REGIONAL NODE - AFRICA

December 2021: Gabriel Juma joined the Programme to facilitate the inception and ongoing coordination of the ECOP Africa Regional Node.

December 2021: Ocean Art Contest implemented by the ECOP Programme Ocean Literacy Task Team (OLTT) was launched across Africa and South Pacific Regions, including Global category. The contest aimed to raise awareness of the importance of the ocean and increase knowledge about current marine challenges. The winners were announced via the OLTT instagram page in April 2022.

December 2021: The ECOP Programme launches ECOP Stories, a series about Early Career Ocean Professionals, to learn more about the diverse, global network of ECOPs, amplify their work and find out how it fits into the wider scope of the Decade of Ocean Science.  ECOPs from Africa featured include: Ines Boujmil (Tunisia), Kolisa Yola Sinyanya (South Africa), Evander Cipriano Nhaúle (Mozambique) and Nuno Mussá Escamade (Mozambique). Link to ECOP Stories.

March 2022: Sidónio Machaieie from Mozambique was successful in being awarded funding to attend the International Indian Ocean Science Conference (IIOSC-2022), 14-18 March 2022, designed to translate the knowledge of the 2nd International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation the IIOSC-2020 conference was held virtually.

March 2022: Ngozi Oguguah, Principal Research Officer at the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Lagos, Nigeria, was also awarded funding to attend an Online Course in Scientific Writing, with the Dr. Anna Clements Researchers’ Writing Academy. Her work involves the collection of data, analysis and writing of reports on the Nigerian coastal and marine environment. She completed her course in the first quarter of 2022.

March 2022: The first round of two regional online trainings for ECOPs in Africa, co-sponsored by the ECOP Programme (with funding provided from NORAD and IOC-UNESCO) along with Gulf of Guinea Maritime Institute (GOGMI) and International Ocean Institute (IOI).

1. GOGMI ran the training called Exploring Pathways to a Vibrant Ocean Economy for Africa from 14-24 March, 2022.  The course ran virtually via Zoom, with a nine-day capacity building programme, intended to address Challenge 4 of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science (UN Ocean Decade): develop a sustainable and equitable ocean economy. 
2. IOI delivered the virtual training Basic Concepts of Ocean Governance for Early Career Ocean Professionals, with a focus on the African Seas via its Secretariat in Malta and through the training Centre of IOI in South Africa. This was through a series of e-workshops over a period of four sessions between 29 March-7 April 2022, and was designed as an opportunity for individuals from a diverse range of Ocean related backgrounds – self-identifying as ECOPs – to acquire a basic knowledge of ocean governance.

27 June – 1 July 2022: UN Ocean Conference, Lisbon, Portugal.

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Task Team co-lead Renis Auma Ojwala delivered a talk about her research on Gender Equality in Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, and how acknowledging the role women play in the Ocean sector is vital for an inclusive and just Ocean Decade, and beyond.
• ECOP Africa member Ines Boujmil (Tunisia) participated as a panelist for the “Our Ocean Future  – Empowering the Next Generation of Ocean Leaders” presented by the Bertarelli Foundation co-hosted with IOC-UNESCO and ZSL. Learn more and watch the livestream recording here.

6-25 June 2022: Colour Remote Sensing and Data Analysis course with Ocean Teacher Global Academy, coordinated by ECOP Africa coordinator Gabriel Juma. This was an introductory course for African Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) leveraging the use of ocean colour remote sensing as a tool for marine environmental protection and conservation. Read the report.

September 2022:  Anthony Ndah is appointed new ECOP Africa node coordinator. 

11 October 2022: ECOP Africa node coordinator Anthony Ndah gave a presentation entitled: “Making a case for Integrated Coastal Management as ‘best practice’ for sustainable small scale fisheries development in Cameroon” and co-led the Fisheries and Aquaculture theme at the Ocean Best Practices Workshop VI.

