Opinion · Ocean Policy · Mediterranean

Europe Is Learning to See the Ocean. Now It Must Learn to Act

The new OceanEye alliance and Greece’s two Marine National Parks will give Europe a far more detailed picture of its seas. Nadia Andreanidou of MEDASSET argues that the real test is whether that knowledge changes how the sea is managed.

By Nadia Andreanidou | Programmes & Policy Officer, MEDASSET

In September, ocean observation gained renewed attention on the international agenda. In New York, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney launched the OceanEye International Alliance for the Global Ocean Observing System. More than 30 countries joined, bringing over €211 million in financial and in-kind commitments. The initiative forms part of the wider ambition of the European Ocean Pact to improve our understanding of the ocean and the changes affecting it. But better knowledge alone will not protect marine ecosystems.

Greece offers an important test case. At the launch, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis highlighted the country’s two new Marine National Parks, in the Ionian Sea and the southern Cyclades, and reiterated its commitment to protect 30% of its territorial waters ahead of the 2030 target.

The announcement is an important step, but the work does not end there. The two parks still need the necessary institutional procedures and effective management measures to ensure that protection works in practice. Greece has also committed to mapping marine habitats across its Natura 2000 network and the two parks, drawing on computing, artificial intelligence, space assets and in-situ observation systems.

Such efforts can help authorities identify threats and understand whether conservation measures are working. The question is what happens next. Will the findings influence decisions on fishing, shipping, tourism and energy development? Will they help authorities respond when habitats are damaged or protected species come under pressure? Without a clear link between scientific evidence and management, better monitoring risks revealing problems that remain unaddressed.

Greece’s marine parks offer an opportunity to make that link. Mapping habitats can provide a clearer picture of what needs protection, but this knowledge must also shape conservation objectives, management plans and decisions about activities at sea. Otherwise, the country may end up with a more detailed picture of its marine environment without an improvement in its protection.

LIFE MareNatura is one of the projects that help bridge this gap. It brings together 12 partners to study important marine areas in the Aegean, Ionian and South Adriatic seas, with a focus on nine vulnerable marine species. By monitoring these areas and developing policy recommendations, the project aims to contribute to more effective marine biodiversity conservation and enhanced protection of the Natura 2000 network, while also aligning with the global, European, and national ’30 by 30′ target.

Turning this knowledge into action, however, depends on the authorities responsible for managing the sea. Data must reach the people making decisions, and monitoring must lead to changes in management when needed. This is also the test for OceanEye and the European Ocean Pact. Their impact should be judged by what changes at sea, whether protected areas are better managed, pressures are addressed and vulnerable species and habitats are better protected.

Europe is learning to see the ocean in detail. The next test is whether it will act on what it sees.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the author’s own. More on the alliance from the European Commission.

About the author

Nadia Andreanidou is a sustainable development scientist with expertise in marine life, forestry, climate and ecology. She works for MEDASSET (the Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles) as Programmes and Policy Officer, where she coordinates conservation and research programmes and campaigns focused on the protection of marine and coastal biodiversity. MEDASSET is a partner in LIFE MareNatura.

Nadia Andreanidou on LinkedIn

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