Prince Albert II of Monaco to receive prestigious German Ocean Award in September

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CIESM Congress to convene in Germany for the first time As President of the Mediterranean Science Commission (Commission Internationale pour l'Exploration Scientifique de la Méditerranée; CIESM), Prince Albert II of Monaco will be conferred the German Ocean Award (Deutscher Meerespreis) on September 12th in Kiel, Germany. Valued at 10,000 Euros, this annual award is jointly awarded by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Deutsche Bank. On that day, Prince Albert II will inaugurate the 41st CIESM Congress, an international congress to be attended by more than 500 scientists from 50 countries. This year, the congress will take place in Germany for the first time, since it joined the organisation in 1969. The tradition of oceanography is well established in Monaco. In 1889, the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco was founded by Prince Albert I and enjoys an excellent reputation worldwide. The famous marine biologist Jacques-Yves Cousteau had been a long-time director of the Museum. The Monegasque royal family had been involved with the Museum for more than a century serving the needs of the oceans. The CIESM was founded in 1919 through an initiative by Prince Albert I. Based in Monaco, it is an intergovernmental organisation with 23 member states, working towards the promotion, coordination and planning of scientific exploration of the Mediterranean. Its current president, Prince Albert II, has been personally involved in the protection of the oceans for many years, having set up the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (Foundation Prince Albert II de Monaco) in 2006, a foundation dedicated to the environment and the promotion of sustainable development on a global scale (the protection and preservation of the Arctic ecosystem, and to support research projects on global warming and ocean acidification) and supports initiatives in research, technological innovation and socially aware practices. On September 12th, when Prince Albert II receives the German Ocean Award, the patron of the Award Prime Minister Torsten Albig, the Federal Minister of Education and Research Professor Johanna Wanka and EU Commissioner Karmenu Vella will be in attendance. "With this award, we also recognise the long-standing commitment of Prince Albert II for the research, preservation and protection of the oceans," said Professor Peter Herzig, Director of GEOMAR. "Therefore, it is a special honour for us to welcome him to Kiel in September," Professor Herzig continued. Further information:  www.geomar.de  and  www.deutscher-meerespreis.de

Prince Albert II at the 5th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts and Islands. UNESCO, Paris (2010) - Wikimedia © Michel Ravassard