© Ocean Summit
The Ocean Summit at a glance
We together - every day for the oceans
The protection of the North Sea and Baltic Sea is becoming increasingly relevant to society. Dwindling biodiversity, plastic waste, eutrophication and many other forms of pollution, not to mention the effects of the climate crisis, make it clear that the state of the oceans requires concrete measures and significantly more attention.
Our oceans. Our responsibility.
Against this background, the Ocean Summit was founded in 2020 - a joint project of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Schleswig-Holstein and BUND Schleswig-Holstein. The Ocean Summit is an educational and networking platform that brings together stakeholders from science, business, politics, education, art and culture and civil society to work together to protect the oceans.
Since then, a diverse program of events has been developed under the motto "We together - every day for the oceans".
This includes specialist lectures, discussion formats, exhibitions, school projects and interactive activities that promote dialog and create concrete educational opportunities and a clear message:
Protecting the oceans concerns us all.
The Ocean Summit pursues an integrative approach: with a network of now over 100 partners, it is regionally anchored and networked far beyond. For example, it has raised the awareness of thousands of visitors with the "Marine Conservation City Day" in recent years.
© Kiel-Marketing / Jan-Michael Böckmann
The Ocean Summit - the path to marine protection
The year 2021 was an important milestone: the city of Kiel officially declared itself a "marine conservation city" - a unique commitment in Germany. The Ocean Summit was closely involved in this process - as a driving force, organizer and mediator between administration, research and civil society with the grand vision of a sea that can breathe, a city that protects its coastline and a society that takes responsibility.
Animated film: The Marine Conservation City - a vision presented by the Ocean Summit and animated by Studio Ranokel https://ocean-summit.de/meeresschutzstadt/18376/
As part of the Kiel Marine Conservation City project, an important format for knowledge transfer and inspiration was created: the "Ocean Five Podcast". In seven seasons, experts, activists and committed citizens have had their say and talked about key issues of marine protection. The podcast sheds light on local and global perspectives and invites you to think and participate.
All episodes are available online at: https://ocean-summit.de/meeresschutzstadt/ocean-five-podcast-staffeln-meeresschutzstadt-1-2021-und-2-2024/
The empowerment programme of the Ocean Youngsters
Another key aim of the Ocean Summit is to raise awareness of marine conservation among people of all ages and to show them options for action. The next generation plays a central role in this. The "Ocean Youngsters" project offers young people in Schleswig-Holstein an educational and empowerment program under the motto "Making waves for the sea". The mission behind this is to empower young people to develop and implement their own projects to protect the oceans - directly at their school.
https://ocean-summit.de/ocean-youngsters/
© Kiel.Sailing.City
© Ocean Summit / Annabel Kroening
© Ocean Summit / Annabel Kroening
Ocean Summit at the European Ocean Race
The next major project is scheduled for August 2025: the start of the Ocean Race Europe in Kiel (6-10 August 2025), where the central ‘marine conservation camp’ of the Ocean Summit presented by Förder Sparkasse Kiel is being built on the Kiellinie.
Initiatives, organizations and research institutions will present themselves there with information stands, workshops and hands-on formats. The aim is to link the international sporting event with current marine conservation issues and to raise awareness of these topics among the general public and inspire them to get personally involved.
Because when ocean sailors from all over Europe set sail, a message sails with them: Water sports and marine conservation belong together.
For living seas. For future generations.
Setting course for better protected seas together!
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