30 October: ECOP conversations, a new YouTube series from the ECOP Programme features Chris Promise Nwachukwu, Ocean Literacy Task Team member from Nigeria.  Click here to watch his recorded interview on You Tube.

November 2022:  Second round of online training for ECOPs in Africa, co-sponsored by the ECOP Programme (with funding provided from NORAD and IOC-UNESCO), with Gulf of Guinea Maritime Institute (GOGMI) and International Ocean Institute (IOI).

1. International Ocean Institute (IOI) delivered Basic Concepts of Ocean Governance for Early Career Ocean Practitioners, with a focus on the African Seas (second round), an online training with a focus on the African Seas on 1, 3, 8 and 10 November 2022.  30 selected Participants (out of 450) came from 9 African countries: Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, and Tanzania.
2. The Youth in Africa’s Blue Economy: Developing Sustainable Careers and Businesses  training course by Gulf of Guinea Marine Institute (GOGMI) was organised from 8 to 18 November 2022. The course was designed to expose the second cohort of 30 participants to various career opportunities in Africa’s Blue Economy and guide them through variegated pathways for developing related sustainable careers.

10 November 2022: ECOP Africa node coordinator Anthony Ndah conceived and coordinated the organization of the 3rd ECOP Programme webinar entitled “Understanding the UN Ocean Decade – What’s in it for African ECOPs?”. The webinar served to introduce the mission of the Ocean Decade, and the ECOP Programme, and to encourage new members to join the ECOP network. Watch the recording on YouTube here.

22 November 2022: During the  EuroMarine Online Workshop entitled “Secure funding and forge your own career path” ECOP Africa node coordinator Anthony Ndah coordinated breakout sessions during Module 2 entitled “Expand your Network! Create a pipeline of opportunities for collaboration”.

December 2022: The ECOP Programme released the 2022 OceanDecadeECOPs campaign on their instagram featuring African ECOPs: Renis Auma Ojwala, Peter Teye Busumprah, Mabel Ani, Adjagan Kêmy Elary, Lord Offei-Darko, Levis Nambwaya Siriwkwa and Chinomnso Onwubiko and Pauline Mwangi.  See the full campaign on instagram here and the poster here.

6-24 February 2023: Data Management and Analysis with R Programming with Ocean Teacher Global Academy, coordinated by the first ECOP Africa node coordinator Gabriel Juma. The course served as an introduction to R programming language and software environment (RStudio) for data exploration, cleaning, organizing, analysis and visualization.

March 2023: Launch of the ECOP Africa Ocean Literacy Task Team.

12 May 2023: ECOP Africa and ECOP Kenya node members participated at the 6th IPBES Forum on capacity building at the Nairobi National Museums, Kenya. The event aimed to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge on biodiversity and policy, and especially enhance the capacity of ECOPs to engage in the IPBES review process and negotiations.The forum enhanced attendees understanding on biodiversity in general focusing on key concepts on how nature itself is interlinked, Nature to Society and Nature to Culture that involves how the customs of people in different regions are inextricably linked to nature. Link to ECOP Kenya’s photos. 

25 May 2023: The Ocean Literacy Task Team held a special webinar featuring guest speaker Zeinab Benchakroun. Zeinab is a purpose guide, coach, and environmental activist committed to unlocking inner gifts and helping people find the courage to pursue what matters most. The event helped participants gain a deeper understanding of how our relationship with the ocean impacts our well-being and the health of our planet. It focussed on the strengths and resources that can be mobilized to support the self-healing of our oceans, and how everyone can take action to contribute to ocean conservation efforts. Watch the recording here.

8 June 2023: Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ECOP Programme and The Gulf of Guinea Maritime Institute (GOGMI) to support ECOPs in Africa. The purpose of the MoU is to advance the collaborative ideas and objectives of the Parties as they relate to maritime affairs, and enable each of the Parties to pursue the research activities, capacity building, youth engagements and other tasks.

