguerra's proposal, the ninth
International Geographical Union
The International Geographical Union (IGU; french: Union Géographique Internationale, UGI) is an international geographical society. The first International Geographical Congress was held in Antwerp in 1871. Subsequent meetings led to the establ ...
in Geneva endorsed the principle of a Commission in July 1908 and decided a committee should define the organization. The committee was formed and first met in Monaco on 30 March 1910 under the chairmanship of
Albert I, Prince of Monaco
Albert I (Albert Honoré Charles Grimaldi; 13 November 1848 – 26 June 1922) was Prince of Monaco from 10 September 1889 until his death. He devoted much of his life to oceanography, exploration and science. Alongside his expeditions, Albert I ...
, in the premises of the recently opened
Oceanographic Museum
The Oceanographic Museum (''Musée océanographique'') is a museum of marine sciences in Monaco-Ville, Monaco.
This building is part of the Institut océanographique, which is committed to sharing its knowledge of the oceans.
History
The ...
. Two important, innovative principles emerged: the commission had to be free from political interference, and the countries would be represented at Government level so that the scientific advice of the commission would carry weight. The next meeting was held in Rome in February 1914, and endorsed the principle that all the countries bordering the Mediterranean and the Black Sea should be eligible for membership.
The advent of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
prevented Spain to welcome the Constituent Assembly later that year. It was finally held in Madrid in November 1919 - after a preparatory meeting (Paris) in June - and chaired by King
Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alf ...
. The founding meeting had representatives from
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, France, Greece, Italy,
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
, Spain,
Tunisia
)
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, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
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, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
and Turkey. The newly formed Commission elected Monaco, in the person of Prince Albert 1er, to the presidence. Italy followed in 1924.
From 1919 until 1939 several marine observatories were founded around the Mediterranean under the impulsion of CIESM in countries such as Algeria, Tunisia, and Italy. Specialized French, Italian, and Spanish vessels undertook mapping and research campaigns in the Strait of
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
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, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
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, the
Bosphorus
The Bosporus Strait (; grc, Βόσπορος ; tr, İstanbul Boğazı 'Istanbul strait', colloquially ''Boğaz'') or Bosphorus Strait is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul in northwestern Tu ...
, the
Strait of Messina
The Strait of Messina ( it, Stretto di Messina, Sicilian: Strittu di Missina) is a narrow strait between the eastern tip of Sicily (Punta del Faro) and the western tip of Calabria ( Punta Pezzo) in Southern Italy. It connects the Tyrrhenian Se ...
, and the
Gulf of Gabès
The Gulf of Gabes (or Cabès, Cabes, Gaps; ar, خليج قابس, ḫalīǧ Qābis), also known as Lesser Syrtis (from grc, Μικρά Σύρτις, Mikrá Sýrtis; la, Syrtis Minor), contrasting with the Greater Syrtis in Libya, is a gulf on ...
.
The membership quickly expanded to include Romania (1925), the Kingdom of Serbs (1927), Turkey (1928) and territories then under British, French or Spanish mandate:
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
(1919),
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
(1929),
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
and
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
(1930), Spanish Protectorate of
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
(1933).
The Commission published a Bulletin and scientific Reports of Congresses held then every two years, plus detailed, illustrated sheets of the ''Faune et Flore de Méditerranée'' under the direction of Prof. Louis Joubin
Post World War II
The work of the commission was suspended during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, but despite pressure to transfer responsibility to the United Nations, meetings resumed in 1951 in Paris where the seat of the commission had been transferred in 1924. In 1956, at the 15th CIESM Congress in Istanbul, Monaco was elected to the presidency in the person of
Rainier III, Prince of Monaco
Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005) was Prince of Monaco from 1949 to his death in 2005. Rainier ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest-ruling m ...
, while Prof. Jean Furnestin continued until 1966 his substantial refoundation work as Secretary General. He would be succeeded as Secretary in 1966 by Commandant
Jacques Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau, (, also , ; 11 June 191025 June 1997) was a French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker and author. He co-invented the first successful Aqua-Lung, open-circuit SCUBA ( self-contained underwater breathing apparatus). T ...
and by Prof. François Doumenge, who served in that function from 1988 until 2007. At that time the CIESM Council decided to merge the position of Secretary General with that of Director General, a function now held by Prof. Frederic Briand.
