Together for our ocean: at the UNOC3 hackathon in Nice

The German Ocean Foundation was represented at the third UN Ocean Congress (UNOC3) in Nice not only as an observer, but also as an active shaper of a new era for the ocean. In cooperation with Objectif Sciences International (OSI), one of the leading organisations for participatory science with consultative status at the United Nations, we took part in the Hackathon for Ocean Participatory Science - an innovative format that brings together citizens, scientists and organisations from all over the world.

The aim of the hackathon was to develop concrete solutions on how participatory science can be systematically integrated into education, research and marine conservation. This is a key concern for the Foundation: sustainable change can only succeed if as many people as possible are actively involved in observing and protecting the ocean.

We put the focus on topics such as the development of citizen science initiatives, new approaches to ocean literacy in schools and universities, the removal of social and language barriers to the participation of disadvantaged groups, and the development of international standards for the quality and validation of participatory data.

The Foundation contributed its experience from over ten years of citizen science - among others with the research and media ship ALDEBARAN, educational formats such as the Ocean Workshop and current UN Decade projects. We contributed to several panels and discussions with representatives of UN organisations, NGOs and young changemakers.

This collaboration in Nice reinforces our belief: participatory science is not a side issue, but key to a democratic, just and effective ocean policy. We are committed to ensuring that the results of the hackathon are translated into concrete policy recommendations, educational formats and citizen science projects in Germany and Europe.

We are all the ocean - let's make participatory science our common tool.