More than ever, oceans are a topic of paramount importance in scientific research and of outstanding significance in multiple areas of knowledge. The study of the Iberian Margin covers both the geological record and the current dynamics of coastal waters to the deep sea. In this environment, access to geological and marine resources, preservation of biodiversity and geological heritage, spatial planning, the construction and maintenance of engineering works or the management of natural and technological risks, are questionable. The subjects under discussion are inter- and multidisciplinary, bringing together a community of experts including geologists, biologists, engineers, geographers, geophysicists, oceanographers, chemists, jurists, sociologists and historians.

 

   The Symposium on the Atlantic Iberian Margin, with well-established tradition in the scientific community, is successfully organised every three years since 1994.The symposium aims to bring together researchers from different countries to build up knowledge on the Iberian Atlantic coast. After the success of the meeting held in Malaga in 2015, it is in this context and spirit that the IX Edition of MIA will return to Portugal, to the University of Coimbra. In this university, UNESCO World Heritage Site, historical achievements driven by ocean navigation, intersect with the creation and diffusion of scientific knowledge. Coimbra and its nearby region are a unique place to observe the geological records of the evolution of the Atlantic Ocean.

 

   The IX Symposium on the Iberian Atlantic Margin (MIA 2018): From the Coastal Zone to the Deep Ocean – Opportunities and Challenges, will take place on 4-7 September 2018, in Coimbra, organised by the Departments of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences and Civil Engineering from the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE) and the IATV - Institute of the Environment Technology and Life, for which everyone is invited.