Calendar
ICES Annual Science Conference 2026
The ICES Annual Science Conference 2026 will bring together the global marine science community to share cutting-edge research and shape the future of ocean knowledge and management. Taking place 15โ18 September 2026 in Brest, France, it is one of the leading scientific events in marine research.
Blue4All Travelling Exhibition on Cavoli Island in Italy
The BLUE4ALL Travelling Photo Exhibition, What Does Marine Protection Mean to Me?, will be on display at the Isola dei Cavoli Lighthouse, Sardinia, Italy.
In this unique coastal setting, visitors will be invited to explore 30 photographs that reflect diverse personal connections to marine protection. Featuring four winning images and 26 runner-up photographs, the exhibition captures unique perspectives on the ocean, its challenges, and the many ways people across Europe relate to and value marine environments.
Set against the backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea, the exhibition offers an inspiring opportunity to experience stories of marine protection in a place closely connected to the sea.
MPA Solutions Hub Demo Session
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐น๐? ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ฏ ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป! Discover how the MPA Solutions Hub can support your work, then try it out for yourself.
On the platform, you'll be able to explore tools for MPA planning, stakeholder engagement, ecosystem service valuation, financing, governance and management.
We also want to hear from you: What works? Whatโs missing? What would make the Hub more useful for people working with MPAs? ๐ค
Your feedback will help shape the next stage of the platform.
Blue4All Travelling Exhibition at the Matsalu National Park in Estonia
The BLUE4ALL Travelling Photo Exhibition, What Does Marine Protection Mean to Me?, is now on display outdoors at the Matsalu National Park Visitor Centre in Estonia through early autumn.
Set within one of Europeโs most remarkable nature parks, the exhibition brings together art, storytelling, and the natural landscape to explore personal connections to marine protection. It features four winning images and 26 inspiring runner-up photographs, each capturing a unique moment, issue, or relationship with the ocean.
Visitors are invited to experience powerful stories of the sea through the eyes of ocean lovers from across Europe.
Blue4all Final Event - From science to practice: co-creating effective MPAs to meet the EU marine protection targets
The Blue4all final event will take place in Bruges, Belgium, on 16 November 2026, from 13:30 to 17:30 CET.
The event is organised together with the EU Blue Parks Community as its 7th Community Workshop, under the title From science to practice: co-creating effective MPAs to meet the EU marine protection targets.
The workshop will focus on the practical application of project results, tools, and lessons for Marine Protected Area (MPA) managers. It will include presentations of outcomes from Blue4all, the MPA Solutions Hub, and related tools and methods from other EU-funded projects and Mission Actions.
The event will be held back-to-back with the 7th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity.
Registration will open later in summer 2026.
World Conference for Marine Biodiversity 2026
The World Conference on Marine Biodiversity 2026 will bring together the global marine biodiversity community to assess progress, share knowledge, and shape the future of ocean conservation. Taking place 17โ20 November 2026 in Bruges, Belgium, the conference marks a key moment to align science, policy, and action midway through the UN Ocean Decade.
Past events
HYBRID SEMINAR The Irish Sea: Ecological, Sociocultural and Economic Insights
Organized by the Green Foundation Ireland, in collaboration with University College Dublin, this Hybrid Seminar Event focuses on "What is a โvalueโ of a marine ecosystem, and what tools and approaches can be used to measure it? And how does the marine environment translate into benefits for humans?"
In this seminar, researchers from Horizon-EU funded projects MARBEFES and Blue4ALL will discuss methods of ecological, sociocultural, and economic valuation of the Irish Sea.
Registration and full programme are available here
Sustainable Ocean Summit & Global Blue Finance Summit 2024
The World Ocean Council will host two flagship events in Barcelona from 5-7 November 2024: the Sustainable Ocean Summit (SOS) and the Global Blue Finance Summit (BlueFIN). These events serve as key platforms for business and investment leaders focused on driving the sustainable blue economy forward.
The Sustainable Ocean Summit addresses the complex challenges of ocean sustainability through a holistic approach, prioritizing cross-sector collaboration, innovative solutions, and private sector engagement.
The Global Blue Finance Summit centers on cross-sector cooperation, developing innovative financial strategies, and integrating sustainability with economic growth in the blue economy. The summit seeks to address challenges, seize opportunities, and establish strategies for improving ocean health and sustainability through effective financial mechanisms.
View Organizer Website
info@oceancouncil.org
MSP4BIO SCIENCE POLICY THINK THANK
On October 24th, 2024, in Marseille, the MSP4BIO Project will host its 3rd Science Policy Dialogues Think Tank event. This event will take place following the MSP-GREEN & REGINA MSP Joint Closing Conference and will be held at the same venue from 15:00 CET.
This Think Tank event is by invitation only. If you represent a relevant project or initiative, or are a policy actor interested in participating, please contact WWF MED (Mauro Randone, mrandone@wwfmedpo.org).
The MSP4BIO Project is focused on enhancing the integration of biodiversity into Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP). As part of this effort, the project has launched a series of Science Policy Dialogue Think Tanks. The main objective of MSP4BIO Science Policy Dialogue Think Tanks is to co-develop, in collaboration with projects linked to MSP4BIO, a set of key solutions to improve the integration of biodiversity into Maritime Spatial Planning and to achieve validation through the engagement with policy actors. The Think Tanks bring together experts, scientists, and policymakers at both the EU and regional seas levels to co-develop innovative solutions for incorporating biodiversity into MSP.
For more information on the event: https://msp4bio.eu/msp4bio-3rd-science-policy-dialogues-think-tank-advancing-biodiversity-integration-in-maritime-spatial-planning/.