LUMEN á Villefranche-sur-Mer
Guest post by Maria Papadimitraki and Esben Bay Sørensen
The LUMEN group – Karl Attard, Leah Brinch-Iversen, Esben Andreas Wrona Bay Sørensen and Maria Papadimitraki – spent a wonderful last week in Villefranche-sur-Mer attending the annual EU-funded POMP project meeting (https://pomp-project.eu/project/). It was an inspiring and productive gathering, bringing together researchers from partner institutions to strengthen existing collaborations and spark new ones.
Over the course of three days of working group meetings, we reviewed the project's progress and actively contributed to discussions on future directions and perspectives. It was especially motivating to connect and exchange ideas with both early-career and senior researchers working in the Arctic field. On the last day of the meeting, Karl delivered a seminar to local researchers based at the Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche (https://lov.imev-mer.fr/web/).
Beyond the science, Villefranche-sur-Mer was fantastic, and we got a daily workout on the hilly roads, swims in the Mediterranean Sea, plenty of sunshine and evenings with good food and drinks. We also had the chance to visit the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco – a mesmerizing experience that felt like a journey through the history of marine science. The museum featured fascinating historical specimens alongside a stunning aquarium, making it both educational and inspiring.
Now back in Denmark, the team is energized and ready to follow up on a productive and inspiring planning week. We are grateful to meeting organizers Mikael Sejr, Jakob Thyrring, and Steeve Comeau for putting together an excellent meeting.
