SUBMON participates in the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona

Measuring the ocean is essential for effective management, and evidence-based decisions are needed to protect it. During this Ocean Decade, we have the opportunity and need to identify and prioritise solutions that support its conservation.

During the Ocean Decade, three pillars are being worked to advance in the science we need for the ocean we want: understanding gaps in knowledge, educating and integrating Ocean literacy in a cross-cutting way and effectively protecting the ocean.

Last week, from April 10th to 12th, the city of Barcelona hosted the 2024 United Nations Ocean Decade Conference, an event of utmost importance that brought together over 1,500 in-person participants and thousands more virtually. Hosted by Spain and co-organized with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO), this conference was the highlight of a week entirely dedicated to the ocean, spanning from April 8th to 12th in Barcelona. During this week full of events and sessions it was possible to assess the achievements of the first three years of the Decade of the Ocean and to formulate, among all actors, a shared vision for the years to come.

At SUBMON we did not want to miss this event and we had the pleasure of attending the conference and actively participating in several activities and events. It has been quite a hectic week for the whole team, but extremely rewarding, as it has allowed us to share our constant work towards ocean conservation, sharing our many different projects, and learning from the rest of experts and organisations that have travelled to Barcelona over the past few days. Moreover, the event was an excellent opportunity to participate in the conversation about the future of our oceans and to contribute to the debate on the theme of the Ocean Decade: “Delivering the science we need for the ocean we want”.

Satellite Events: action-oriented sessions

From round tables to gastronomic events, our participation, like the topics covered at the conference, was varied and diverse. Prior to the official start of the conference, we had the privilege of attending two satellite events within the framework of the Ocean Literacy Dialogues, led by the Ocean Literacy With All community and coordinated by IOC-UNESCO. Firstly, we participated in a round table promoted by the SEA2SEE project in which we are part of, with the participation of Gastro Bio and FishEUTrust, the sister project of the European Commission’s Sea to Fork Call for Proposals. Juanita Zorrilla and Tecla Maggioni participated in the round table “From Sea-to-Plate: responsible consumption and seafood literacy”, where they addressed crucial issues such as seafood traceability, consumer empowerment and seafood literacy.

Round table Sea-to-plate.

Once the round table was over, we then conducted a collaborative activity where we encouraged the audience to imagine the ideal scenario for the seafood sector in the future, taking us to the year 2035. To make the event more dynamic and present the results of the workshop in a creative way, we had the participation of the graphic facilitator, Carlotta Cataldi, who accompanied us throughout the event and created a visual representation of everything that was being discussed.

The round table was followed by the highlight of the day. Led by the renowned chef, Quim Casellas, from the CASAMAR restaurant, we organised a showcooking session where we learned about the importance of consuming seasonal food, respecting natural cycles, contributing to the sustainability of our ocean and working with a holistic vision of the territory, to contribute to responsible consumption and thus take care of the Mediterranean.

Showcooking event.

On the same day but in a different location, we also attended the “Life on Shore” event through the conservation and restoration project, OCEAN CITIZEN, of which we are a part. During this satellite event, coordinated by DTU Aqua and held at the facilities of the Port Olimpic of Barcelona, different international initiatives and projects were presented, highlighting the ongoing scientific efforts to restore and protect marine and coastal ecosystems. The OCEAN CITIZEN project was presented by Marc García-Durán Huet, Founder and Executive President of Underwater Gardens International S.L., who shared the project’s insights directly related to social and economic integration in restoration efforts.

“Life on shore” event.

The conference begins: sharing progress and building synergies

It had already been two very productive and learning-filled first days, and the main event had not even started yet. On Wednesday 10, the official conference sessions kicked off, where we had the opportunity to dive into a wide range of topics related to marine conservation, ecosystem restoration, citizen science and science communication, among others topics such as the Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO). 

Besides participating in the official sessions, we had the opportunity to exhibit and present four posters about different projects in which SUBMON and its team are involved, highlighting some specific aspects that were in line with the main topics discussed during the conference.

Regarding the importance of data and technology, and how they ensure a positive change in humanity’s relationship with the ocean, we presented a poster on the Hackathon organised for the SEA2SEE project. This challenge aimed to develop a complementary tool based on blockchain technology to help consumers make informed and responsible decisions in order to address traceability and consumer communication issues identified as major barriers to sustainable seafood consumption.

OCEAN CITIZEN’s poster.

Other important concepts addressed during the conference were the importance of ocean literacy and communication to advance in the Challenge 10 of the Ocean Decade: reshaping humanity’s relationship with the ocean. SUBMON shares this vision and works on innovative and useful communication and dissemination strategies that we try to integrate into our projects. In this sense, on the one hand, we presented the work we had been doing for the OCEAN CITIZEN project, highlighting the great value that the project places on the implementation of effective communication strategies and on the co-creation and development of a creative narrative to explain complex scientific concepts. On the other hand, we also presented the work carried out in the context of the COST Action MAF WORLD, where we explained the importance of training scientists in creative communication in order to raise awareness of the conservation of Marine Animal Forests from a different perspective and among different audiences.

The last poster focused on one of the central themes of the conference: the need to involve local communities and society, especially in local conservation projects and actions. In this sense, we presented the BlueLab project, a SUBMON project that seeks to improve the environmental status of the Natura 2000 marine area of L’Albera, in Llançà, a marine area of high conservation interest, through a marine stewardship agreement. It is a project with an innovative approach, as it has a bottom-up perspective that prioritises local stakeholder involvement.

Key messages during the conference

The week was full of interesting reflections and it is difficult to sum it all up. One of the main takeaways from the conference was the pivotal role of science as a unifying and mediating tool for knowledge in times of uncertainty. However, it was also stressed that science should not be the only voice or the only tool available. For example, it was also stressed the importance of merging science, art and creativity to promote ocean literacy and to awaken curiosity about one of the most unfamiliar environments for many people. By integrating these perspectives, we can build bridges between scientific knowledge and the general public, enabling a deeper understanding and more meaningful connection to the ocean and its ecosystems, leaving no one behind.

Other conclusions that SUBMON would like to highlight are the following:

• To adopt an approach based on human rights, inclusiveness and respect.
• A fair and equitable blue economy, with benefits better distributed globally.
• Communication as a bridge to interact with industry and better adapt the message to the interests of the rest and not only from the scientific interest.
• We need to act now.

Participating in the Ocean Decade Conference has been a great opportunity to connect with experts from different sectors and countries, share knowledge and experiences, and collaborate in finding solutions to current and future ocean challenges. With the conclusions and the Barcelona Declaration of the Decade of the Ocean just released, SUBMON looks forward to continuing to contribute to the priority areas identified for the coming years.