In collaboration with several partners, EurOcean announced the Mário Ruivo Memorial Lecture from Germany's Research Vessel (RV) METEOR, and in the framework of the European project Youth Ocean Advocacy and Leadership (YOLA) a successful side event "One Ocean, Many Voices – Youth and Indigenous Pathways to Ocean Protection" was concluded, in this same framework together with several partners the Citizen of the Ocean Youth Manifesto was later presentated in the Blue Zone.
1 – Announcement Winner Mário Ruivo Memorial Lecture
During the V.ECOP Days aboard the RV METEOR, Executive Director of EurOcean, Sandra Sá announced the winner of the second edition of the Mário Ruivo Memorial Lecture. She was joined by Luis Menezes Pinheiro, Chairman of the Portuguese Committee for the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
Vânia Baptista, ECOP at Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), has been selected for her outstanding project LittleFish-STP in São Tomé and Príncipe, where her work focuses on Oceanography and Biodiversity as well as Fisheries & Capacity Building for conservation, management, and climate adaptation.
2 – Side Event "One Ocean, Many Voices – Youth and Indigenous Pathways to Ocean Protection"
The workshop gathered young leaders, community members, and changemakers from across the globe, including Kenya, Colombia, Aotearoa, and Egypt. Participants shared powerful stories, cultural knowledge, and urgent calls to protect the ocean for future generations.
Together, they co-created visions for the future through the Citizen of the Ocean Manifesto, centering fairness, equal rights, and youth-led governance. Inspired by the question, “Think about the sea in 100 years—what if we do it right?”, they committed to collective action and hope.
3 – The Citizen of the Ocean Global Youth Manifesto
During the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, twelve young ocean advocates took the stage at La Baleine to present the Citizen of the Ocean Youth Manifesto. This powerful and unified statement calls for bold, inclusive, and intergenerational ocean governance that places youth at the heart of decision-making.
Supported by the Youth Ocean Leadership and Advocacy (YOLA) project—a three-year initiative co-funded by Erasmus+ to empower young people (18–30) with leadership and advocacy skills to drive ocean conservation and climate action—the Manifesto reflects the shared values, priorities, and demands of youth determined to take action for the ocean at UNOC3 and beyond.
The Manifesto is the result of a global, collaborative process led by the Citizen of the Ocean Initiative, which brings together youth from around the world to amplify their voices and raise expectations toward decision-makers for ocean protection and restoration. It began at the Citizen of the Ocean Summit in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, where YOLA kicked off and sixty young people gathered to draft the first version. Since then, Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) and youth from diverse networks have helped shape the final text.