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Professor Carlos Duarte to receive the European Academy of Sciences Blaise Pascal Medal

Jun 03, 2018 Faculty Focus

Carlos Duarte, KAUST professor of marine science and the Tarek Ahmed Juffali research chair in Red Sea ecology, will receive the Blaise Pascal Medal from the European Academy of Sciences in October 2018. File photo.

By David Murphy, KAUST News

Carlos Duarte, KAUST professor of marine science and the Tarek Ahmed Juffali research chair in Red Sea ecology, has been named a recipient of the Blaise Pascal Medal by the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) for his contributions in advancing earth and environmental sciences. Duarte will receive his medal at EurASc 2018, the yearly academy meeting, which will be held at the University of Bielefeld, Germany, from October 18 to 20.

EurASc is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization of distinguished scholars and engineers performing research and developing advanced technologies. EurASc established the Blaise Pascal Medal in 2003 in recognition of outstanding and demonstrated personal contributions to science and technology and the promotion of excellence in research and education.

"It is a great honor to be distinguished with this medal, which also entails being appointed a fellow of the European Academy of Sciences, and joining the distinguished group of previous recipients of the medal and fellows," Duarte said.

KAUST Professor Carlos Duarte speaks during the University's Global Ocean Genome workshop from October 29 to November 1, 2017. Photo by Andrea Bachofen-Echt.

Duarte was pleased to be recognized by his peers for his continued contributions in advancing Earth and environmental sciences.

"I learned that the process involves nominations being put forward by the different sections of the European Academy of Science. This reflects an appreciation for my contributions to develop Earth and environmental sciences, largely an outcome of collaborative research, so that many should be congratulated as shareholders of this recognition," he added.

In support of the Kingdom

Duarte, the former director of the University's Red Sea Research Center, currently focuses on pressing global marine science problems and contributes his expertise to some of the Kingdom's upcoming mega projects. He is currently involved in supporting Vision 2030 initiatives that revolve around the Red Sea, including The Red Sea Project and NEOM. Duarte is supporting the teams led by Dr. Abdulaziz Al Suwailem on projects assessing the environmental constraints of both projects.

KAUST Professor Carlos Duarte (front row, first from left) is also the University's Tarek Ahmed Juffali research chair in Red Sea ecology. Here, he stands with participants from the University's Global Ocean Genome workshop held on campus in late 2017. Photo by Andrea Bachofen-Echt.

"The beauty and conservation of the Red Sea is a fundamental cornerstone of the value propositions being made by both projects and more explicitly by The Red Sea project. I am also collaborating with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture on efforts to address climate change and desertification, with a focus on the roles of mangroves and seagrass meadows," he noted.

He was also named the first recipient of the Carlo Heip Award for outstanding accomplishments in marine biodiversity science. Duarte received the award at the Carlo Heip Award ceremony, which  took place on May 15 in Montreal, Canada.

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