German Ocean Festival
Endorsed as a UN Ocean Decade Activity
Parliamentary Ocean Evenings as part of the German Ocean Festival
The German Ocean Festival is intended to develop a general awareness of our ocean, encouraging participants to take find out more about the ocean, to take ocean-friendly decisions, and to do so immediately. The project aims to ensure that the ocean is embedded in political Berlin. In 2025, the German Ocean Festival will consist of three Parliamentary Ocean Evenings spread throughout the year. The focus is on political actors, but networking with companies and civil society is also an important factor.
The focus will be on the UN Ocean Decade, national, European and international marine policy as well as the blue economy and sustainable products. An immersive ocean show and musical accompaniment will once again ensure a sensory experience of the ocean habitat. Each Parliamentary Ocean Evening will conclude with a discussion round in which the status quo of German marine policy will be compared with European and international developments.
The German Ocean Foundation and the Planetarium Berlin Foundation cordially invite you to the upcoming Parliamentary Ocean Evenings at the Zeiss-Großplanetarium in Berlin:
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A sustainable blue economy in Germany – just a dream or a simple necessity?
23 September 2025
Please register by 18 September 2025.
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Europe and the ocean
9 Dezember 2025
Please register by 4 December 2025.
Parliamentary Ocean Evening July 2025: Protecting biodiversity in the ocean and the global climate
Together with the Planetarium Berlin Foundation and in cooperation with the German Society for the United Nations (DGVN), the Foundation hosted another successful Parliamentary Ocean Evening on 8 July. The event focused on the urgent need to protect marine biodiversity and combat the climate crisis—global challenges that were discussed from scientific, political, and social perspectives.
The event kicked off with contributions from Antonia Spielvogel (Young Ocean Protection Ambassador) and Steffi Lemke, former Federal Minister for the Environment, who shared their impressions of the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice.
In his keynote speech, Prof. Dr. Matthias Glaubrecht, evolutionary biologist and author, highlighted the dramatic consequences of global species extinction – especially in the ocean. Hans-Josef Fell, Prof. Dr. Victor Smetacek, and Dr. Miriam Philippi presented an innovative solution: they outlined their vision of large-scale ocean farming with free-floating macroalgae. This nature-based technology offers enormous potential for CO₂ removal, the regeneration of marine ecosystems, and as a source of sustainable raw materials. Shamim Wasii Nyanda from the Tanzania Ocean Climate Innovation Hub made it clear in a video message that international cooperation is now more than ever necessary and important.
Members of Parliament Dunja Kreiser (SPD) and Violetta Bock (Die Linke) actively participated in the subsequent discussion round and discussed how politics can combine active climate protection measures, the protection of marine ecosystems, and social justice. The focus was also on the development of a public welfare-oriented economy and its potential.
The event concluded with a poignant closing speech by Dr. Ekkehard Griep, Chairman of the DGVN, who emphasized the importance of international cooperation, as well as atmospheric musical accompaniment by the Orchestra of Change.
First Parliamentary Maritime Evening November 2024 – Political discussion under the stars
On 12 November 2024, the Foundation, the Berlin Planetarium Foundation, and the German Society for the United Nations (DGVN) hosted a parliamentary ocean evening. The event brought together science, politics, culture, and civil society under the banner of ocean conservation.
The atmospheric opening featured the film “Song of the Birds” – a poetic underwater production with the Orchestra of Change, which turned the seabed into a stage. The subsequent welcome by the board members of the organizing partners was visually accompanied by impressive 360° images from the planetarium, drawing the audience into the world of the ocean.
With a moving live performance, the Orchestra of Change set the tenor of the evening before the scientific contributions took over.
Prof. Dr. Stefan Rahmstorf explained the close connection between the ocean and climate and made it clear that effective climate protection is not possible without healthy seas. In a video keynote speech, Dr. Anna von Rebay brought in the legal perspective and emphasized the importance of binding legal frameworks for marine protection at the international level.
Frank Schweikert provided civil society impetus by referring to the latest survey by the German Ocean Foundation on ocean literacy. The results clearly show that the public is calling for more education, clear responsibilities, and a stronger commitment to protecting the ocean.
The highlight of the evening was the subsequent political panel discussion, moderated by Oliver Hasenkamp (DGVN), with the maritime policy spokespersons of all democratic parliamentary groups in the Bundestag. The discussion shed light not only on party political positions, but also on the personal motivations of the members of parliament and concrete plans for the coming legislative period.
If you would like to recieve the documentation for the event, please send a short email to office@meeresstiftung.de.
