Members of the EMB Secretariat engage in communication activities for the EU Mission Restore our Ocean & Waters (Mission Ocean) in a variety of roles, including as co-organizers and speakers at webinars and events, and promotion of diverse opportunities that the Mission Ocean offers. The Mission Ocean is promoted via EMB’s social media channels, including the weekly newsletters. EMB also highlights Mission Ocean-specific future research and policy needs in relevant publications making links to the Mission Ocean objectives and enablers.
Mission Charter
The Mission Ocean Charter collates all voluntary contributions to the Mission Ocean’s objectives to help their achievement by 2030. The EMB Secretariat has endorsed the Mission Ocean Charter and pledged actions that will contribute to the successful implementation of the Mission.
You can also join the Mission Ocean Charter to help achieve the three objectives of the Mission Ocean via this link.
EMB publications
Future Science Brief No. 11 'Marine Habitat Mapping'. This publication contributes to Mission Ocean Objective 1 and the two cross-cutting enablers.
Policy Brief No. 11 ‘Blue Carbon: Challenges and opportunities to mitigate the climate and biodiversity crises’. This publication contributes to Mission Ocean Objective 3.
Position Paper No. 27: Building Coastal Resilience in Europe (October 2023). This publication contributes to the three Mission Ocean Objectives and to the three Mission Ocean Objectives.
Future Science Brief No. 10: Ocean oxygen: The role of the Ocean in the oxygen we breathe and the threat of deoxygenation (June 2023). This publication contributes to the three Mission Ocean Objectives and to Enabler 2 (public mobilisation).
Future Science Brief No. 9: European offshore renewable energy: Towards a sustainable future (April 2023). This publication contributes to the Mission Ocean Objectives 2 and 3.
Future Science Brief 8: Marine Science Communication in Europe: a way forward (June 2022). This publication contributes to the Mission Ocean enabler “Public mobilisation and engagement”.
EMB events
The EMB ECOP Wednesday event series gives attendees a chance to learn more about the marine science policy landscape and interact with research and policy professionals and other stakeholders working within it. In this edition, Ana-Maria Stan (DG RTD) provided an overview of the Mission Ocean and its objectives. This event contributed to the Mission Ocean enabler “Public mobilisation and engagement”. You can access her slides here.
EurOCEAN conferences are major European marine science-policy conferences organized every 4-5 years by the EMB. They provide a forum for the marine and maritime research community and wider stakeholders to interface with European and Member State policymakers and strategic planners. EurOCEAN 2023 highlighted the synergies between the EU Mission Ocean and the Ocean Decade. The conference contributed to all three Mission objectives and to the "Public mobilisation and engagement" enabler.
Inspired by the conference, the President of the Port Authority of Vigo, Carlos Botana, signed the EU Mission Ocean Charter, in the presence of Elisabetta Balzi, Head of Unit Healthy Seas and Ocean, DG MARE on 11 October 2023. The port of Vigo is committed to sustainability, for instance through the Living Ports project, a pioneering effort aimed at transforming the Port of Vigo into a green and inclusive port in line with the European Green Deal, while fostering port-city integration. This initiative has won the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) environmental award in the sustainable infrastructure category and will help contributing to the Mission Ocean objectives.
EMBracing the Ocean projects
2022-2023
Ukrainian artist Lera Litvinova's project on pollution and sustainability in the Black Sea contributes to all three of the Mission Ocean objectives: "Protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity", "Prevent and eliminate pollution of our Ocean and waters" and "Make the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular", and the “Public mobilisation and engagement” enabler.
French choreographer Emily Lartillot's project on mangroves contributes to the Mission Ocean objective to "Protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity" and the “Public mobilisation and engagement” enabler.
Scottish composer Michael Begg's project on climate change in Antarctica contributes to the Mission Ocean enabler "Public mobilisation and engagement".
Posters on each of the artists’ projects were presented at the Mission Ocean Annual Forum in Brussels on 17 February 2023.
2023-2024
Danish-based visual art duo Rhoda Ting and Mikkel Dahlin Bojesen's project on 'deep time' to create glass sculptures from marine sediment contributes to the Mission Ocean enabler "Public mobilisation and engagement".
London-based visual artist Sonia Levy's project on viewing the Venice lagoon 'from below' contributes to the Mission Ocean enabler "Public mobilisation and engagement".
2024 - 2025
Sri Lankan textile and fashion designer Ruwanthi Gajadeera's project, in collaboration with marine biologist Asha de Vos, to create a multisensory exhibition and runway show to communicate the importance of sustainable fashion and drive change, contributes to the Mission Ocean objective to "Prevent and eliminate pollution of our ocean, seas and waters" and enabler "Public mobilisation and engagement".
Belgian sound artist and film maker Elise Guillaume's project, in collaboration with Marine Severin and Clea Parcerisas (VLIZ), to create a soundscape exhibition on the psychological impact of climate change and the therapeutic potential of Ocean noise, contributes to the Mission Ocean objective to "Protect and restore marine ecosystems and biodiversity" and the enabler “Public mobilisation and engagement”.
Other EMB Secretariat activities
- EMB Executive Director Sheila Heymans gave a presentation on 'European Marine Science and the Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030' and participated in the subsequent panel discussion of an Ocean Mission webinar organised by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) (10 March 2023)
- EMB Executive Director Sheila Heymans gave a keynote on 'Citizens at the heart of the Mission' at the 1st Annual Mission Ocean Forum (17 February 2023, Brussels, Belgium)
- EMB Science Officer Paula Kellett participated in the EMODnet video outlining their support for the EU Mission Ocean (February 2023)