This week, Planet Beyond is recording live at the 2024 Ocean Decade conference in Barcelona. In this last of our three daily live episodes, we speak to Jyotika Virmani, executive director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, a non-profit foundation established in 2009. The Institute’s goal is to advance innovative oceanographic research and discovery. It provides collaborators with free ship time aboard its research vessel.. 

Jyotika tells us why collaboration and open access to scientific tools is vital to ensuring the health of our ocean, and planet. She shares her thoughts on the importance of the conference, looks back over highlights of the first two days, and ahead to the final day.

We also hear calls to action from Paula Garcia Rodriguez, Mark Heine and Pooja Mahapatra.

Host

Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro

Guest

Jyotika Virmani, executive director, the Schmidt Ocean Institute

Additional comments

Paula Garcia Rodriguez, Early Career Ocean Professionals programme member 

Mark Heine, CEO, Fugro

Pooja Mahapatra, Principal Advisor for Climate and Nature, Fugro

Photo credit IISD/ENB | Mika Schroder