Workshops

The following workshops will be organized in 2026:

Workshop Proposal Descriptions

Submission id: 11

Title: Beyond borders: Co-developing global priorities for cross-border coastal and estuarine conservation

Authors: Alys Samuel-Thomas,Swansea University, Wales
Cai Ladd,Swansea University, Wales
Emma McKinley,Cardiff University, Wales

Workshop proposal:
Coastal and estuarine habitats such as saltmarshes, rocky shores, and seagrass meadows can be ecologically connected but divided by socially constructed administrative borders. While terrestrial borders are sometimes dictated by physical structures, marine borders are often invisible and contested - leading to fragmented governance, opposing political priorities, and disconnected funding structures.
This participatory workshop builds on recent co-design interviews with key conservation stakeholders across the UK and Ireland exploring the role of transboundary borders on effective conservation of coastal and estuarine ecosystems. The workshop aims to expand this conversation to a broader European and global context. Through group discussion, the workshop seeks to understand how administrative boundaries influence coastal and estuarine conservation and identify opportunities for more integrated cross-border approaches. This workshop will bring together the diverse expertise of academics, policymakers, ENGOs and practitioners. Participants will co-develop a set of overarching priorities that span research, policy, and governance dimensions, recognizing that effective transboundary conservation depends on the interaction between all three.

Using interactive small group methods, participants will explore two guiding questions:
- What challenges have you faced when working across borders?
- What forms of research, policy, or governance are needed to address these challenges in the future?

Participants will collectively record their insights, which will be clustered under overarching themes and collectively prioritised to identify key global actions for advancing transboundary conservation. The workshop will conclude with co-producing a set of overarching priority areas and next steps, to be shared with the ECSA community. By drawing on lived experience, disciplinary diversity, and policy insight, the workshop aims to contribute to strengthening transboundary approaches to coastal and estuarine conservation across science and policy.



Submission id: 40

Title: Transforming together: learning pathways for sustainable coastal futures - insights from horizon europe case studies and global practice

Authors: Raoul Beunen,Open Universiteit, The Netherlands
Gianluca Ferraro,University of portsmouth, The UK
Gunnar Sander ,Norsk institutt for vannforskning (NIVA), Norway
Myriam Hilbert ,Universite Paris Saclay, France

Workshop proposal:
Aligned with the ECSA 61 theme, this interactive session explores how co-creation and shared learning can strengthen the capacity of coastal governance systems to adapt, anticipate change, and respond more effectively to ecological and societal challenges. It builds on experiences and insights emerging from Horizon Europe project Case studies, such as BlueGreen Governance, and other coastal transformation initiatives in Europe and beyond, where diverse actors, including policymakers, scientists, local communities, and practitioners, work together across disciplines, sectors, and knowledge systems.

We welcome submissions that examine how integrated coastal management, stakeholder engagement, digital and participatory tools, knowledge exchange, and strategic foresight approaches can contribute to more just, resilient, and sustainable coastal futures.

To encourage active engagement, the session will use an interactive format. After a short introduction, selected case studies will share brief “learning sparks” (3–5-minute pitches) highlighting practical examples, challenges, and insights (i.e., cases from Norway, Western Scheldt, Spain, North Adriatic etc.). These will be followed by small-group discussions where participants exchange perspectives and identify emerging patterns, opportunities, and barriers. Policymakers and practitioners will be invited as contributors or respondents to strengthen science–policy connections.



Submission id: 43

Title: eDNA in biodiversity coastal monitoring

Authors: Jennifer Beatty,Sorbonne University, France
Fabrice Not,Sorbonne University, France

Workshop proposal:
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is DNA collected from environments, which provides invaluable data on the organisms that are present in the environment from microbes to megafauna. eDNA holds the potential for revolutionizing biodiversity monitoring due to the efficiency of capturing community diversity with a non-invasive approach that has lower sampling effort than traditional methods such as visual surveys. This interactive session will bring together eDNA researchers and policy-makers interested in implementing eDNA to monitor biodiversity in coastal environments. The conversation will take place within the context of the Horizon Europe project’s MARCO-BOLO and OBAMA-NEXT, which aim to connect biodiversity observation and European policy. We have developed tools for incorporating eDNA in biodiversity monitoring. One tool is a framework that distills current eDNA research into a practical guide from sampling eDNA to EOVs or EBVs and the biodiversity indicators utilized in policy. This session will contextualize the use of eDNA for biodiversity monitoring, share the proposed framework, and provide a platform for policy makers and stakeholders to share their feedback toward the implementation of this framework. Participants are invited to actively participate in discussion regarding challenges and best practices for applying eDNA methods for coastal biodiversity monitoring.



Submission id: 45

Title: Co-creative workshop on advancing ocean observations through collaboration and integration

Authors: Lina Mtwana Nordlund,Uppsala University, Sweden
Said Hashim,Uppsala University, Sweden
Artur Palacz,Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Nina Lepola,Uppsala University, Sweden

Workshop proposal:
Addressing today’s interconnected global challenges—climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution—requires a more integrated and collaborative approach to ocean observation. Yet efforts across disciplines, sectors, and regions remain fragmented, limiting their impact on both science and policy. This co-creative workshop invites everyone involved in the ocean observing system to help shape the Blueprint for Integrated Ocean Science (the Blueprint), a communication and coordination support tool designed to jointly maximise the value of ocean observations, with a particular focus on biological and ecosystem data.

