The first IAEA Collaborating Center for Marine Research in a Small Island Developing State has been officially designated in Cuba. The Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos has been collaborating with the IAEA for many years, applying nuclear and isotopic techniques to more effectively manage Cuba’s fragile marine environments. He 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 center for research, development and capacity building, focusing on marine and coastal pollution, harmful algal blooms, ocean acidification and carbon sequestration, among others. The Collaborating Center’s five-year agreement will support the IAEA’s efforts to increase the capacity of countries to use nuclear tools and techniques for regional marine monitoring, strengthening seafood safety programs and building resilience in coastal communities. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are heavily dependent on the ocean for ecological and economic prosperity, making them particularly vulnerable to ocean changes. Monitoring the impacts of ocean change is crucial to ensure communities have the information they need to identify potential threats and mitigate negative effects.

“The center will support relevant studies to identify the sources and effects of pollutants in the environment using isotopic, nuclear and molecular techniques,” said Florence Descroix-Comanducci, Director of the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories. “The progress we have already made working with CEAC is a testament to what science can achieve, and I look forward to the progress that will come as a result of this new agreement.” To commemorate CEAC’s designation as an IAEA Collaborating Center, Descroix-Comanducci presented CEAC Director Alejandro Garcia Moya with a plaque in June 2024 at the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories.