By Ellie McDonald, IAEA Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications
The first IAEA Collaborating Centre for marine research in a small island developing state has been officially designated in Cuba. The Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos has been working with the IAEA for many years, applying nuclear and isotopic techniques to manage fragile Cuban marine environments more effectively. It will now strengthen this collaboration and apply these techniques to the study of marine-coastal ecosystems in the Latin American and Caribbean Region.
The Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos (CEAC) will serve as a hub for research, development and capacity building, focusing on marine and coastal pollution, harmful algae blooms, ocean acidification and carbon sequestration, among others. The five-year Collaborating Centre agreement will support IAEA’s efforts to enhance countries’ capacity to use nuclear tools and techniques for regional marine monitoring, strengthening seafood safety programmes and building resilience in coastal communities. Small island developing states (SIDS) are heavily dependent on the ocean for environmental and economic prosperity, making them particularly vulnerable to ocean changes. Monitoring the impacts of ocean changes is crucial to ensuring that communities have the information they need to identify potential threats and mitigate negative effects.
“The centre will support studies relevant to the identification of sources and effects of pollutants in the environment, using isotopic, nuclear and molecular techniques,” said Director of the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories Florence Descroix-Comanducci. “The progress we have already made in collaboration with CEAC is a testament to what science can achieve, and I look forward to the advances that will come as a result of this new agreement.” To commemorate CEAC’s designation as an IAEA Collaborating Centre, Descroix-Comanducci presented CEAC Director Alejandro Garcia Moya with a plaque in June 2024 at the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories.
CEAC has long been involved in IAEA trainings and coordinated research projects (CRPs) to develop capacity and improve scientific understanding of marine plastic pollution. CEAC is also involved in the IAEA’s NUClear TEChnology for Controlling Plastic Pollution (NUTEC Plastics) initiative, for the assessment and monitoring of microplastics in the marine environment.
“Successful sustainable ocean management can only be achieved through collaborative efforts. This agreement is an inter-institutional framework to contribute to research and human resources capacity-building of Caribbean and Latin American scientists in using nuclear and isotopic techniques,” said Director of CEAC Alejandro Garcia Moya. “Becoming an IAEA Collaborating Centre is another step towards improving our scientific capacities, locally, regionally and globally.”
CEAC Researchers take samples of microorganisms that may produce toxins. (Photo: Cienfuegos Center for Environmental Studies)
As part of the agreed workplan, CEAC will analyse pollutants, assess the impacts of microplastic pollution and use Polonium 210 and Caesium 137 to date sediment cores for the purpose of determining rates of carbon sequestration in marine sediments. Additionally, CEAC will undertake field studies to better understand the occurrence of biotoxins, HABS and eutrophication processes in aquatic ecosystems. The collection and compilation of data addressing these issues is crucial to ensuring that stocks of seafood are maintained and safe to consume. CEAC’s designation as an IAEA Collaborating Centre is another step towards enhancing capacity in Cuba and the Latin America and Caribbean region, supporting local, regional and national institutions and advancing global scientific progress.
