MPA Community Network at European Ocean Days 2026: Strengthening Connections for Effective Marine Protection
The European Ocean Days (EOD) took place in early March 2026 in Brussels, bringing together policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders from across Europe to discuss the future of ocean governance. As a key moment in the European ocean policy calendar, the event contributes to advancing the EU Mission โRestore our Ocean and Watersโ and feeds into broader initiatives such as the European Ocean Pact. Against this dynamic backdrop, the MPA Community Network actively participated in this yearโs edition, engaging in discussions, showcasing innovative tools, and strengthening collaborations across the marine conservation community.
Our 1st publication is out!
The “๐๐ช๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ผ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฝ๐ช๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐จ ๐ผ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ง๐๐๐จ” is here!
A step-by-step approach for MPA managers, planners, and stakeholders to secure sustainable financial resources and improve the operational effectiveness of MPAs.
6 of our members presented at the 5th EU Blue Parks Workshop
The fifth EU Blue Parks Community workshop โAchieving Mission Ocean and Waters Protection Targets: Showcasing the EU Blue Parks Projectsโ was held online on 19 November 2025 at 10:00h CET, bringing together 9 presentations from which 6 were from the MPA-CN partners.
We joined the Danish EU Presidency Mission Ocean Conference โ with a stand and workshop moderation
Accelerating the Mission: A Danish EU Presidency Conference for the restoration and sustainability of Europeโs ocean and waters was held on 23rd-24th September 2025 in Niborg, Denmark, and the MPA-CN was part of it!
Sea of Opportunities: Protecting and Restoring the Baltic Sea Together
From 22โ24 September, we joined the Sea of Opportunities conference at the Ozeaneum in Stralsund, Germanyโa joint final event of the Baltic Coast Dialog Project and Benefits of Restoring Marine Ecosystems and Their Services in the Southern Baltic Sea.
BioProtect takes the MPA Card Game to the 2025 All-Atlantic Forum
BioProtect participated in the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA) Forum in Brussels last week (25โ26 September 2025), engaging the Atlantic research community on practical tools for marine protection. The forum gathered partners and stakeholders from across the Atlantic to advance ocean science, innovation, and cooperation.
Join MarinePlan for its Final Event: 29th-30th September, 2025
The online event will be split over two consecutive afternoons and is open for everyone to join.
MPA Community Network at UNOC 2025 โ Aboard the METEOR!
On June 11th, the MPA Community Network (MPA-CN) hosted an interactive workshop titled “MPA Network Design Game” aboard the METEOR, a German research vessel moored in Port Lympia as part of the UNOC 2025 side events.
๐ธ What does Marine Protection mean to you? – Photo contest!
Blue4All project just launched a photo contest aimed at ocean lovers across Europe. This contest is about more than beautiful images, itโs about raising awareness of the importance of protecting our seas and the essential role that MPAs play in safeguarding biodiversity and our shared future.
Big Hit at European Maritime Day 2025: The MPA Card Game Brings Marine Protection Challenges to Life
At this yearโs European Maritime Day in Cork, Ireland, the MPA Community Network stand drew crowds with its engaging and educational MPA Card Game. As part of the EUโs flagship maritime event celebrating sustainable blue economy initiatives, the game invited participants to take on the role of different stakeholders in Marine Protected Areas and respond to real-world challenges with strategic actions. The game sparked enthusiastic feedback for its creativity and relevance, with many visitors eager to see it made more widely available.