11-13 July 2023: ECOP Kenya Node, Global Ecosystem for Ocean Solutions (GEOS) and Thunderbird School of Global Management through (PS) Special Climate Change Envoy and Presidential Advisor on Climate Change organised an “Ocean- Based Carbon Dioxide Removal Workshop”. The workshop took place at Somerset Westview, Hurlingham, Nairobi, Kenya and aimed to bring together a diverse group of Ocean professionals from various sectors to kick off an open conversation about the role of collaboration and innovation, to advance climate solutions and sustainable development, while strengthening the Blue Economy in Kenya and East Africa at large. Session photos can be found here.

12-20 July 2023: During the 28th IUGG General Assembly (IUGG) in Berlin ECOP Africa node coordinator Anthony Ndah represented ECOP Africa and gave a presentation entitled: “Towards a Holistic Digital Database of Marine and Coastal Habitats, Species and Essential Oceanographic Parameters in Africa: An ECOP Africa Initiative”.

25 July 2023: Webinar to celebrate the Africa Day of Seas and Oceans in collaboration with IOC Africa and the African Union. Among other things, it included educational sessions with experts in marine conservation to educate attendees on the importance of preserving seas and oceans. Watch the recording on YouTube.

28 July 2023: ECOP Africa presented the InVEST webinar, an online discussion with Dr. Dampha; Research Scientist in Natural Capital & Ecosystem Services and Director of the NatCap Program at University of Minnesota Twin Cities, US. Developed by researchers at Stanford University’s Natural Capital Project, the InVEST model provides an integrated framework for quantifying and mapping the value of a wide range of ecosystem services provided by coastal and marine environments. By incorporating spatially explicit data, this advanced modeling tool enables governments, policymakers, scientists, and stakeholders to analyze how decisions regarding land use, conservation strategies, and climate change adaptations impact vital ecosystem functions. Watch the recording here.

July 2023: The ECOP Programme’s “My Coastline” campaign was released to learn more about Early Career Ocean Professionals and the coastlines they are connected to. Six African ECOPs took part, explaining about the issues and solutions that exist in their homeland: Tsiory Mashiyyat Andriambola from Madagascar, Anthony Akpan from Nigeria (ECOP Nigeria coordinator), Khalid Hamid Ahmed Mohammed from Sudan, Babacar Thiaw from Senegal, Miarana Razafimanantsoa from Madagascar and Pauline Mwangi from Kenya (ECOP Kenya coordinator). Watch their videos and learn more here.

11 August 2023: Joint webinar with ECOP Programme and Sustainable Ocean Alliance called Learning Tide: Advancing Ecopreneurship and Sustainable Blue Startups in Africa. This episode journey’s to the African continent to hear from an array of speakers to discuss opportunities and challenges of embarking on a career in the sustainable blue economy. Moderated by ECOP Africa coordinator Anthony Ndah and featuring special guests from a multi-sectoral backgrounds. Watch the recording here.

18-20 August 2023: ECOP Africa members and ECOP Ghana participated in the inaugural West African Marine Science Symposium (WAMSS) in Ghana. Read the article here.

1. The ECOP Africa Side Event unfolded an engaging gathering, centered around a dynamic discussion on the opportunities spanning the vast ocean science field in Africa. The event showcased a panel of experts, each representing a distinct facet of ocean science and marine environment conservation.
2. ECOP Programme Cameroon node’s Communication coordinator Forbah Sandra was a presented “The Blue Generation Revolution” which emphasized the prioritization of Ocean Literacy, community engagement and outreach programs as a tool to empower a generation that is aware of their connectivity to nature and are environmentally conscious of their decision and their impact on the environment.

