🪸 Today is #WorldReefAwarenessDay 🌊 Coral reefs support at least 25% of marine species and act as vital Nature-based Solutions for coastal communities. Through the African-German project PAMO, MeerWissen strengthens evidence-based planning and implementation of NbS in the Western Indian Ocean.

From concrete reef structures helping restore damaged coral ecosystems to the dramatic decline of African penguins, marine biodiversity is increasingly under pressure.🌊 The MeerWissen Penguins project strengthened penguin conservation and monitoring in South Africa. meerwissen.org/partnership-...

🌊 OCEANS 2026 started yesterday in China, bringing together experts on marine science & digital innovation. These themes strongly connect to the MeerWissen-supported NeDiT project, which strengthened evidence-based ocean governance by compiling data on 3,300+ marine species in Africa. #MeerWissen

🌊 The European Maritime Day Conference 2026 started today in Cyprus, and continues tomorrow. One plenary session focused on the blue economy — a topic also addressed by the MeerWissen-supported INDUCE project in Senegal through research on fisheries governance & fish functional diversity. 🐟 #EMD2026

🌍 Yesterday marked the start of the #EuroGOOS Conference in Cyprus — with a focus on strengthening ocean observation and monitoring systems for marine governance and climate resilience. 🌿 This also connects to the #MeerWissen-supported CEM-CV project in Cabo Verde. shortlink.uk/1vhck

🪸 New research suggests coral disease outbreaks are linked not only to ocean warming, but also to nutrient pollution from runoff and wastewater. 🌊 This connects closely to the NeDiT project, which supports marine biodiversity data management in East Africa. meerwissen.org/partnership-... #MeerWissen

🌊 Yesterday marked the start of #ASLOSIL2026 — an international conference running until May 16 bringing together scientists, stakeholders & Indigenous knowledge holders to address aquatic challenges. 🌿This collaborative spirit is also central to #MANCOGA, a project strengthening coastal resilience.

🌐 A recent global study found that nearly 3 out of 4 Marine Protected Areas are affected by wastewater pollution. 🌿 Through the MeerWissen partnership project SOMWAT, researchers explore how seagrass ecosystems improve water quality and support resilient coastal governance.

🌊 Since April 2026, over 10% of the ocean is officially protected. In Mauritania, the MeerWissen project WASP supports biodiversity inventories and marine protected area planning around Banc d’Arguin and vulnerable cold-water coral reefs. 🌍 #Meerwissen #30x30 #BlueEconomy #MPA #MarineBiodiversity

🐟 This past Saturday, World Tuna Day showed how closely ocean health, food security & livelihoods are linked. 🌊 #INDUCE (MeerWissen) in Senegal studies functional diversity & links science with governance to support better, sustainable fisheries decisions. meerwissen.org/partnership-...

🌊 Maritime Conference (Emden, 29–30 Apr) discussed ports, offshore wind & shipping growth, alongside the need to better manage competing ocean uses. 👉MeerWissen/WIOGEN supports marine spatial planning in the Western Indian Ocean to coordinate uses like fisheries, conservation & infrastructure.

🌊 Marine Mammal Rescue Day Many rescues are preventable—caused by human pressure on the ocean. From warming waters to bycatch, marine mammals are pushed into crisis. Projects like NAMares show: better knowledge → better planning → fewer animals in distress. meerwissen.org/partnership-...

🌊 As 50+ countries meet in Santa Marta to advance the fossil fuel transition — a reminder: the ocean absorbs 90% of excess heat and 25% of global CO₂. No ocean health, no climate stability. 🔬 @MeerWissen ensures ocean science informs the decisions that matter. meerwissen.org | #OceanClimate #COP31

🌊 Earth Day began with an oil spill that made the environmental crisis visible; a year later, in 1970, it was born. Today, the ocean remains underrepresented. @MeerWissen links science and policy. A reminder echoed at the Petersberg Dialogue: www.bundesumweltministerium.de/en/pcd2026

🌊💼 The sustainable blue economy could create 93M jobs by 2050 - Blue Paper by High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy Science-based ocean policy makes this possible, and we're proud to contribute. Because policy needs science to succeed. oceanpanel.org/publication/...

Preservation and conservation always come first. But when it's no longer possible, restoration gives nature a second chance. The ORIENTATE project team successfully transplanted seagrass at the pilot site. 👉 See the transplantation in action: youtu.be/0PZyRuCHDr8 @awi.de

Ocean knowledge should be accessible to everyone – and now it is. 🌊 IOC-UNESCO offers free, self-paced Ocean Literacy courses open to everyone worldwide. At MeerWissen, we believe that ocean literacy is at the heart of meaningful ocean action. 📅 Enroll now: lnkd.in/evPrHD2G

You can't protect what you don't understand🌊 Mapping marine ecosystems, like seagrass, is one of the most powerful tools we have for evidence-based ocean management. Seagrass are: 🌿Biodiversity hotspots 💪Long-term carbon sinks 🏘️The foundation of livelihoods 👉 meerwissen.org/partnership-...

