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INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) The IAEA EL has been engaged in ocean
was founded in 1957 within the United Nations acidification activities since 2013. It hosts the
system as a specialized body working towards Ocean Acidification International Coordination
the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear Centre (OA-ICC) - a project launched at the RIO
science and technology. Today, the IAEA also +20 conference.
actively contributes to the implementation of
the UN Sustainable Development Goals for The OA-ICC implements the following three key
effective social, economic and environmental overarching activities: science, capacity building,
development. One of the IAEA’s principal goals and communication. The project also contributes
is “to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of to the Global Ocean Acidification Observing
atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity Network (GOA-ON), supports joint experiments
throughout the world”. For its efforts to prevent and inter-comparison exercises, advocates for
nuclear proliferation and enhance the peaceful a stronger collaboration between natural and
uses of nuclear energy, the IAEA was awarded social sciences, works towards the development
the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. of best practices in ocean acidification research,
and offers free access to its unique bibliographic
As part of the Department of Nuclear Sciences data base on ocean acidification.
and Applications, the IAEA Environment
Laboratories (EL) assists Member States in Frequently the OA-ICC organizes regional
protecting the environment through improved training courses for scientists from developing
monitoring and radioactivity assessment countries and supports their participation in
capacity. The EL develop nuclear and isotopic international scientific events.
techniques that help better understand physical
and chemical processes in the ocean and that The project offers daily updated information on
are shared with the Member States through ocean acidification research results, related jobs,
technology transfer and capacity building efforts. meetings etc. on its news stream and provide
Seafood safety, radioactive tracers, harmful algal comprehensive resources grouped according to
blooms and the ocean carbon cycle are some of audience and language on its website.
the topics that are currently being addressed by
the EL. The OA-ICC contributes on a regular basis to
major international publications and participates
Nuclear and isotopic techniques can constitute in high-level international meetings addressing
unique tools to advance ocean acidification the problem of ocean acidification.
research. They allow scientists to assess past
changes in seawater chemistry, as well as to
evaluate the biological response of marine
species to ocean acidification (e.g. primary
production, growth, calcification rates etc.).

www.iaea.org