The meeting held from September 21st to 23rd in the region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic, brought together principal and associate researchers from Millennium Biodiversity Institute of Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems (BASE) to review the progress and plan new projects.
Among the topics addressed at the first annual BASE Millennium Institute meeting, were the definition of cross-cutting study models, upcoming Antarctic expeditions, international collaboration and decentralization challenges. The meeting took place at Almasur Hotel in Punta Arenas. The SEREMI of Science of the Austral Macrozone, Verónica Vallejos, and the director of the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) Marcelo Leppe participating in the event highlighted the opportunity to learn more about what BASE Millennium Institute proposes, mainly because it closely approximates the principles that the ministry has within this government: “It is a pleasure to see that there are young women researchers who are participating in the project,” Vallejos said.
Dr. Ellie Poulin, director of the BASE Millennium Institute stressed the importance of this milestone since it is the first time that the researchers of the BASE Millennium Institute gather off screen to finally establish a work plan -all together- and develop strategies to generate interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration, since the institute not only contemplates biology studies, but also conservation and Antarctic governance.
“We were indebted in many aspects of the studies -mainly in marine ecosystems- and with a strong approach in evolutionary biology, biodiversity and of course the component of time, which is Climate Change”, stressed Marcelo Leppe, director of INACH.
Finally, in terms of challenges, Dr. Julieta Orlando, alternate director of BASE Millennium Institute, pointed to knowledge management and team articulation: “to focus on certain models that allow us to work together, comprehensively, to make a real interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary work, taking advantage of the experiences and expertise that each of the researchers have”.
The meeting ended by highlighting the link made with research centers such as the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), the Cape Horn International Center for Global Change Studies and Biocultural Conservation (CHIC), and the Research Center for Dynamics of High Latitudes Marine Ecosystems (IDEAL).
By: Constanza Barrientos and Nadia Politis
Audiovisual: Patricio Moreno, Triada Producciones
Translated by: Catalina Ovando