Most people have never heard of seagrass, but kids in Djerba, Tunisia now have 🌿 The ORIENTATE project's Seagrass Expo brought science to the next generation. Ocean governance depends on ocean literacy. Check out the video here: meerwissen.org/news/teachin... @awi.de

99% sediment retention under future sea-level rise scenarios. 🌿 MANCOGA project research from Ghana shows mangroves aren't just effective, they're a game-changer for coastal communities. NbS don't work alongside ecosystems. They ARE the ecosystem. 🔗

BBNJ PrepCom3 is done - now comes implementation 🌊 Excited to share this IOC-UNESCO course with our community to strengthen the science-policy interface: Using Science, Knowledge & Tools to Operationalise the BBNJ Agreement. Starts April 13! 🔗 oceanexpert.org/event/4989

🐧New research alert! Scientists have discovered a new colony of penguins. If you observe them for long enough, you will see them ... fly! If you want to learn real facts about penguins, check out the MeerWissen Penguins project page 😉 meerwissen.org/partnership-... www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dfW...

🐳 EPICD framework to connect transdisciplinary research with the public and drive evidence-based decision-making The new publication highlights what MeerWissen is all about: the power of co-designed research in marine science 📖 link.springer.com/book/10.1007... 🎥 Co-design: lnkd.in/eWqjCzHK

👩‍🔬🌊 Zanzibar's next-gen marine scientists are in training - seagrass monitoring, macrofauna ID, sponge farming & more. The SOMWAT project is building local research capacity to turn field evidence into lasting environmental policy. 🐳 🔗 meerwissen.org/insights/hea...

🌊Co‑design Boosts Science‑Policy Impact in Zanzibar PaMo workshop key priorities: 🔹Participation and inclusivity 🔹Communication and tools 🔹Policy and sustainability 🔗Read more here: meerwissen.org/news/co-desi... @leibniz-zmt.de @giz.de

🚨🌊 New paper from SOMWAT! How do communities in Zanzibar perceive seagrass ecosystem services, and do those views differ across sites? A new study finds that effective seagrass management must be rooted in the lived realities of coastal communities. 🔗 meerwissen.org/publications... @hifmb.de

How can universities better prepare ocean professionals for the challenges ahead? Co-authored by a researcher from @awi.de, the new study calls for embedding co-design, systems thinking & science–policy communication into marine curricula, core to what we do at MeerWissen. 🔗 ow.ly/9Vi250Yvt6p

🌿 Did you know? Mangroves could be Ghana's best defence against a changing coastline. Our MANCOGA project is tackling coastal erosion through: 🔹Digital Twin model 🔹Carbon sequestration and water purification 🔹Decision support tools for policymakers 👉 Read more here: meerwissen.org/partnership-...

📹New PAMO video - participatory modeling for Nature-based Solutions 🔍 Key themes covered: → Community collaboration along the coast → Participatory modeling for informed decision-making → Nature-based Solutions in practice #MeerWissen

📝🏦Climate finance for ocean resilience: where are the gaps, and how do we close them? New @greenclimate.fund & @giz.de working paper on: 🌊Financing gaps and opportunities 🌊GCF’s financial instruments to unlock public and private capital 🌊Financing pathways (i.e. blue bonds) 🔗 tinyurl.com/2fms288b

🌿 Most people know grass. Far fewer know seagrass. Discover which ecosystem services are delivered by seagrass meadows. 🐟 👉 Watch the video to learn more 🔗 SOMWAT: tinyurl.com/k7h53krt 🔗 ORIENTATE: tinyurl.com/35n8j6ht @awi.de @hifmb.de #MeerWissen

International Women's Day 🌊♀️💜 Seaweed farming has allowed women of the Vezo People in Madagascar to gain financial independence, while reducing strain on fish stocks. 🔗 Check out the full video here: meerwissen.org/news/improvi... #MeerWissen

🔎 Co-Design Deep Dive Part 4 ❔What does sustainability mean in the context of co-design? ❔How do we ensure that project results live beyond completion? ❔How do we deal with data and intellectual property in a fair and just manner? 🔗Co-Design Guidance: tinyurl.com/4e6dkuym #MeerWissen

🌊 #EuropeanOceanDays2026 are in full swing! At the Marine Knowledge for Ocean Health session, digital twins of the ocean took centre stage: a technology the #MANCOGA project uses to simulate marine systems & support better ocean governance. 🔬 🔗 tinyurl.com/27s6c8vf #MeerWissen

Last week at the #OSM26 in Glasgow, Holger Brix and Edem Mahu shared exciting results from the MANCOGA project. They explored how mangroves can serve as nature-based solutions to coastal hazards along Ghana’s east coast. 👉 Discover the full MANCOGA impact story here: meerwissen.org/insights/man...

