World Conference on Marine Biodiversity 2026
The 7th edition of the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity will be organized in Bruges between November 17th and 20th 2026. The WCMB 2026 will fly the UN Ocean Decade flag, as it has been endorsed as a UN Ocean Decade Event. The overall theme of the Conference is “The marine biodiversity insights we need, for the ocean we want”. As the Conference will take place a little over halfway through the UN Ocean Decade, it will provide an excellent opportunity to take stock of ongoing actions and initiatives, but also evaluate what still needs to be tackled by the end of the Decade.
Nature Restoration Academy: Building the Skills to Restore Europe’s Waters
Between 29 and 30 of October the Nature Restoration Academy brings together early-career professionals, students and practitioners for two days in Berlin, preceded by an online baseline session, to build practical skills in marine and freshwater restoration.
BLUE CONNECT at European Maritime Day 2026
From 21-22 May 2026, BLUE CONNECT joined the MPA Community Network booth at the European Maritime Day in Limassol’s old town. Alongside PHAROS, Blue4All, BioProtect, MSP4BIO and EFFECTIVE, it presented science-based tools and collaborative approaches for more effective Marine Protected Area planning and management. The booth also introduced the MPA-CN as a growing space for connecting MPA projects, managers, stakeholders and experts across Europe, helping share knowledge, reduce fragmentation and strengthen cooperation.
Macaronesia Demo Site Advances Capacity Building for Marine Protected Area Management in Cabo Verde
The Macaronesia Demo Site partners met once again in Cabo Verde to continue their collaborative efforts to strengthen the management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) under the BLUE CONNECT project. Building on the successful training programme launched in April 2026, this second mission focused on delivering the next modules of the Training Programme for MPA Managers and facilitating a participatory workshop dedicated to reviewing the management priorities for the MPAs of Maio Island, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Formentera promotes shared marine governance at the 5th Marine Stewardship Board
The 5th Marine Stewardship Board brought together public authorities, the scientific community, the fisheries sector, environmental organisations and local socio-economic stakeholders in Formentera to share progress, identify priorities and strengthen a more participatory model of marine governance in the island’s protected marine areas within the Natura 2000 network.
Bringing the Black Sea Closer: Biodiversity Carnival Connects Hundreds of Children with Marine Nature in Burgas Bay
On 29 May, more than 150 children from preschools and primary schools in Burgas took part in a colourful parade along the central streets of the city, dressed as jellyfish, seahorses, sharks, crabs, algae and dozens of other marine species, as well as lighthouses, boats, marine ecosystems, and even waves and sea foam.
Updates from the Belgian Demo Site: BLUE CONNECT’s Oyster Restoration Pilot Shines in the Lab and on the Stage
The Belgian demo site of the BLUE CONNECT project has had an eventful month, marking two significant milestones in oyster restoration at the Vlaamse Banken MPA. Partners and stakeholders gathered at Ghent University for an up-close look at the oyster spat cultivation facilities, before the latest results were presented to a wider audience at a national symposium in Ostend. Together, these events reflect the growing momentum and collaborative spirit driving marine biodiversity recovery in the North Sea.
BLUE CONNECT joins the UN Ocean Decade — twice!
BLUE CONNECT has recently been endorsed as an UN Ocean Decade Action under the SUPREME Programme — Sustainability, Predictability and Resilience of Marine Ecosystems. And this recognition comes not once, but twice: alongside the endorsement of the BLUE CONNECT project, one of its Demonstration Sites, Macaronesia, has also received an endorsement for its work on MPA connectivity.
MACARONESIA DEMO SITE Hosts Practical SeaSketch Workshop and Public Event on Ocean Planning and Conservation in the Azores
On May 26 and 27, The BLUE CONNECT – Macaronesia DEMO SITE Project organised a practical workshop dedicated to the SeaSketch platform at the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of the Azores, in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island.
BLUE CONNECT volunteer activity in L’Albera helps recover detached Posidonia oceanica shoots
On Sunday 26 April, SUBMON organised a volunteer activity at Canyelles beach in Llançà as part of the European project BLUE CONNECT. The session focused on collecting detached Posidonia oceanica shoots that had been dislodged from the seabed by storms and were drifting close to the shore.