Ahead of the 2026 ICES Annual Science Conference (ASC) in Brest, the Advisory Committee (ACOM) and Science Committee (SCICOM) of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) held their joint meeting on the 14th of September. ACOM is responsible for providing scientific advice to decision-makers, while SCICOM coordinates the scientific work that underpins this advice. Together, the two committees play a central role in linking marine science with advice.
Maria E. Pierce was invited to give a keynote on her work in environmental modelling. Her talk examined knowledge integration and epistemic infrastructure, meaning the structures through which knowledge enters and shapes models and advice, from an ICES perspective. It critically questioned current modelling and advisory practices by asking where and how new knowledge can become consequential in models, their interpretation, and the resulting advice.
The talk generated lively discussion that continued throughout the conference. Follow-up conversations identified concrete next steps for taking these ideas forward within ICES, including structured formats for work on conceptual modelling, model design, and modelling life-cycle literacy as practical ways to make knowledge integration more visible, reviewable, and useful for advice.