JPI Oceans

16/09/2026

💭 Last week, our Executive Director, Thorsten Kiefer, took part in a foresight workshop on preparedness organised by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

The workshop brought together scientists and policy experts to think through what a potential shutdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation could mean for Europe, and what governance responses might look like. Many questions came up, for instance, on the climatic and oceanographic expression of an AMOC shutdown, its rapidity and tipping potential, or adaptation and policy action options.

Thorsten joined a panel on the workshop's second day, focused on response spaces, alongside Hans Pörtner (Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research), co-chair of the AMOC Knowledge Hub. He presented "AMOC in Focus", a joint effort of JPI Climate and JPI Oceans backed by 11 governments from both sides of the Atlantic. Hans-Otto spoke about the initiative's forthcoming report, which aims to converge on contested points and offer clear, transparent findings by drawing on IPCC-tested approaches and terminology.

EU Science Hub - Joint Research Centre

11/09/2026

Three days of science and exchange brought MiningImpact3 partners together in Łódź, Poland, on 8–10 September. The annual meeting explored emerging evidence on ecosystem responses to deep-sea mining trial disturbances, drawing on preliminary results from the MANGAN2026 research expedition and earlier ones. Partners also advanced preparations for the forthcoming NoduleMonitor3 cruise on RV SONNE, which will revisit impact and reference sites 5.5 years after a collector trial to assess longer-term ecosystem responses.

The final day widened the conversation through a stakeholder dialogue on future research priorities and a meeting of the JPI Oceans International Engagement Hub. Researchers, policymakers, authorities, industry and civil society exchanged perspectives on how the project’s findings can inform international discussions, including work on environmental thresholds and cumulative effects. It was a valuable opportunity to connect ongoing research with the questions facing ocean governance.

Thank you to our hosts of the University of Łódź, and to all participants for the thoughtful discussions and contributions.

For further details about MiningImpact3: https://jpi-oceans.eu/en/miningimpact-3

04/09/2026

JPI Oceans’ take on ! 🌊

We just wrapped two full days in Bergen for the 7th edition of , themed "Communication for and within the UN Ocean Decade: Setting Sails for 2030", organised by the European Marine Board Communications Panel (EMBCP) in collaboration with and hosted by the University of Bergen and the Norwegian Marine University Consortium.

JPI Oceans Communication Officer Isabel Caballero had the chance to speak about communicating at the science-policy interface and holding two standards at once: scientific credibility and policy relevance. She talked through what that tension looks like in practice, using JPI Oceans' participation in UNOC3 in Nice as an example, where the comms team had to be scientifically rigorous and politically responsive within the same few days, sometimes the same hours.

From a personal and political intervention by JPI Oceans Chair Peter Haugan, to storytelling lessons from producer James Honeyborne, to discussions on arts and crafts as a gateway to ocean literacy and honest conversations about AI's growing role in science communication, this edition of gave us so much to take home. This conference brings us together to exchange ideas, make new connections, and learn from one another. We leave a little more hopeful than when we arrived, inspired by the many ways our work can be translated into ocean action.

Thank you to the engaged participants and to the organisers for the brilliant programme. We return to Brussels with fresh perspectives, ready to keep walking up and down that bridge between science and policy.

See you in 2028!

01/09/2026

🌞 Amidst your summer adventures, here's one thing to keep on your radar: the JPI Oceans opportunity to submit ideas for new Joint Actions is still open!

Whether you're holidaying by the sea or simply dreaming of it, ask yourself: "What's the marine challenge, opportunity, or emerging topic that isn't getting enough attention?"

💡 Your idea could inspire the next JPI Oceans Joint Action.

⏰ Share it with us by 7 September 2026!

🔗 https://jpi-oceans.eu/en/share-your-ideas-new-joint-actions-us

31/08/2026

Meet the jury for our Photo and Art Contest ✨

Submissions close on 6 September, and evaluating your entries will be three people contributing experience in art curation, art-science dialogues, and hands-on research missions at sea:

Markus Reymann, Co-Director of TBA21- , in a role that blends together contemporary art, ocean science, and governance. Over 15 years, he has shaped TBA21's exhibitions and public programmes and helped build Venice's Ocean Space.

