Where is it?
The Oceans and Human Health Chair is based in Roses (Alt Empordà, Costa Brava). Roses is a quintessential Mediterranean city with a notable fishing, tourist and seafaring tradition and is part of the Natural Park of Cap de Creus, one of the most emblematic marine reserves on the Catalan coast.
City of Roses, where the Oceans and Human Health Chair is based. Photo: Lluís Mas Blanch
COM ARRIBAR
The Natural Park of Cap de Creus, located in the northeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula and constituted in 1998 by the Autonomous Government of Catalonia, is an excellent testing ground for studying how a marine reserve can contribute to human health. The marine area of the Natural Park covers approximately 3,000 hectares. Its tremendous biodiversity and productivity is due to the environmental conditions in the area where the park is located, with its river inputs and the prevalent northerly winds (known locally as the Tramontana). In addition, its geological complexity and the action of the northerly winds create a multitude of very diverse seabeds (rocks, mud, marine phanerogams, coralligenous assemblages, maërl, etc) which promote a broad diversity of habitats and species, among which are many that are classified as threatened and included in international conventions for the protection of flora and fauna. Marine reserves such as the Cap de Creus Natural Park are therefore of crucial importance for the conservation of marine biodiversity.
A pioneering collaboration to meet new environmental and health challenges at sea.
The Oceans and Human Health Chair was established thanks to a pioneering collaboration between the University of Girona (UdG), the City of Roses, the Fishermen's Association of Roses and the Fishmongers' Guild of Catalonia.
For many years, the UdG has applied its prestigious academic experience and know-how to the study of numerous aspects related to the theme "Oceans and Human Health". This has been possible thanks to research carried out by various research groups belonging to different UdG departments and research institutes, among which is the Institute of Aquatic Ecology and the Dpt. of Environmental Sciences, in collaboration with other researchers from the UdG and other universities and research centers around the world.
The City of Roses is interested in promoting studies on marine ecosystems and human health, as well as disseminating knowledge in this field. The City Council of Roses considers it a great opportunity that the activities of the Chair are closely associated with the name of city. The Fishermen's Association of Roses is one of the main fishermen's associations in Catalonia and is interested in the achievement of sustainable fishing and the promotion of seafood products. The Gremi de Peixaters de Catalunya is a non-profit trade association of seafood retailers with the fundamental mission of defending the interests of fishmongers in Catalonia and of promoting the sustainable and healthy consumption of fish products.
The Chair is the first in Catalonia and Spain, and one of few in Europe, that focuses on the topic of Oceans and Human Health. The team of experts that make up the Chair provide, for the first time in our country, a unique bank of knowledge on the subject, integrating universities, research centers, health centers, administrations, commercial companies and society.
Photo: Josep Lloret
This combination of knowledge and expertise means that the Chair is in a unique position to contribute in the development of important work not only from the academic point of view but also for society as a whole.
