On the day of its 40th anniversary, May 20th, FLAD will host the conference “Breathing with the Ocean”, at Museu Nacional dos Coches, in Lisbon. This is the first initiative of a set of activities scheduled to mark the Foundation’s anniversary throughout this year. Session subject to registration.

FLAD celebrates its 40th anniversary on May 20th. To mark the date that marks a path at the service of Portugal’s development through cooperation with the USA, the Foundation has prepared a program that begins in May in Lisbon, with American content, and ends in October, in New York, with Portuguese content.

The “Breathing with the Ocean” conference marks the start of this program. Taking place in the Auditorium of Museu Nacional dos Coches, in Lisbon, from 4 pm, this event dedicated to the oceans aims to encourage discussion and highlight the importance of the oceans in their most diverse dimensions, reaffirming the need to place them at the center of public debate.

The ocean is, geographically and politically, the common border between the United States and Portugal. The ocean is also the great challenge that the international community faces when it seeks to find answers to the challenges of sustainability and the management of marine resources as the main means of making life on planet Earth viable in the future. As oceanic nations, both Portugal and the United States have a future of opportunities in the Atlantic in the areas of knowledge, science and biotechnology, cooperation and economy. A liquid territory in which natural capital can represent for both countries, and for the continents to which they belong, the vision of the future that we all seek.

The meeting will be attended by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and a panel of speakers with a recognized track record in the areas of sustainability and the oceans:

 

Peter Heffernan

Marine Science Specialist | Former Executive Director of the Marine Institute of Ireland

Peter Heffernan was Executive Director of the Marine Institute of Ireland between 1993 and 2019. During his tenure, he led the transformation of the institution, which went from a single employee to more than 200, with a budget of more than 62 million euros. He oversaw the development of the research vessels Celtic Voyager and Celtic Explorer, the construction of the Institute’s headquarters of excellence in Galway and the modernisation of the research centre in Mayo.

He holds a PhD from the National University of Ireland in Galway and worked at the University of Georgia in the USA between 1985 and 1992. He is a Fellow of the Royal Irish Academy (MRIA) and has been honoured with several awards for his contribution to marine science. He is currently a member of the EU Mission “Restoring our Oceans and Waters” and is a member of strategic advisory boards, including the Helmholtz Association (Germany) and the Blue Ocean Foundation.

 

Mark J. Spalding

President, The Ocean Foundation

Mark J. Spalding has been President of The Ocean Foundation since 2003, having transformed the organization into a global reference in the financing and development of marine conservation projects. She is an expert in environmental law, ocean policies and investment in the blue economy, collaborating with the United Nations, governments and impact funds.

It created SeaGrass Grow, the first blue carbon offset program, and has played a central role in international initiatives that promote a sustainable ocean economy.

Mark holds a J.D. from Loyola Law School, a Master’s degree in Pacific International Affairs from the University of California.

 

Oceano Azul Foundation

Tiago Pitta e Cunha

Tiago Pitta e Cunha has been Executive Director of the Oceano Azul Foundation since its creation in 2017. For more than two decades, he pursued an international career advocating for stronger ocean governance, having worked for the United Nations, the European Commission, the Portuguese government and the President of Portugal.

He began his career at the United Nations as an advisor on ocean issues at the Permanent Mission of Portugal to the United Nations (1997-2002) and represented the European Union at the United Nations General Assembly on ocean issues during the Portuguese and French Presidencies of the EU in 2000. He was appointed Coordinator of the Strategic Ocean Commission, a high-level working group responsible for designing the national ocean strategy, by the Portuguese Prime Minister in 2002. As a policy maker, he worked in the office of the European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs, as the European Commission’s Coordinator for the development of the new EU Integrated Maritime Policy (2004 – 2010). In Portugal, he was advisor to the President of the Republic for the Environment, Science and Maritime Affairs (2010-2016).

He was awarded the European Citizen’s Prize by the European Parliament for his actions dedicated to promoting ocean governance at the United Nations, the European Union and Portugal in 2016. He was awarded the Pessoa Prize, the most prestigious prize in Portuguese culture and science, in 2021.

Admission to this event is free and subject to registration through this link.

If you need additional clarification, please send us an email to comissao.40anos@flad.pt.