SUBMON was pleased to participate in the first European Ocean Days held in Brussels from March 4th to 8th. This week-long event provided an exceptional opportunity to explore key issues related to European maritime topics, such as the EU Ocean and Waters Mission, future priorities for Europe’s seas, blue innovation, investment opportunities and ocean literacy initiatives. It was a week full of insightful sessions and discussions on the future of our oceans from various perspectives within the EU Ocean Mission.
Throughout the week, we had the privilege of representing the OCEAN CITIZEN and SEA2SEE projects, specifically emphasising the communication and engagement strategies developed over the past few months. In addition, we actively engaged with different stakeholders, facilitating insightful discussions, exchanging opinions, and sharing best practices. These interactions allowed us to connect with other stakeholders in person and establish valuable connections.
Before the physical gathering, SUBMON participated virtually in the online Mission Ocean Forum. This session not only highlighted the progress and achievements of the Mission Ocean but also facilitated valuable networking opportunities with colleagues from other projects. It was an excellent chance to engage with stakeholders, share insights, and align efforts towards common goals within the framework of the EU Mission Ocean.
Our first stop in Brussels was the ‘Where next for Europe’s Seas‘ session. This meeting, held on March 6th, consisted of four participatory sessions about global drivers, economics, social issues and innovation. It provided a platform for insightful discussions on shaping the future of Europe’s marine environment. One of the main takeaways from this session was the urgent need for a comprehensive ‘Blue Deal’ that integrates global drivers, economy, society and innovation to ensure a sustainable future for Europe’s oceans – a view that resonates deeply with our mission.
During this session, we showcased two posters highlighting our involvement in two major European projects. Our goal when designing these two posters was to present the significant progress of two of our most important projects in a unique and engaging manner that reflected our approach to communication.
OCEAN CITIZEN’s poster highlights the project’s strong focus on effective communication strategies and co-creation through a poster presentation on the importance of communication in European projects. The poster’s goal was to demonstrate how prioritising communication from the very beginning can help maximise the impact of our projects and effectively engage and raise awareness to promote ocean literacy. The poster illustrated how OCEAN CITIZEN has used useful co-creative processes and a creative storytelling approach to explain complex scientific concepts and aims to serve as an example for other Horizon Europe projects.
On the other hand, SEA2SEE’s poster specifically focused on the collective intelligence process developed to identify the main barriers to sustainable seafood consumption faced by European consumers. This process allowed us to craft a successful and comprehensive consumer engagement strategy and implement several actions to address those barriers. Some of these actions included a Hackathon to address traceability and consumer communication issues identified as major obstacles to sustainable seafood consumption. Additionally, a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) will soon be available for enrollment, educating consumers and stakeholders about responsible consumption and sustainable production practices in the seafood industry.
Our involvement continued the next day with the 2nd EU Blue Parks Community Meeting, where we explored the effective management of marine protected areas and coastal zones. This workshop, held on March 7th, focused on promoting a comprehensive understanding of the effective management of EU Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), including the crucial coastal zones and the dynamic land-sea interfaces. It brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss and share insights on the challenges and opportunities in protecting and restoring marine and coastal biodiversity. The workshop highlighted key EU-funded projects and research innovations for effective marine management through presentations, case studies and interactive discussions. It addressed policy development needs and explored participatory approaches from EU Member States and regional and local stakeholders.
Juanita Z. Pujana during SUBMON’s presentation at the 2nd EU Blue Parks Community Meeting.
As Juanita Z. Pujana from SUBMON explained, “In the evolving field of conservation, it is clear that scientific research alone is no longer enough. Marine conservation is a matter of collective responsibility and shared commitment. To effectively protect our ocean, we must embrace a holistic approach, combining scientific research with community engagement, stakeholder training, and awareness-raising efforts. By fostering collaboration and empowering local communities to become active participants, we can forge a path towards a more resilient and prospering marine environment, and this is SUBMON’s approach”.
At the end of the week, we attended the last event called Ocean Literacy in Action. The event focused on ocean literacy and the common goal of fostering a better understanding of the ocean’s vital role among the public, exploring effective and collaborative measures to enhance ocean literacy.
As we reflect on our experience at the European Ocean Days, we can definitely confirm that it has been a great occasion to foster synergies and advance the conservation of Europe’s marine ecosystems. Participating in these events has been an excellent opportunity for SUBMON to contribute to and learn from discussions on ocean conservation.
For further information: https://maritime-forum.ec.europa.eu/theme/governance/european-ocean-days_en
