The Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) recently welcomed participants from around the world to discuss pressing climate-related issues. Held at NTU@one-north, the 9th International Conference on Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Change (ICAOCC) was organised by the Chinese-American Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (COAA), EOS and the National Institute of Education (NIE). The conference was chaired by Associate Professor Xianfeng Wang, a Principal Investigator at EOS, and Asst Prof Wang Jingyu from NIE.
Taking place from 27 to 29 July 2023, the ICAOCC23 conference was the first iteration after the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 100 participants and invited guests from various institutions around the world attended in person, and presented over 40 abstracts over two days.
Participants of ICAOCC23 (Source: Yasmin binte Mohamed Basir/Earth Observatory of Singapore)
Scientists from several EOS teams, including the Isotope Geochemistry team, the Sea Level Research team and the Air Pollution and Health team, highlighted their research. Assoc Prof Xianfeng Wang, Dr Jariya Kayee and Asst Prof Wang Jingyu presented on day one, and Dr Dhrubajyoti Samanta, Miss Lin Ke and Assoc Prof Steve Yim on day two. Dr Gonzalo Carrasco, Dr Wong Minn Lin and PhD students Dong Luojie, Ji Hanyi, Zhang Yilin, Qiu Wanyin, Wei Jia and Dampal Ranawaka highlighted their research through posters.
“Many participants were eager to share their research,” said Mr Bernie Wee, a Research Assistant working with the EOS Isotope Geochemistry team. “It was a good platform for networking as students, professors and researchers were all very enthusiastic in their discussions during the presentations and poster sessions.”
Dr Dhrubajyoti Samanta and ICAOCC 2023 attendees during a poster session (Source: Yasmin binte Mohamed Basir/Earth Observatory of Singapore)
It was Dr Jariya Kayee’s first time presenting at ICAOCC. Dr Kayee, a SG Academies South-East Asia Fellowship (SASEAF) Programme Postdoctoral Fellow at EOS, spoke on the topic of chemical composition and distribution of atmospheric aerosols in the Gulf of Thailand. She says of her experience, “The ICAOCC23 conference was a wonderful conference. I have gained a lot of experience, knowledge, and friends that can improve my future work.”
Assoc Prof Wang Xianfeng at ICAOCC 2023 (Source: Felix Galistan/Earth Observatory of Singapore)
In addition to being a great opportunity to get acquainted with the latest in oceanic, atmospheric and climate research, the conference also allowed some scientists to gain a unique behind-the-scenes experience in planning and executing an international conference.
Miss Hahjung Chin, a Research Associate at EOS, was part of the organising committee for ICAOCC23. “I've learnt a lot of things from the team on hosting an event. It was also a very proud and rewarding experience being the face of EOS and NTU for two days,” she said.
ICAOCC23 has served as an international platform for scientists to better understand new information, technologies and strategies, and to nurture future collaborations. EOS looks forward to future iterations of the conference, and to continued collaboration with COAA.