Oceans cover more than two-thirds of our planet. They are rich in resources and provide people with food, energy, and a stable climate. Nevertheless, the future of these unique ecosystems is endangered by overfishing, loss of biodiversity, deep-sea mining and marine pollution, including the accumulation of plastic waste. The EU integrated maritime policy prioritizes blue growth and industrial development in coastal regions, including the promotion of deep-sea mining but lacks strong legal safeguards for ensuring the protection of the deep sea and the rights of coastal communities. The Ocean Atlas 2017 is an educational tool that provides facts and figures on the importance of our marine ecosystems and the urgency of SDG 14.
The atlas will be presented by Prof Dr Mojib Latif, Oceanographer and Head of the Research Division: Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel. The presentation will be followed by a discussion among panel speakers from politics, industry and civil society about the challenges related to Blue Growth, deep-sea mining and plastic pollution, as well as to what extent the EU could play a leadership role in the international maritime protection and set the course for global actions. The goals of the panel discussion are to:

• inform civil society and EU policy makers about imminent threats to the ocean such as climate change, pollution, destruction of coastal and marine habitats and non-sustainable exploitation of marine resources;
• spark a vivid discussion on how to achieve sustainable maritime governance

Speakers:

• Torsten Thiele, Founder of Global Ocean Trust
• Ricardo Serrão Santos, Member of the European Parliament, S&D
• András Inotai, Member of the Commissioner’s Cabinet for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
• Ann Dom, Deputy Director, Seas at Risk

Moderator: Katrina Sichel

Date: Monday, 16 October, 12:00h – 14:00h (registration from 11:45h)

Location: Press Club Brussels, Rue Froissart 95, 1000 Brussels

If you have not registered yet, we kindly ask you to enroll by Wednesday, 04 October, via the following link (providing your name, organisation and position): registration 'Ocean Atlas'.