ECOP NEWS
The One Ocean Science Congress and the United Nations Ocean Conference — A Central American Perspective
Central America, with more than 5,500 km of coastline and an extraordinary diversity of marine ecosystems, is a true marine biodiversity hotspot. It is home to high levels of endemism and rich coastal cultures, but also faces critical threats such as habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. Despite its ecological importance and the growing efforts of researchers and ocean advocates in the region, Central America has often remained underrepresented in global ocean forums like OOS and UNOC-3. This year, however, was different. Both conferences saw a strong and meaningful presence of Central American voices, including local scientists, policy advocates, and representatives from the region’s Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) network. The participation of our Central American node in both conferences
The One Ocean Science Congress and the United Nations Ocean Conference — A Central American Perspective
Central America, with more than 5,500 km of coastline and an extraordinary diversity of marine ecosystems, is a true marine biodiversity hotspot. It is home to high levels of endemism and rich coastal cultures, but also faces critical threats such as habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. Despite its ecological
The One Ocean Science Congress and the United Nations Ocean Conference — A Central American Perspective
Central America, with more than 5,500 km of coastline and an extraordinary diversity of marine ecosystems, is a true marine biodiversity hotspot. It is home to high levels of endemism and rich coastal cultures, but also faces critical threats such as habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. Despite its ecological
Wrapping up and reflecting on the 3rd UN Ocean Conference
It’s been an extremely busy few weeks with the One Ocean Science Congress and the third UN Ocean Conference taking place in Nice, France (from 3-13 June 2025). Prior to
“Why I’m giving Nice un grand skip” By Renée Bonorchis
Everything in me wants the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France to be a wild success, with countries committing heart and soul to protecting the ocean, organisations forging connections and
ECOPs participate in the UK National Decade Committee’s first stakeholder event, proving a commitment towards integrating younger generations
On 10 March, the UK’s National Decade Committee – Ocean Decade UK – hosted its first stakeholder event, supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Foreign, Commonwealth
Mediterranean ECOPs Participate in Blended Training on Oceanographic Survey Techniques and Data Management
From 4-15 November 2024, Mediterranean Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) had the opportunity to participate in the IOC-UNESCO, OceanTeacher Global Academy, and ECOP Programme blended training on “Introduction to Oceanographic
Interview with Aaron Eger, the 2023 Winner of the Mário Ruivo Memorial Lecture
Aaron Eger was the successful candidate invited to present the inaugural Mário Ruivo Memorial Lecture in 2023, an initiative led jointly by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO), EurOcean Foundation, and
Interview with Hannah Cocks, Head of Creative at SeaVoice
Hi Hannah, thanks so much for joining us on the ECOP Programme blog! Can you tell us what exactly is SeaVoice? SeaVoice is a storytelling platform run by the Cultural
Honduras Hosts First Coastal Marine Symposium Led by ECOP Honduras
On 14 and 15 June 2024, the first-ever Coastal Marine Symposium in Honduras took place at the National Autonomous University of Honduras’ (UNAH) TEC campus in Tela. The symposium was
ECOPs embrace the chance to participate at the Ocean Literacy World Conference in Venice
The very first Ocean Literacy World Conference was held on 7 -8 June 2024, hosted in the enchanting, unique and “aquatic” city of Venice. Dedicated to enhancing the recognition, understanding
Asian ECOPs Make Waves at UN Ocean Decade and WESTPAC Marine Science Conferences in Bangkok (April 22-25, 2024)
Prepared by: Raphael Roman, Lin Wang, Yuntao Wang, Yushi Morioka, and Abe Woo One week after the UN Ocean Decade Conference convened the global Ocean Decade community In Barcelona from
ECOP China successfully kicked off its first training webinar for skills development (this article is in English and Chinese)
The first training webinar of ECOP China (Early Career Ocean Professional Programme China Node), organized by the ECOP China training coordination team, was successfully held on May 29, 2024. Professor
Building Ocean Leadership: Fostering Networking, Creativity, and Resilience
This satellite event, co-organized by the Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP) Programme and Edinburgh Ocean Leaders (EOL) was designed to support, encourage and empower those navigating Ocean career paths from early
Gathering forces for Science-policy nexus, Innovation, and Funding
Gathering forces for Science-policy nexus, Innovation, and Funding marked the fourth event that the ECOP Programme co-hosted during Ocean Decade Week 2024. This official off-site satellite event was held on
Capacity Development for the Ocean We Want: Exploring Science Communication and Solving Global Capacity Development Challenges
Ocean Decade Week for the ECOP Programme kicked off on Monday 8 April with our first off-site satellite event called: “Capacity Development for the Ocean We Want: Exploring Science Communication
ECOP Togo join the NF-POGO Regional Training Programme on Marine Pollution and Biogeochemistry in Coastal environments
During 12 – 25 November 2023 members of ECOP TOGO attended Regional Training Programme on Marine Pollution and biogeochemistry in coastal zones hosted by the LaMERE laboratory from the Department
ECOP Africa participate in IOC-UNESCO’s Ocean Literacy Dialogues, Tanzania
The 4th edition of the Ocean Literacy Dialogues unfolded in Tanzania from November 4-5, 2023. It was co-hosted with the African Union and Regional Seas with African parties, in collaboration
An exciting announcement during DITTO Summit 2023 – ECOP China node is launched!
