Raising your OceanIQ: Hybrid Seminar Series in Groningen
How can scientific knowledge better support ocean-smart decision-making and policy? Within the framework of the ENLIGHT OceanIQ project, a two-day hybrid seminar series entitled “Raising your OceanIQ: Fostering Ocean Literacy for Ocean-Smart Decision and Policy Making” will take place on 12–13 February 2026 at the University of Groningen, with the option to join online.
These seminars are organised alongside the OceanIQ mid-term collaboration meeting, where project partners will come together to evaluate progress, exchange insights, and strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration within the consortium. While the collaboration meeting itself is intended for project partners, the seminars are open to a broader audience and aim to share OceanIQ-related research and perspectives beyond the project.
OceanIQ ENLIGHT project is a collaboration of University of Groningen (UG contact: o.kavatsyuk rug.nl), University of Ghent (Belgium) and University of Basque Country (Bilbao, Spain) aiming to develop educational materials to foster Ocean Literacy for Ocean-Smart Decision- and Policy-Making.
Speakers from several European universities will address key challenges at the science–policy interface, including:
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Ecological effects of artificial hard substrates in the marine environment,
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Tools and methodologies for marine spatial planning,
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Institutional and governance perspectives on managing marine space,
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Emerging contaminants and endocrine effects in marine ecosystems,
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Implications of climate change and blue-economy developments for marine biodiversity.
The seminars are particularly relevant for researchers, students, policy advisors, and practitioners working at the intersection of marine science, governance, and sustainability. Participation in the seminars is free of charge, but registration is required for each day.