8 September 2023: Webinar titled Recap on the “Subsurface Mooring Observation Training in Qingdao, China: Lessons for ECOPs in Africa”. Samuel Obeng and 49 other ECOPs around the Globe undertook a one-week subsurface mooring observation training fellowship from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Qingdao, China. This in-person training course sponsored by POGO provided hands-on shipboard experience in deployment, retrieval and data analysis from subsurface moorings for deep-water research. The aim of this webinar was to share knowledge with other members of the Africa ECOP community who could not make it to the training. Watch the recording. 

September 2023: ECOP Morocco, ECOP Niger, ECOP Nigeria, ECOP Senegal and ECOP Togo were all officially launched in the ECOP Programme’s September newsletter.

1-8 September 2023: ECOP Kenya participated in the Africa Climate Summit 2023, Africa Youth Climate Assembly and the Ocean-Climate solutions networking reception held in Nairobi, Kenya.

• Africa Youth Climate Assembly Side Event – ECOP East Africa had an opportunity to host a side event on 1 September 2023 and provided a platform for Early Career Ocean Professionals From Africa to engage with stakeholders, share knowledge, and showcase their work. ECOPs remains committed to furthering its mission of ocean conservation and encouraging ongoing collaboration among global ocean communities. Session photos can be found here. 
• Africa Climate Summit/Week Nairobi, 4-8 September 2023 – On 5  September 2023 ECOPs in collaboration with Global Ecosystem for Ocean Solutions (GEOS) held a side event at KICC- Athi River Tent. The topic of discussion was Climate Action For Oceans: Towards a Sustainable Blue Economy in Africa. The Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) and other key stakeholders in the blue economy discussed their present contributions to effective climate action from Africa and the potential to scale up and accelerate these efforts going forwards. This is in addition to accelerating ocean-based climate solutions and ocean literacy as key components of a sustainable blue economy. Watch the event here.
• Collaboration and Networking – The event fostered collaboration among ocean professionals, researchers, policymakers, and funding organisations. Several potential partnerships and collaborative projects were initiated during networking sessions. The interaction photos can be found here.

18 September 2023: “Meet the Coordinators” was released – a video series that introduces viewers to ECOP Programme coordinators, shares their plans and activities, and showcases the ways they support ECOPs in their region or country. ECOP Morocco participated and you can watch their video here.

16 November 2023: The 2022-2023 Africa Survey report was released. Between January-March 2022, an online survey was conducted by ECOP Africa coordinators Anthony B. Ndah and Gabriel Akoko Juma, with an aim to take stock of the level of engagement and networking among African ECOPs, and draw from that information to establish and develop the ECOP Africa network within the UN Ocean Decade and ECOP Programme. The ECOP Africa survey report gives insight into Early Career Ocean Professionals across the African continent; their demographics, needs, challenges, strengths and opportunities, as well their willingness to integrate into the ECOP Africa network. Read the full report.

12-25 November 2023: ECOP Togo was associated with the NF-POGO Regional Training Programme on Marine Pollution and Biogeochemistry in Coastal Environment with ECOP Togo participation. Read the article by participant and ECOP Togo Node lead coordinator Emmanuel Dkawlma Tora.

9 December 2023: The ECOP Africa Side Event titled “Ocean-Climate Innovation in Kenya: Towards a Climate Positive Blue Economy Sector” took place at the COP28 Kenya Pavilion at the Expo City in Dubai. For more information on this Ocean Visions event, click here.

December 2023: The ECOP Programme released the 2023 OceanDecadeECOPs campaign featuring Nancy Iriba from Tanzania who is working towards Ocean Decade Outcome 3: supporting sustainable food supply and a sustainable ocean economy. Nancy is a marine scientist, coral restoration expert as well as cofounder and Chief Executive Officer of Healthy Seaweed Cafe, an award winning social enterprise that innovates diverse seaweed for food products in Tanzania while improving the lives of women seaweed farmers. As a One Young World ambassador Nancy is sharing about the power of seaweed on the global stage. Check out the campaign here.