With the aim of promoting the development and application of digital twin ocean technologies, the DITTO Summit 2023 (International Digital Twins of the Ocean Summit) was held in Xiamen, China, on
MTS Early Career Ocean Professionals and IEEE OES Young Professionals are looking for your feedback on in person events
The OCEANS 2023 Gulf Coast conference took place 25-28 September at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Centre. As always, OCEANS hosted a joint MTS Early Career Ocean Professionals and IEEE
Connecting and Engaging ECOPs with the North Pacific Science Community at the 2023 Annual PICES Meeting
The 2023 PICES conference (“Connecting Science and Communities for Sustainable Seas”) took place in Seattle on 23-27 October 2023, and was designed to focus on developing and strengthening PICES diverse
ECOP Participation in OSICON 2023
Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) are everywhere! The 8th Biennial conference of the Ocean Society of India (OSI), OSICON was hosted by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services
Nurturing Ocean Stewards: WAMSS ECOP Africa Side Event and the Dynamic Panel Showcase the Power of Emerging Ocean Leaders.
The ECOP Africa Side Event at this year’s inaugural West African Marine Science Symposium (WAMSS) in Ghana unfolded an engaging gathering, centered around a dynamic discussion on the opportunities spanning
Ocean Literacy school: collaboration for solutions with Melany Velásquez-Lozano from Colombia
In our July newsletter we featured Melany Velásquez-Lozano, the Ocean literacy coordinator at the Observatory for Marine and Coastal Governance, Colombia. Melany was part of the 19 participants who
Kolisa Yola Sinyanya, the #MthathaBoffin who is strengthening the voice of diverse ECOPs Internationally
Meet Kolisa Yola Sinyanya, also known as the #MthathaBoffin, who is an Ocean Biogeochemist at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. She is an American Geophysical Union LANDinG
On the stage at the World Ocean Summit: Inés Mas de la Peña (ECOP Spain) and the Sustainable Ocean Alliance panel prove how competent emerging Ocean leaders are
Words by: Inés Mas de la Peña I had the opportunity to be a speaker at the World Ocean Summit from the Economist Impact in Lisbon. This opportunity arose due
How do Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) view the 7 Ocean Decade Outcomes?
