Several Institutions in Ecuador organized an international panel to discuss the possible contributions of the country to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) which has the goal to support efforts to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health and gather ocean stakeholders worldwide behind a common framework that will ensure ocean science can fully support countries in creating improved conditions for sustainable development of the Ocean.

The panel took place in Guayaquil, on 14^th August 2019, at the Auditorium of the Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral, and had the participation of delegates from several international organizations:

• Salvatore ARICÒ . Head of the Ocean Science Section, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. (Opening Remarks by Teleconference)
•  Méntor Villagómez, Secretary General of the Permanent Commission of the South Pacific.
• Rodney Martínez, Director of the International Research Center on El Niño.
• Xavier Chalén, delegate International Conservancy.
• José Santos, Executive Director of the International CLIVAR Project Office.

It also had the participation of representatives of some national organizations:

• María del Pilar Cornejo, Dean of the Faculty of Marine Sciences, ESPOL
• Leonardo Alvarado, director of Oceanography from INOCAR.
• María Verónica Córdova, Director of Marine Coastal Programs at the Minister of Environment.
• Nikita Gaibor, director National Fisheries Institute.