17 January 2024: ECOP Morocco’s Launch Gathering :“ Sip, Sea and Snack”. ECOP Morocco’s launch gathering in Rabat was a significant event uniting ocean enthusiasts and professionals. Hosted by Mohammed V University, in collaboration with ECOP Morocco, it celebrated the national node’s advancements in ocean sciences. Dr. Karim Hilmi and Imane Rafik inaugurated the event, emphasizing collaboration and network expansion. Presentations by Dr. Hind Azidane, Othman Cherkoui Dekkaki, Houda El Haddad, Sophia Laarissa, and Ayoub Achbaro underscored innovative approaches in ocean science and the importance of ocean literacy.

1 February 2024: IOC-UNESCO second in-person African Task Force meeting – The Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment hosted a crucial gathering at the International Hassan II Center for Environmental Training. Organized by the African Taskforce, in collaboration with IOC-UNESCO, INRH, and Moroccan ECOP professionals, the meeting focused on shaping the framework for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science in Africa. Discussions centered on communication strategies, resource mobilization, and fostering sustainable development across African oceans.

February 2024: ECOP Liberia was officially launched in the ECOP Programme’s February newsletter.

April 2024: National Nodes ECOP Cameroon, ECOP Ghana and ECOP Kenya were officially launched in the ECOP Programme’s April newsletter.

7 April 2024: On Mozambican Women’s Day, ECOP Mozambique decided to honor the memory of Josina Machel in a creative and inspiring way. In this video, they show some of the women who carry Josina’s legacy; extraordinary women who are part of the ECOP Programme network. Watch here.

9-11 April 2024: Virtual Early Career Ocean Professional Days (V.ECOP) as part of Ocean Decade Week

• ECOP Kenya participated in the V.ECOP Days 2024 which was able to host more than 500 passionate and dedicated attendees from around the globe. Around one third of the attendees self-identified as indigenous people. In the presentations ECOP Kenya demonstrated the co-benefits of mangroves, Nature-based solutions, plastic waste management, energy efficient cookstoves and the inclusion of the local communities in ocean conservation. Watch the recording. 

10-12 April 2024: The Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona, Spain.

• ECOP Africa node co-organized a side event “Looking SEAWARD: African oceans and the Ocean Decade narrative” at the UN Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona.
• ECOP Kenya members received travel grants that were offered to ECOPs during the conference who were able to meet and share ideas with different scientists, partners, governmental and non-governmental organisations from different fields in the marine sector. They had a chance to share a dinner with the International Ocean Institute (IOI) Alumni focusing on research and education related to the ocean and marine resources. Furthermore, during the African Network of Deep-water Researchers meeting they shared experiences and discussed opportunities for deep-water research.
• ECOP Morocco enthusiastically reported on their active participation at the 2024 UN Ocean Decade Conference convening with world leaders, scientists, and environmental advocates to address pressing ocean issues and forge sustainable solutions. At the forefront of discussions, ECOP Morocco engaged in sessions focusing on reducing plastic pollution, conserving marine biodiversity, and promoting sustainable fisheries.

15 May 2024: ECOP Morocco hosted the 8th Eco Chill Program session titled “Oceanic Wonder: Building Communication with the Waves,” guided by Dr. Hind Azidane. This insightful event delved into the ocean’s marvels, fostering deep connections and addressing critical questions through interactive team sessions. Participants explored challenges in scientific communication, sought innovative methods to engage the public with scientific insights, and brainstormed strategies to promote oceanic culture.

22 May 2024: Mohammed V University in Rabat hosted the 9th session of the ECO Chill Program, a collaborative effort by the EDD Committee and ECOP Morocco. Themed “Eco-Oceanic Exploration: Preserving Marine Biodiversity,” the session featured an insightful presentation by Houda El Hadad on the vital role of marine biodiversity. Participants explored the expansive diversity of ocean life, its significant threats including overfishing and pollution, and engaged in brainstorming practical solutions to safeguard our marine ecosystems.