🇩🇪 1.5 hours panel exchange on world Oceans 🌊. Thanks to Bundeskunsthalle for invite & co-panelists Heike Vesper from @wwf.de, Katja Matthes from @geomarkiel.bsky.social & Pernille Weiss-Ehler from @ec.europa.eu www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYY1...

What is capacity development in Ocean Science? #OceanDecade oceandecade.org/news/ask-an-...

🐟👩‍🔬Science for ocean conservation On Wednesday, Katja Matthes, Director of @geomarkiel.bsky.social, reaffirmed the role oceans play in international climate and energy policy. 🔗 to CLIMALG project with GEOMAR: tinyurl.com/3jp2c84s @oceanknigge.bsky.social @blueactionfund.org @wwf.de @ec.europa.eu

👩‍🔬 Integrating co-design into project and partnership management Part 3 of our Co-Design Deep-Dive Series focuses on project and partnership management. Tune in next week for part 4! Find the details of the co-design approach here: meerwissen.org/download/58/... #MeerWissen #UNOceanDecade

🌳 Learn about the MANCOGA research project at #OSM26! Helmholtz-Zentrum #Hereon experts Joanna Staneva, Douglas Vieira da Silva and Holger Brix will be presenting Digital Twins of the Ocean and Nature-based Approaches as part of the MANCOGA project. Tune in here: tinyurl.com/3hbnw58u #MeerWissen

🚨 📽️ 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁 In Madagascar, the PaMo project has produced a video to enhance local knowledge and raise awareness about provisioning ecosystem services and mitigating climate change. 🔗View it here: tinyurl.com/hp5kf7ju #MeerWissen #UNOceanDecade #GIZMadagascar

🌊🤝Engaging stakeholders in the co-design process Part 2 of our Co-Design Deep-Dive Series focuses on drawing stakeholder engagement. Tune in next week for part 3! 🔗Read the guidance here: meerwissen.org/download/58/... #UNOceanDecade #CoDesign @leibniz-zmt.de @geomarkiel.bsky.social

The first-ever Business and Biodiversity assessment report provides decision-makers clear evidence on how business depends on nature, how they impact it & what it means for risk, resilience and long-term value. — @ingerandersen.bsky.social, @unep.org Exec. Director 🎥 www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhu-...

📋How can you apply a co-design approach to your own projects? Part 1 of our Co-Design Deep Dive series is about finding a joint vision and a common understanding. Tune in next week for part 2! Read the guidance here: meerwissen.org/download/58/...

👩‍🔬 🌊 Highlighting the contribution of women to ocean science Mkekali Juma studies how seagrasses can help mitigate pollution by nutrient sequestration as part of the SOMWAT project. 👉Read more about her research and experience here: tinyurl.com/mr48kcp4 #MeerWissen #UNOceanDecade #IDWGS

🪸🤝Responsibility of businesses in protecting biodiversity New @ipbes.net Report on Business and Biodiversity: Collaboration with science and Indigenous and local knowledge is needed. 👉Check out the report here: tinyurl.com/4tfebyja #MeerWissen #IPBES12 #BizBiodiversity #OceanScience

🌊 Bist Du unsere:n nächste:n Praktikant:in im Bereich Meeresschutz? @giz.de sucht eine:n engagierte:n Praktikant:in für das Sektorvorhaben „Biodiversität – Umwelt – Meere“. 📍 Bonn 📅 20.04.2026 – 31.08.2026 🕒 Vollzeit ⏳ Bewerbungsschluss: 18.02.2026 👉 www.jobs.giz.de/index.php?ac=jobad&id=77646

🏝️👩‍🔬Reflecting on how to conduct coastal research 1. Reflect on performativity of research & perceptions of neutrality in anticipating the future of coasts 2. Act equitably in global partnerships 3. Engagement and willingness to innovate with society tinyurl.com/2tzmsskp @leibniz-zmt.de #MeerWissen

🌍 #WorldWetlandsDay2026 Sustainable water and ocean management start with listening and inviting all stakeholders at the decision-making table. Through the co-design approach, we bring together traditional, local, and scientific knowledge to create solutions with lasting impact. 🌱🌊 #MeerWissen

❔Test your ocean knowledge with our ocean quiz! 2/2 👇Comment your score below! Quiz sources: Question 3: doi.org/10.1111/ddi.... Question 4: openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/c...