While summer often brings a slower pace, Blue4All partners have remained highly active, engaging with stakeholders, developing tools, and collaborating across projects. From coastal workshops in southern Europe to high-level exchanges on board a research vessel, the past two months have been full of dynamic contributions to the co-creation of more effective and inclusive MPA networks. Here are the highlights!
Celebrating the Sea: Blue4All Summer Photography Contest
Throughout the summer, Blue4All has been running a photography contest to encourage public connection with marine environments. Submissions showcase personal perspectives on ocean life and coastal spaces, helping to build awareness and appreciation for marine conservation. Enter the contest here - until August 26th 2025!
Engaging Through Play: Blue4All at the UN Ocean Conference Side Event
On 11 June, Blue4All joined the MPA Community Network aboard the German research vessel METEOR for a side event of the UN Ocean Conference. The session mainly focused on the MPA Corridor Design Game, co-facilitated by Blue4All and partner projects. Participants worked in teams using layered data cards to design ecologically sound and socially balanced MPA corridors.
The game created a lively and collaborative space for practitioners to grapple with the real-world trade-offs involved in MPA planning. Many expressed interest in bringing the game to their own regions or training contexts. This session showcased how Blue4All’s tools can support decision-making processes in practical, accessible ways.
Stakeholder Workshop in Otranto, Italy: First Steps Toward Local Engagement
On 26 May, the Municipality of Otranto hosted a local stakeholder workshop as part of its role in the Blue4All project. The event was the first public Blue4All activity in Otranto and introduced the project to the local community, while laying the groundwork for future Living Lab activities and tool testing.
During the workshop, key stakeholders were invited to discuss best practices in MPA management, with a focus on nearby MPAs, Porto Cesareo and Torre Guaceto. MPA managers shared challenges and approaches to engaging local communities and raising environmental awareness. In a second session, local stakeholder representatives presented their perspectives and experiences with MPAs, particularly in relation to sustainable tourism. The event concluded with a commitment to deepen engagement through tool testing and follow-up workshops focused on MPA proposals and management challenges, such as the regulation of human activities.
Shaping the Blueprint Platform: Blue Connect General Assembly
At the recent Blue Connect General Assembly on 16-17 June, Sergio Scanu presented Blue4All’s development of the Blueprint Platform - a key innovation designed to support MPA managers through context-sensitive guidance and tool integration.
The presentation was part of a broader collaboration between Blue4All and projects like Blue Connect, focusing on how their needs, tools, and user experience can be directly integrated into the platform’s architecture. This joint effort is intended to avoid duplication and create a comprehensive, one-stop hub that consolidates resources from across the European MPA community.
Presenting Research at the MPAs in MSP Conference in Norway
From 9–12 July, Blue4All was represented by Sophie van Schoubroeck at the Marine Protected Areas in Marine Spatial Planning Conference in Bodø, Norway, where she presented joint research by the University of Antwerp, HELCOM, and the University of Southern Denmark. Her talk, “Social values and ecosystem services in Marine Protected Areas: Insights from the Danish Wadden Sea,” highlighted the importance of understanding and communicating the societal benefits of MPAs.
The presentation sparked strong interest in integrating environmental economics into marine conservation and led to lively interdisciplinary discussions. It underscored the importance of incorporating social values and ecosystem service perspectives into marine spatial planning processes.
Presenting Results in the Danish Wadden Sea
As part of its ongoing stakeholder engagement efforts, Blue4All recently hosted an online dissemination event focused on the Danish Wadden Sea MPA, one of the project's 14 Living Labs.
During the session, Blue4All presented recent results from the area, including:
- Ecosystem service assessment
- Spatial mapping of socio-cultural values
- Cumulative impact analysis
These tools support more inclusive and informed decision-making in MPA management. The event was also an opportunity to update participants on current and upcoming Blue4All activities related to outreach and stakeholder engagement.
Looking Ahead
The coming months will bring further tool testing, stakeholder events, and continued development of the Blueprint Platform. Blue4All remains committed to building an open, shared foundation for more effective, equitable, and resilient MPA networks across Europe.
Stay up to date by following us on LinkedIn or join our MPA Community Network on BlueBioMatch to discuss on ongoing MPA related challenges and solutions.