The co-creative workshops are a central part in the Blueprint’s development process. Through structured, interactive activities, participants will contribute directly to the development of a practical, question-based tool that strengthens collaboration, connects initiatives, and bridges gaps between scientific knowledge, management needs, and policy processes. Importantly, the workshop is not only a space for contribution but also for learning: participants share their expertise and priorities while gaining insight into how coordinated ocean observations can more effectively support evidence-based decision-making for estuarine and coastal biodiversity.
By capturing user needs at the planning stage, the Blueprint aims to ensure that observations are fit-for-purpose, policy-relevant, and responsive to the needs of diverse communities that rely on ocean information. The Blueprint is being developed within the EU-funded BioEcoOcean project and will be launched as an open-access, interactive platform under the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), IOC-UNESCO umbrella.

Once released, the Blueprint is expected to promote holistic thinking, strengthen co-design, guide future partnerships and funding strategies, enhance communication across actors, and ultimately reduce knowledge gaps. By fostering a more integrated global ocean observing system, it supports a stronger connection between science and policy—helping chart the way forward for safeguarding estuarine and coastal marine biodiversity.



Submission id: 46

Title: Ocean science diplomacy for estuarine and coastal resilience: strengthening the science–policy interface

Authors: João Bettencourt,Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden
Gary Kett,Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) and EuroMarine OYSTER, Portugal
Isabel Sousa Pinto,Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) and University of Porto, Portugal
Clara R. Solé,Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Spain

Workshop proposal:
Estuarine and coastal ecosystems are rapidly changing socio-ecological systems where environmental pressures, human activities, and governance challenges converge. Accelerating sea-level rise, biodiversity loss, pollution, altered freshwater inflows, and increasing demands for space and resources place these regions at the forefront of global sustainability concerns. Recent international and regional developments—including the forthcoming implementation of the High Seas Treaty, updated biodiversity targets under the Kunming–Montreal Framework, the European Ocean Pact, transboundary obligations under the Ramsar Convention, the EU Nature Restoration Law, and climate negotiations emphasizing coastal adaptation—highlight the urgent need for stronger connections between science and policy. Ocean Science Diplomacy (OSD) offers a pathway to integrate transdisciplinary knowledge, facilitate cooperation across jurisdictions, and support equitable and adaptive management of estuarine and coastal systems.

This workshop will explore how OSD can enhance the science–policy interface in estuarine and coastal management through an interactive format. Participants will engage with:

1.    Global and regional governance processes shaping estuarine and coastal sustainability (5-minute impulse talks);
2.    Pathways for embedding scientific monitoring, modelling, and assessments into policy and diplomacy (breakout groups exercise);
3.    Case studies of transboundary estuaries, deltas, and coastal zones where diplomacy, stakeholder engagement, and co-production are essential (talks and facilitated panel dialogue);
4.    Advancement of OSD capacity through skills, tools, and networks relevant to the ECSA community (interactive plenary synthesis).
The workshop aims to identify knowledge gaps, emerging priorities, and collaborative opportunities that support sustainable, climate-resilient, and biodiversity-rich estuarine and coastal systems. We invite participants to contribute actively by sharing experiences, engaging in group work, and offering perspectives from their own disciplinary and regional contexts. Outputs include a synthesis policy brief and a shared, actionable agenda.



Submission id: 50

Title: The future of coastal and estuarine biodiversity science-policy: intergenerational perspectives

Authors: Garry Kett,Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) and EuroMarine OYSTER, Portugal
Gemma Smith,International Estuarine and Coastal Specialists Ltd., United Kingdom
Sinja Rist,National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark (DTU Aqua), Denmark
Sigi Gruber,Active Senior Advisor - European Commission, Belgium

Workshop proposal:
Effective biodiversity governance for estuarine and coastal systems depends on strong science policy interfaces that connect research, management, community needs and environmental targets across European and global scales. International and regional frameworks, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Ramsar Convention, IPBES assessments, the European Ocean Pact, the EU Biodiversity Strategy, the Nature Restoration Law, and the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters all highlight the need for improved knowledge transfer, cross-sector collaboration and meaningful stakeholder engagement. Achieving these goals requires robust science and diverse expertise, and the involvement of emerging professionals who can bridge disciplines, technologies, and societal priorities at multiple governance levels.

Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) contribute valuable capacities to this transition through innovative thinking, digital and technical skills and readiness to work across research, policy, management and community engagement. Strengthening ECOP participation enhances cooperation, builds capacity, and supports inclusive management of estuarine and coastal systems.

This workshop, led by EuroMarine OYSTER, ICES SIIECS, Youth4Ocean Forum, GES4SEAS ECR group, and the AAORIA Blue Intergenerational Programme, convenes multidisciplinary experts from early to senior career stages to explore how ECOP contributions can reinforce science-policy and diplomacy for coastal and estuarine biodiversity. As a multidisciplinary gathering of scientists, managers and policymakers, ECSA is an ideal forum to co-design approaches linking biodiversity science with coastal decision making.

The workshop will examine ECOP roles in biodiversity monitoring, restoration, innovative solutions, and science-policy engagement. An interactive format will combine digital polling, focused presentations and structured roundtables. These dialogues will explore capacities, priorities, barriers, enabling conditions, and cooperation models for resilient, adaptive, inclusive biodiversity governance.
Participants will co-develop recommendations and a practical roadmap to enhance ECOP integration in biodiversity governance. Outputs will include a workshop summary, and contributions to a joint ECOP-led policy brief to be published and shared with key stakeholders.

 

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