Clarissa Sellem, curator and artistic director, founded Talk C.E.C . in Brussels, a vibrant space for exhibitions, performances and events. She previously ran a contemporary art gallery in Paris and is now developing new artistic ventures in Italy, where she will explore "the intersections of art, hospitality and cultural journeys."

Sarah-Marie Kröger, nature conservation coordinator with a passion for science communication and visual storytelling. As an "artist at sea," she has joined research expeditions, capturing what she sees through vibrant illustrations, and took third place in our last Photo and Art Awards.

🗨️ "As a judge, I am looking for pieces that spark a connection, demonstrating that art is the ultimate translator for science. I can't wait to discover your work!", says Sarah-Marie.

Full guidelines and how to participate: https://jpi-oceans.eu/en/celebrating-15-years-jpi-oceans-photo-and-art-contest

27/08/2026

15 years, 15 stories #5. "It’s all about being at the right place, at the right time, with the right people." Sometimes, it takes one of those defining moments for an initiative to be born ⬇️

Kathrine Angell-Hansen was involved with JPI Oceans since its creation. She was on the European Commission's task force for the EU's first Integrated Maritime Policy when the idea for a Joint Programming Initiative on oceans first made it into writing in 2008. She then served JPI Oceans as Executive Director and later as Strategic Director until 2020.

During our conversation, she took us back to the organisation’s founding logic, still reflected in its name: though implemented first as a Coordination and Support Action, JPI Oceans was created at the request of the European Council and remains inextricably tied to the Member States, because, as Katherine puts it, international research cooperation carries challenges that only countries can choose to take on together.

After the interview she shared a small memory, but a telling one. At a meeting on a difficult Joint Action, delegates stayed in the room hours after the session had officially ended. When Kathrine asked them why, they said simply that they liked being together. Fifteen years on, we continue to bring people together in the same room, and the results never cease to amaze us 💫

11/08/2026

📢 New publication alert!

Bronwyn Cahill and colleagues have published “Browning of the Baltic Sea” in Marine Ecology Progress Series, contributing to the funded project under the Changing Marine Lightscapes Joint Action.

The study uses in situ observations and satellite ocean-colour data to investigate changes in water transparency and how climate-driven changes on land and in the hydrological cycle are altering underwater light conditions across the Baltic Sea.

📖 Read the paper: https://www.int-res.com/journals/meps/articles/meps15210
🔗 Know more about Changing Marine Lightscapes: https://jpi-oceans.eu/en/changing-marine-lightscapes

30/07/2026

Are you interested in ocean observing and want to contribute to a robust Common Observation Strategy for understanding and addressing challenges at the land-sea interface area?

Then you should register to the conference "Land-Sea 2026"!

📌 More info:

Land-sea interface areas face rising pressures, including increased pollution, climate change threats, and biodiversity loss. Diverse efforts are currently being made to observe those crucial areas of the world, including through in-situ and satellite observations, modelling, and citizen science act...

29/07/2026

Summer is a good time to look at the ocean differently. Whether you are on the water, near it, or simply thinking about it, we would like to see what it inspires in you 🎨

On the occasion of our 15th anniversary, we’ve launched the JPI Oceans Photo & Art Awards. We want to invite artists, photographers and enthusiasts from Europe and beyond to engage with the ocean science we have been coordinating for fifteen years.

We are looking for works that connect to the themes of our Joint Actions, whether that’s sea level rise, microplastics, changing marine lightscapes, or anything else that speaks to you – the full list is available here: https://www.jpi-oceans.eu/en/joint-actions

🏆 €1,000 for the winner | €500 for each of two runners-up
📅 Deadline: 6 September 2026

More information and rules: https://www.jpi-oceans.eu/en/celebrating-15-years-jpi-oceans-photo-and-art-contest