With a change in statutes to allow members of non-coastal countries engaged in marine research, Germany became a member in 1969, followed by Switzerland in 1970 and Portugal in 2004.
Under the statutes of the commission as of 30 November 1970, the headquarters was in Monaco and the official language remained French. The president was elected for four years at the plenary Congress and Assembly, and was eligible for be reelection. The plenary Congress was held every two years, and decided on subjects to be studied.
Examples of work
The Mediterranean Science Commission is the only organization that specializes in multi-lateral marine research in the Mediterranean Sea. Through its network of scientists, it can quickly detect changes and alert governments and others who must take action, and provide neutral and authoritative advice on issues related to marine ecosystems by ways of Monographs, reports, Congresses.
In 1993 CIESM responded to a request from the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
and issued a detailed assessment of Marine Pollution in the Mediterranean.
In 1998 CIESM began running research workshops which produced widely read monographs on emerging issues. Subjects have covered a diversity of issues that cover marine volcanoes and canyons, marine connectivity, the
Messinian Salinity Crisis
The Messinian salinity crisis (MSC), also referred to as the Messinian event, and in its latest stage as the Lago Mare event, was a geological event during which the Mediterranean Sea went into a cycle of partial or nearly complete desiccation (dr ...
, Marine Peace Parks, impacts of
climatic change
''Climatic Change'' is a biweekly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Springer Science+Business Media covering cross-disciplinary work on all aspects of climate change and variability. It was established in 1978 and the editors-in-chie ...
on the ocean, species extinctions, marine
biotechnologies
Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...
, deep waters, acidification, emergent pollutants, food webs from marine viruses to whales, invasive species, social studies of fisheries, etc. Between 2013 and 2020 the CIESM JellyWatch program engaged an extensive survey of
jellyfish
Jellyfish and sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrella- ...
outbreaks, monitored on a weekly basis in coastal waters from Morocco to the Black Sea.
The Commission assumes a leading role in recording the arrival of
exotic species
An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived there ...
in the Mediterranean sea, published in various ''CIESM Atlases'' on Exotic Fishes, Crustaceans, Molluscs, Seaweeds and tracks the status and routes of endangered species such as sharks, rays and seabirds.
The latest CIESM Congresses were held in Venice (2010), Marseille (2013), Kiel (2016) and Cascais (2019).
Current organization
![Ozeanographische Museum monaco](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Ozeanographische_Museum_monaco.jpg)
Since 1992 CIESM Congresses have been held every three years.
The current presidency of the commission is held by Monaco, in the person of
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Albert II – Website of the Palace of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, since 2005.
Albert was born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, and he is the second child and only son of Prince Rai ...
.
In 1996 CIESM restructured itself into six scientific committees: Marine Geosciences, Physics and Climate of the Ocean, Marine Biogeochemistry, Marine Microbiology and Biotechnology, Living Resources and Marine Ecosystems, Coastal Systems and Marine Policies.
In 1992
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
,
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
, and Ukraine became members, followed by the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
(2013) and
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
(2019).
Today the 24 Member States are:
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
,
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
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, capital = Algiers
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, largest_city = capital
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,
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
,
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy,
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
,
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
,
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
,
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
, Portugal, Romania, Russian,
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
, Spain, Switzerland,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
,
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
, Turkey and Ukraine.
CIESM works closely with various UN International Agencies such as UNESCO, IOC, IMO, WMO, or FAO and regional 'sister' organisations like ICES and UNEP/ MAP
The Commission draws on the work of researchers in over 50 countries. It comprises six scientific Committees:
* Marine Geosciences,
* Physics and Climate of the Ocean,
* Marine Biogeochemistry,
* Marine Microbiology and Biotechnology,
* Marine Ecosystems and Living Resources,
* Coastal Systems and Marine Policies.
References
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{{Authority control
Marine conservation organizations
European Union and science and technology