May 2024: ECOP Mozambique was officially launched in the ECOP Programme’s May newsletter.

7-8 June 2024: The Ocean Literacy World Conference in Venice, Italy highlighted the global commitment to promoting ocean literacy and sustainable stewardship of marine ecosystems. Sophia Laarissa, representing ECOP Morocco, actively participated, reflecting a strong dedication to ocean conservation. The conference introduced the Venice Declaration for Ocean Literacy in Action, symbolizing international cooperation among various stakeholders, including the Prada Group and UNESCO Ocean, to protect and rejuvenate oceans. It also emphasized the pivotal role of early-career ocean professionals (ECOPs) in driving innovative solutions for ocean conservation. ECOP Morocco remains committed to advancing ocean literacy and the principles of the Venice Declaration.

8 June 2024: This year’s World Ocean Day celebration, which followed the theme “Catalyzing Action for Our Ocean and Climate,” gave ECOP Cameroon an opportunity to launch its activities in Limbe alongside the campaign “Restore our waves”. This campaign focused on beach cleanups and raising awareness about sustainable ocean practices in Cameroon’s coastal towns, which faces many challenges including plastic pollution and coastal erosion.

8 June 2024: ECOP Kenya (15) members had an opportunity to attend the World Ocean Day event at Mwandamu landing site, Msambweni Kwale county, where various stakeholders gathered to celebrate our worlds shared ocean and our personal connection to the sea, as well as raise awareness about the crucial role the ocean plays in our lives and the important ways people can help protect it. ECOPs members had an opportunity to showcase their presentation with the aid of descriptive posters on the trash talk initiative which is mainly a community based program aimed at raising awareness on plastic waste management and promoting recycling practices. Check out the photos. 

24 June 2024: ECOP Morocco concluded the Eco Chill 2024 program with a session titled “The Ocean Decade: A Tapestry of Perspectives” at the Hassan II International Center for Environmental Training on 24 June 2024. Speakers including Othman Cherkaoui Dekkaki, Sophia Laarissa and Ayoub Achbaro discussed the UN Decade of Ocean Science, legal frameworks in ocean governance, and the need for continued ocean exploration. Participants collaborated in workshops to propose solutions for ocean challenges like plastic pollution and overfishing, highlighting the session’s focus on collective action and innovative strategies for marine conservation.

28 June 2024: ECOP Morocco was invited to participate in the National Dialogue on Blue Economy at the Hassan II International Center for Environmental Training. Organized by the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection and UNEP, the event assessed the sustainability of coastal and marine socio-economic activities, promoted awareness, and trained stakeholders. Discussions covered blue economy principles and led to integrated strategies in group workshops involving national stakeholders.

June 2024: ECOP Mozambique began their monthly webinar series in Portuguese, featuring the following episodes so far

• (June) Lançamento do ECOP Moçambique no Dia Mundial dos Oceanos!
• (July) Um Profissional ou Academico: Venha Aprender como Transitar da carreira estudantil para Profissional com sucesso
• (August) Ferramentas Práticas para Potencializar Plataformas Profissionais (Currículo Digital) ECOP Mozambique webinar: Um ECOP Profissional ou Academico
• (September) ECOP Mozambique: Empreendedorismo Sustentável e Avaliação Econômica dos Ecossistemas Marinhos

8-12 July 2024: “Oceans of Opportunities, Rivers of Ideas” is the Oceans & Lakes alumni network of the MSc Programme in Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management based in Belgium. Pauline Nyambura, ECOP Kenya Coordinator participated in the OORI 24 workshop: ‘Upskilling Transferable Skills to Interconnect Alumni Networks’; organised by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, STEM-Steunpunt Brussel, KMFRI and NIA Ventures which was held at Close The Gap HUB, Mombasa. More details can be found here.

