Professor Miquel Canals, member of the Europe Horizon mission assembly to protect the marine environment
Professor Miquel Canals, head of the Research Group on Marine Geosciences (CRG Marine Geosciences) of the Faculty of Earth Sciences of the UB, has been appointed member of the international expert mission assembly to fight the scientific challenges in the environmental health conservation of marine environments, coasts and continental waters within the European Commission Europe Horizon program.
Professor Miquel Canals, head of the Research Group on Marine Geosciences (CRG Marine Geosciences) of the Faculty of Earth Sciences of the UB, has been appointed member of the international expert mission assembly to fight the scientific challenges in the environmental health conservation of marine environments, coasts and continental waters within the European Commission Europe Horizon program.
Europe Horizon is the new program within Horizon 2020 to promote research and innovation within Europe for 2021-2027. It will follow the program Horizon 2020 to promote research and innovation in Europe. With a budget of 100,000 million euros, this ambitious program will promote five big initiatives -called missions- to strengthen the scientific and technological bases, promote competitiveness and innovation, and give a response to global challenges that affect citizenship in Europe. These five missions are focused on cancer; adaptation to climate change; oceans, seas, coasts and interior waters; climatically neutral and smart cities; and the health of soil and food.
In this context, each mission will have a mission board to identify its specific actions. Also, each mission will have a mission assembly formed by prestigious authorities on international research who will provide knowledge and experience on research to contribute to the success of the Europe Horizon objectives. These assemblies will be a source of ideas and suggestions, as well as elements of reference in the design and implementation of the different missions.
Miquel Canals is the head of the Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics of the UB and an expert on marine geosciences, as well as on the impact of climate change in marine environments and applied marine science, including geological risks. First coordinator of the degree in Marine Sciences -interdisciplinary studies taught at the University of Barcelona since the academic year 2015/2016-, Canals led several marine geology campaigns in large oceanographic ships to study submarine topography, sedimentary records and signs of climate change in marine ecosystems worldwide as part of great research projects, many of them funded by the European Commission.
Professor Miquel Canals is the author of many science publications (articles, books and other contributions) with a high index of impact in the international scientific community, and one of the most cited experts regarding marine sciences in Spain, according to the data in the ISI Web of Knowledge Essential Science Indicators. He is member of the Institute for Catalan Studies (IEC) and the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences of Barcelona (RACAB), and has been awarded the Rei Jaume I Prize on protection of the environment (2008) and the Award by the Catalan Government for the promotion of university research (2004), among other awards.