The ESF Marine Board has undertaken a major initiative for marine science for the next decade, identifying the key scientific issues and integrating all relevant dimensions of the natural and social sciences.
As a first step, a report entitled Towards a European Marine Research Area  was made available on the web in December 2000 and its focus was on strategy and science policy.
An Executive Summary entitled Navigating the Future was published in March 2001.

The Marine Board then worked at the publication of Integrating Marine Science in Europe, elaborating in much more detail the scientific and technical challenges previously identified. This is based on the outcomes of nine conferences and workshops.
The Integrating Marine Science in Europe position paper was launched in Brussels on 11 November 2002. 
The implementation of Integrating Marine Science in Europe is now one of the key topics of the Marine Board work plan.

In March 2003, the summary of  Integrating Marine Science in Europe was released as Navigating the Future II.

Navigating the Future III, published in December 2006, outlines the most important thematic research priorities for Europe, taking into account the priorities not only for FP7, but also the objectives of national research programmes, the European Marine Environment Strategy and the Galway Declaration 2004. As such, it is an important source of information to anyone concerned with marine science in Europe either as an academic, administrator or planner of future projects in search of EU assistance. Click here for more