19-21 July 2024: The Regional Conference of Youth – Africa 2024, organized for the first time in Morocco by YOUNGO at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat from July. The event brought together passionate young people from across the continent to discuss pressing environmental issues. A highlight of the conference was a workshop on “The ocean and the blue economy, a path to address the triple planetary crisis”, with thought-provoking interventions, including that of Othman Cherkaoui Dekkaki representing ECOP Morocco, who presented on youth empowerment and the use of ocean data for sustainable solutions.

25 July 2024: African Deep Waters Symposium, organized in collaboration with the African Network for Deep Waters Researchers (ANDR) as part of the African Day of Seas and Oceans. This symposium aimed to shed light on the critical issues facing Africa’s deep waters, fostering dialogue on sustainable management and research. 

6 July 2024: The first edition of the Blue Horizons webinar presentated by the Ocean Literacy and Capacity Development Task Teams. An informative session designed to guide African ECOPs towards more funding, training and opportunities through a fantastic resource compiled by the teams. Watch the recording here and access the spreadsheet here.

26 July 2024: ECOP Senegal organised a webinar in celebration of World Mangrove Day. Amadou Biteye, the national coordinator, delivered a talk highlighting the importance of mangroves in general and in particular Senegal’s coastal ecosystems. 

19-21 August 2024: ECOP Nigeria coordinator Anthony Akpan, co-coordinator Chinomnso Onwubiko and Dr. Ngozi Oguguah attended the 4TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP during the US-West African Coastal Resilience Research Consortium at the Lagos State University.

23 August 2024: A collaborative effort on climate-ocean literacy between Ocean Literacy Task Team and ECOP Kenya, presented a webinar which focused on the theme “Global Carbon Trading Market”.
Sophia Laarissa, on behalf of the Ocean Literacy Task Team, aimed to raise awareness among regulatory and institutional stakeholders about the importance of seabed management and the role of synergistic regulation and ocean literacy in guiding and strengthening actions across Africa. Pauline Mwangi of ECOP Kenya was also a special guest, who explored the topic of carbon trade, by giving an overview of the carbon markets and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, the technical and institutional aspects of blue carbon projects, and the role of the emerging legal framework. These presentations also underscored the crucial role of African ECOPs in advancing education and training through cutting-edge research and contemporary issues in ocean science.

August 2024: ECOP Nigeria members attended the Coastal Ocean Environment Summer School in Nigeria and Ghana (COESSING) 2024 at the University of Lagos. COESSING is a UN Ocean Decade Project aimed at advancing ocean science in West Africa and furthering ties between scientists in West Africa and elsewhere around the globe.

August 2024: ECOP Cameroon launched the Ocean Thesis Award, an initiative aimed at recognizing and rewarding outstanding research on ocean-related issues in Cameroon. This award seeks to encourage academic excellence, innovation, and knowledge generation on ocean conservation and sustainable use. This scheme represents one of the first significant opportunities to promote the ECOP programme on a national scale.  This Award will not only recognise outstanding academic work but also serve as a valuable tool to recruit some of the brightest ocean professionals in Cameroon, bolstering the node’s capacity and expertise. 

19-25 September 2024: ECOP Cameroon’s National Coordinator and the Communication Coordinator participated in the Tree and Sea Festival, an initiative of Plastic Oceans International’s Blue Communities. This event, organized by Environment and Food Foundation (E2F), aimed to unite ocean and forest conservation globally. ECOP Cameroon coordinator delivered a talk on the importance of youth engagement in climate change, emphasizing the crucial role young people play in addressing environmental issues. During the working sessions, ECOP Cameroon presented the locations of the tallest tree in Cameroon and the deepest spot in Cameroon’s Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ), showcasing the country’s rich natural heritage.

October 2024: ECOP Benin was officially launched in the ECOP Programme’s October newsletter.

4-7 November (online) and 11-16 November (on-site, Malta) 2024: First in-person training co-organized by the ECOP Programme and OceanTeacher Global Academy with several key partners: “Introduction to Oceanographic Survey Techniques and Data Management”.