Articles

The 2022 edition of the EU blue bioeconomy report, prepared by the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA) was released earlier this month. The Blue bioeconomy incorporates any economic activity associated with the use of renewable aquatic biological resources to...

Happy New Year! Have you ever wondered how deep the ocean is? Did you know that the estimate average depth of the ocean is 3,682 metres? This was calculated, using satellite measurements, by scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic...

ContextWhile the world’s oceans account for almost half of the planet’s biological production, they provide a much smaller proportion of human food – about 2% of overall calorie intake and 15% of protein intake . That is a missed opportunity, given the nutritional needs of the world’s growing...

ContextEcosystems such as coastal zones, transitional waters, and near-shore marine areas are among the most biologically productive, yet threatened systems in the world. Europe’s coastal systems are under considerable degradation due to growing population densities along the coast, pollution...

ContextClimate change is a direct threat to life in oceans – and to humanity. It poses a risk to marine food sources and biodiversity, as well as directly threatens coastal communities through sea level rise. While the world’s oceans are seriously threatened by climate change, they can also provide...

ContextEvery year, millions of tonnes of marine litter, from sources in land but also at sea, end up in the ocean worldwide, causing massive environmental, economic and health problems.Marine litter causes serious damage for coastal communities, tourism, shipping and fishing. From an environmental...

HACK4OCEANS II is a 2-day Youth Innovation Event where participants from across Europe learn, explore and co-create opportunities for prosperity through ocean conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. Hosted by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and...

This week, delegates at the United Nations (UN) Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal pursued their negotiations which started on 7 December 2022. In the first week, delegates approved about 20 decisions. Many subjects were covered including decisions relating to the facilitation of the full...

8th EC Marine Knowledge Expert Group (MKEG) Meeting Minutes7th and 29th November 2022, Remote Zoom meeting List of Participants: See Annex IThe main aims of the 8th meeting of the European Commission (EC) Marine Knowledge Expert Group (MKEG) were to update members about the latest developments in...