The ocean tribute Award honours outstanding commitment to ocean protection, this year's winner is the educational project by One Ocean Planet – a global programme that gives children and young people a central role in marine and climate protection. The organization's goal is quite simple: we can no longer say that the problem is not ours; instead, we must empower the next generation to take action now.

At yesterday’s Ocean Forum, 12 short inputs from research institutions, NGOs, startups, data experts and citizen scienctists showcase practical solutions for ocean protection and sustainable use. Dialogue is where transformation begins.

“We are halfway through the decade of ocean exploration, understanding and care to use our power to reverse this trend in the next five years from decline to recovery. Boot Dusseldorf is an example of people who are coming together to celebrate water sports, to celebrate how much fun it is to be out there in the ocean, but the greatest joy of all is to realise we have a chance to care for the ocean, to make that difference in the next five years.”

“It is a decade for ocean action supported by science, supported by knowledge, and since the future of the ocean depends on tens of thousands of decisions made every day in governments, in local authorities, in businesses, in households, we depend on knowledge being distributed and reaching new communities so that people can make the right decisions for the benefit of the ocean. So progress for the Ocean Decade depends on connecting knowledge to people and to all those decisions. Love Your Ocean is doing exactly that, making science visible, making science understandable and making science usable.”

The winning projects of the German Ocean Foundation's 2025 Research at Sea competition were celebrated at boot 2026 in Düsseldorf. All three student teams from Tuttlingen, Hamburg and Kiel were declared winners by the jury for achieving outstanding scientific results under very different conditions.

Our Love Your Ocean initiative for a sustainable ocean at boot Düsseldorf opened today, and we are delighted to welcome you here. Ninety-nine exhibitors and speakers will be offering hands-on marine science, workshops, a science island dedicated to seagrass restoration, a citizen science area and a continuous programme of lectures on the Water Pixel World stage until 25 January.

The European Union has a historic opportunity to realise a shared, forward-looking vision for our largest habitat, the ocean. This was the central theme of the German Ocean Foundation's Parliamentary Ocean Evening at the Zeiss Großplanetarium in Berlin on 9 December.

Inspiring panel at BOOT & FUN Berlin: Last week, we discussed the future of mobility on the water with Loris Schimanski (GREENBOATS), Richard Stickler (Segelboot-Sharing Berlin) and Marcel Hirthe (Miet-Boot). The focus was on sharing in water sports – sharing boats instead of owning them.

Public voting runs from Monday, December 1st, 2025, until Friday, December 19th, 2025.

These inspiring organizations are competing for this year's award:

▪️ Iberian Orca Guardians Foundation
▪️ MarineCultures.org▪️ One Ocean Planet Foundation
▪️ Sailing insieme
▪️ Turtle Foundation

At the Blue Convention in Leer, Frank had the opportunity to speak to aspiring Ocean Peers about the political work of the German Ocean Foundation. The students' enthusiasm and curiosity about marine research and conservation were impressive – a strong signal that the next generation is ready to take responsibility for our ocean, our largest and most important habitat for the future.

As in previous years, the German Ocean Foundation supported YOUMARES, the conference for young marine researchers, held this year in Kiel. The international conference, led by young scientists, is aimed at students, early-career researchers, and experts from science, politics, education, and industry.

The appointment of Catherine Chabaud as France's Minister for the Sea brings things full circle: few people embody the combination of adventure, responsibility, and political foresight as impressively as Catherine does. As the first woman to sail solo in the legendary Vendée Globe, she recognized early on that the ocean is more than just a venue for sporting achievements – it is the backbone of our planet.

At the IUCN Congress, Frank had another opportunity to meet with Sylvia Earle and her team to discuss the latest developments in Mission Blue's global network of Hope Spots®. With our shared goal of strengthening support for ocean conservation, we look forward to joining the marine conservation groups working with Mission Blue.

As a newly fledged member of the IUCN, Frank's vote at the Members' Assembly helped the adoption of several key motions to shape the future of global conservation in Abu Dhabi this past week.

Germany must seize current opportunities and establish a sustainable blue economy, according to unanimous feedback from members of parliament at the third Parliamentary Ocean Evening hosted by the German Ocean Foundation at the Zeiss Großplanetarium in Berlin.

Frank Schweikert's keynote speech at the annual conference of the European Marine Science Educators Association in Ostend conveyed a clear message: Europe must raise awareness, integrate the ocean mission into strategic programs, mobilize investment, and translate scientific findings into action.

This week, we travelled from Cuxhaven up the Elbe to Hamburg with the team from Struensee Gymnasium Hamburg. The result was clear: we found massive traces of microplastics in all of the water samples.

In a joint dialogue with industry, science, and the fishers of Niendorf, we are working to develop a framework for the future of fishing, one that will include scientific research, ocean health, and environmental education.

The research vessel ALDEBARAN is currently underway in the Baltic Sea. As part of the national Research at Sea competition, students Lena (Gymnasium Stiftung Louisenlund) and Sarah (Privatschule Mittelholstein) are investigating whether pollutants from shipwrecks in Neustadt Bay could pose a threat to humans and the sea. The various water samples they are taking near a wreck will be analysed with the support of the Institute of Toxicology at the University of Kiel, which is testing the samples for possible contamination.

We are proud to support the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science with eleven endorsed Decade Actions - our newest endorsement sees the research and media ship ALDEBARAN confirmed as a UN Ocean Decade Contribution until 2030.