AQUALEX Multimedia Consortium Ltd. (AMC) was founded in 1996 in Dublin, Ireland, as a not-for-profit organization aimed at promoting the outcomes of the European Commission LINGUA Programme project, AQUALEX. The organization is managed by a Board of Directors elected from the original AQUALEX LINGUA project partners and subsequent collaborators. AMC’s mission is to provide high-quality multilingual aquatic science resources that facilitate communication within Europe’s diverse scientific community, with particular focus on supporting scientists in training.
Since its inception, AMC has made significant contributions to European science, particularly in the development of interactive learning tools for the aquatic sciences. Notably, AMC led to the publication of the AQUALEX Glossary in 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, New York. In 1999, AMC expanded its multilingual offerings by launching the AQUALEX Aquaculture Glossary online, available in seven key languages for the aquaculture sector (English, French, Spanish, Norwegian, Greek, Italian, and German). Further efforts saw the creation of a Virtual Learning Environment, featuring an extensive resource repository that includes open-access teaching and learning tools in various languages, such as English, French, Spanish, Norwegian, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, and Swedish. AMC has consistently supported the development of multilingual aquatic science materials, which are used in both e-learning and academic contexts. These materials include language learning tools tailored to the aquatic science sector, but applicable beyond this field as well.
In 2008, in collaboration with AquaTT, AMC established an award in honor of Dr. Lindsay Laird, recognizing the most innovative poster submitted by a student in aquaculture and aquatic sciences. This award, supported by publishers Wiley/Blackwell, includes a selection of aquaculture publications donated annually to the winner. Additionally, in 2023, the Richard Fitzgerald Award was presented at the Environ Conference held in ATU Letterkenny, in association with the Environmental Science Association of Ireland (ESAI). Later that year, at HCMR Crete, Professor Magoulas presented Professor Athanasious Eleftheriou with a plaque commemorating his significant contributions to the institute.
It was with profound sadness that AMC Ltd. learned of the sudden passing of Margaret Eleftheriou in October 2024. Margaret, the founding director of AMC, had an extensive educational career in both the UK and Greece, spanning secondary and tertiary levels. From 1979 to 1992, she played a pivotal role in curriculum development in Scotland. From 1987 to 2001, she taught English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in the Biology Department at the University of Crete. Margaret was a key partner in the LINGUA AQUALEX project, and her dedication to developing an accurate, up-to-date, and multilingual aquaculture glossary was instrumental in its early success. As a founder and chairperson of AMC from its establishment in 1996 until her passing, Margaret tirelessly promoted the organization’s mission. She was instrumental in launching the E-Aqualex Aquatic Sciences e-Learning Toolset, demonstrating her boundless energy, dynamism, and enthusiasm.
Margaret was a cherished colleague, always generous with her time, knowledge, and expertise. She was deeply committed to research and education, contributing to several EU projects related to her scientific interests. Through her work as a special consultant at the Institute of Marine Biology of Crete, she contributed to a series of educational videos and CD-ROMs, including the AQUALEX aquaculture glossary (now in 8 languages), Basic Techniques in Fish Haematology, and Spotlight on Greek Marine Science (available in both English and Greek).
Her involvement in the SOCRATES Thematic Network AQUATNET from 1996 to 2015, as well as her contributions to numerous EU educational projects (such as AQUALEX, ONEDIN, ORION, BIODAQUA, and PESCALEX), were critical in expanding the AQUALEX glossary into areas like Fish Diseases and Marine Pollution. She played a key role in the WAVE initiative and the VALLA project and contributed to the AQUATT submission on ECVET (European Credit Transfer for Vocational Education and Training). Her work also led to her nomination as the aquaculture representative in the EU 2020 ESCO (European Skills/Competences Qualifications and Occupations) Initiative, which she actively participated in until 2016.
Margaret’s expertise in Vocational Education and Training (VET) Learning Outcomes made her an invaluable contributor to the MATES project (2018–2022), which aimed to foster the European Blue Economy through a Marine Technology Skilling Strategy. She also developed four AMC language courses for the Marine Training website and participated in the EU-funded FLORES project (2023-2024), where she developed a pilot course, Introduction to Offshore Renewable Energy, available in both Spanish and English. Her final focus was on Ocean Literacy, and she worked on initiatives to support the Network of European Blue Schools. Margaret’s dedication to the future of our planet and her vision for the advancement of aquatic sciences were evident in her ongoing work with AMC.
The AMC Board of Directors is deeply honoured to have collaborated with Margaret. She embodied friendship, generosity, and dedication to making a difference in the lives of young students and professionals. Margaret’s legacy will continue to inspire all who knew her and worked alongside her. Thank you, Margaret, for the privilege of knowing you and for all your remarkable contributions to the aquaculture and aquatic science fields.