3rd Biennial World Congress
of Marine Stations
Location: The Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre (Canada)
Date: September 1-4, 2026
The World Congress of Marine Stations (WCMS), organized biennially by the World Association of Marine Stations (WAMS), plays a fundamental role in advancing the work of around 900 marine stations worldwide. This congress provides an essential forum to foster collaboration, share experiences, and establish partnerships that drive transformative marine research and education.
In this context, Filantropía Cortés Solari will present the Melimoyu Elemental Reserve as a research and conservation platform, aimed at generating long-term knowledge about Patagonian ecosystems. Their participation also seeks to open new collaboration opportunities with marine stations, universities, and international research centers.
"The science we generate from Melimoyu is part of a long-term commitment to Patagonia and the effective conservation of the oceans," adds Francisca Cortés Solari, Founder and Executive President of FCS-MERI.Representing the institution will be Esteban Tapia, director of the Melimoyu Elemental Reserve, and Dr. Alejandro Pérez Matus, scientific advisor, who will present the progress and the working model implemented in the reserve.
More about WCMS 2026
WAMS has successfully convened two congresses, including the first online congress in 2021 and the first in-person meeting in Japan in November 2024. These meetings have been decisive in bringing together representatives of marine stations from around the world to discuss crucial issues related to ocean health and sustainability.
The congress is scheduled for September 1 to 4, 2026, organized by the Pacific Marine Sciences Alliance (PMSA) at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre (BMSC) in Canada. It will continue to build upon previous meetings, focusing on global collaboration and the exchange of scientific knowledge to address the pressing environmental and social challenges of the marine environment.
17:00–19:00
Poster Session
Marine Stations as Distributed Research Platforms
9. Melimoyu Station: Building a Distributed Research and Community Hub for Ocean Monitoring in Chilean Patagonia
— Alejandro Pérez Matus (Subtidal Ecology Lab (SUBELAB), Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Las Cruces, Chile & Philanthropy Cortés Solari)