Conferences are often criticized for not translating the invaluable discussions that are held into actionable information. Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) are here to change that. The Global ECOP Programme’s participation
Learn more about applying for the Mário Ruivo Memorial Lecture
You might have seen the recent campaign by EurOcean regarding an amazing opportunity to share your projects and potentially present your work at the IOC-UNESCO assembly in Paris, in June. To pay homage
ECOPs at COP15
The 2022 United Nations Biodiversity Conference took place 7-19 December in Montreal, Canada, with representatives from 188 governments gathering to guide global actions on biodiversity through 2030. Inger Andersen, the
Spotlight on China: meet our ECOP Intern Chunhua Jiang
The ECOP Asia Node and its coordinator Raphaël Roman has been lucky enough to have been supported by two amazing interns over the past couple of months, who have been doing
Ocean-climate solutionist Bodhi Patil on reflections from COP27 and 8 biggest bright spots of 2022 for youth-led ocean-climate action [Part 2]
Bodhi Patil is a young ocean climate solutionist passionate about the interconnection between Ocean Health and Human Health (OHHH). As the founder of Inner Light, co-creator of @oceanuprise, co-founder of
ECOP Africa attends the Geo Blue Planet Symposium in Accra, Ghana
A few months ago we talked to Fifi Adodo, who was helping to organize the Geo Blue Planet Symposium; an event “designed to encourage Interaction, Networking, and State-of-the-art scientific knowledge
DEI task team member Ellen Johannesen joins Arctic research mission with Sea Women Expeditions
GROUNDBREAKING EXPEDITION COMPRISED OF WOMEN, NON-BINARY AND TWO-SPIRIT EXPLORERS SETS SAIL TO STUDY ARCTIC NORWAY’S OCEANS, ORCAS AND WHALES Tromsø, Norway, November 26, 2022 – Riding the wave of gender
Ocean-climate solutionist Bodhi Patil on the latest Ocean outcomes from COP27 and 5 actions for Intergenerational Collaboration [Part 1]
Bodhi Patil is a young ocean climate solutionist passionate about the interconnection between Ocean Health and Human Health (OHHH). As the founder of Inner Light, co-creator of @oceanuprise, co-founder of
ECOP Programme intern Debarati and her experiences of a sinking Indian Island
As the second week of COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh moves deeper into the Ocean-Climate nexus; attendees, governments and organisations will aim to tackle some big discussions, and hopefully take
María Maestro: Advice no one gave me about doing a PhD
This week, we speak to María Maestro Cano-Manuel, an ECOP analysing MPA management at the University of Cádiz. We were interested in learning more about her experience and the realities
Meet Carlotta Santolini: The Octopus Soulmate
Saturday 8 October was World Octopus Day and to celebrate we spoke to Carlotta Santolini, who describes herself as The Octopus Soulmate! Carlotta is a marine biologist from Italy, currently
Alexis Bahl: An ECOP exploring Salps in the Southern Ocean
Words by: Alexis Bahl Every night when the sun sets, the world’s largest migration takes place (Freer and Hobbs, 2020; Hays et al., 2003). From the deep, dark depths of
Top tips for attending conferences as an ECOP
Traveling alone can be a daunting prospect, let alone attending your first event as an ECOP in a foreign country. Conferences, meetings and symposiums are all typical in the life
Meet Fifi Adodo from Togo
We recently met with Fifi Ibrahime Adodo to discuss the upcoming GEO Blue Planet Symposium in Ghana and highlight any opportunities for the ECOP Programme to collaborate or support. We quickly
Meet the co-organizers of the Young Professionals Breakfast event: “Gaining an Edge in the New Blue Economy”
Conference season is about to kick off again, and we’re pleased to see a concerted effort to cater towards ECOPs in many upcoming events. Oceans 2022 is taking place in
European Maritime Day in my country: Georgia
Georgia is situated on the edge of the Black Sea, where Europe meets Asia, and is famed for its ancient heritage, traditional hospitality and unique cuisine. And now the maritime
A shining example of Youth Action for Oceans: Brigitta Maria Andrea Gunawan
Brigitta Maria Andrea Gunawan is a member of EarthEcho International’s Youth Leadership Council, representing a global network of young ocean advocates driving efforts to protect and restore our ocean planet. She
Barcelona becomes a laboratory of blue co-creation
Barcelona becomes a laboratory of blue co-creation (10–11 April 2025) Words by Sophia Laarissa on behalf of OL4BC Project As part of the EU #PREP4BLUE Pilot Action, individuals from Germany,
ECOP Canada – one of the ECOP Programme’s longest standing Nodes – celebrate a new home, partnership and leadership
As we head into the second half of the UN Ocean Decade, we are excited to announce that the Canada node of the Global ECOP Program has a new administrative
Exploring the Ocean Decade: Insights from ECOP Morocco
At the Hassan II International Center for Environmental Training on June 24, 2024, ECOP Morocco concluded the Eco Chill 2024 program with a dynamic session titled “The Ocean Decade: A