On 6 and 7 May 2025, the first National Marine Conference took place in Berlin.
The Conference “For Vibrant Seas and Oceans and Their Protection” brought together leading national as well as international politicians, scientists, civil society and private sector representatives to keep collaboration for marine action high on the agenda. Core themes were the triple threat of the climate crisis, pollution, and species extinction, and how they must be tackled by building a blue economy, and strong knowledge cooperation and transfer. It served as an important forum for dialogue ahead of the UN Oceans Conference, which will take place in Nice in June 2025. Prof. Anna-Katharina Hornidge contributed to the Concluding Panel of the Conference, which reflected on achievements in marine conservation and priorities for action. She expressed regret that the new German government has not continued the role of the national representative for the protection of the ocean, and emphasised the continued urgency for visible leadership from Germany and Europe, policy coherence and coordination across different levels of government.
