Scientists meet Artists is an initiative promoted and led by the University of Vigo through the Campus do Mar, created as a meeting place and dialogue between two very different disciplines: Science and Art. This initiative, whose first edition took place in 2021, aims to establish a collaboration between researchers of the Campus do Mar network and the Marine Research Center of the University of Vigo, and illustrators who develop their work in Spain and Portugal. The illustrations created reflect the shared vision between the research and artistic staff, without losing the scientific rigor and with the focus on disseminating the oceanic culture and creating educational resources for citizens and, in particular, for the teaching communities of primary and secondary levels.
This initiative contributes directly to the Ocean Culture initiative of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, to the challenges of the UN Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development, by increasing the knowledge needed to achieve an equitable and sustainable ocean economy, as well as highlighting the usefulness of systematic ocean observation to obtain an adequate knowledge of our seas and a sustainable use of marine resources. Likewise, knowledge of the ocean and an ocean-aware population contribute to the EU Mission “Restore Our Oceans and Waters”.