Climate & Biodiversity Initiative
Set sail to explore the Ocean and coastal ecosystems
The Ocean: the origins
Ocean acidification, erosion of coastal zones, coastal artificialization, ocean warming, deoxygenation, pollution, overfishing, …
Today, the balance and biodiversity of the ocean is threatened by human activities, and the list of impacts is long.
This is critical, because ocean plays a fundamental role in:
- Climate regulation
- Human livelihoods and food security – more than 3.8 billion people live less than 150 km from the shore and depend on these ecosystems for subsistence
- The future of the global economy.
Life first appeared in the ocean nearly 4 billion years ago, and the ocean is key to continued life on Earth.
Half of the world’s population lives within a narrow band of 150 km from the shore, and many depend on marine ecosystems for their livelihoods. The ocean is home to a remarkable 250,000 animal and plant species, not counting microorganisms. And most marine species have yet to be discovered!
These organisms form complex ecosystems and additionally play a crucial role in regulating the Earth’s climate, absorbing more than a quarter of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions.
In short, without a healthy ocean, life cannot exist!
Science as a key driver for action
The good news? Everyone has the capacity to take action to respond to this historic challenge. Governments can strengthen legislation; businesses can change the way they produce; citizens can change the way they consume; NGOs can get involved.
But to find the most practical drivers to support ocean and coastal zones, we need to unravel the secrets of these complex and vulnerable environments. For this, we need scientists.
They are the first crucial link in the chain of taking effective action. Their work is all-important in collecting data and developing cutting-edge models that inform political and economic decision-making.
The urgent need to take action for the Ocean begins with supporting the scientific community, indispensable experts for shedding light on the mechanisms of marine ecosystems and their interactions with climate and biodiversity. Our shared future depends on it.
Through their pioneering discoveries, their research projects are accelerating action to protect the ocean and coastal ecosystems.
What are the next major scientific projects that can help to provide a deeper understanding of biodiversity and climate interactions in these complex environments?
We are driven by the pressing need to step up the work to protect marine ecosystems. While everyone has a role to play, the first indispensable cornerstone is the work of scientists.
Let’s take on this challenge together!
Climate & Biodiversity Initiative: new call for projects in 2025
The Foundation is now launching the 6th edition of its “Climate & Biodiversity Initiative” call for projects, after which:
- Between 7 and 15 research projects (fundamental and/or applied research) …
- … will be funded over a period of three years (2026–2028),
- for a total budget of €7 million.
This 6th edition is endorsed by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
Dedicated to Ocean and coastal ecosystems, this new call for projects has been awarded the “Ocean Decade” label by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, which aims to accelerate the conservation and sustainable use of Ocean, seas and marine resources.
Accepting applications from 21 January to 4 May 2025
The call for projects is open to all international scientific research teams:
- Affiliated to a research institution in the European Economic Area (EEA)
- Working on projects studying the interactions between climate change and biodiversity in ocean and coastal ecosystems anywhere in the world.