Where: Ozeaneum Stralsund, Hafenstraße 11, 18439 Stralsund

What:

Joint final conference of the two projects:

Baltic Coast Dialog and

Benefits of restoring marine ecosystems and their services in the Southern Baltic Sea

In this conference, together with various experts from diverse sectors, we will share key results of the two projects “Baltic Coast Dialog” and “Benefits of restoring marine ecosystems and their services in the German Baltic Sea”, stimulate fruitful, interactive discussions and present recommendations for future actions to protect and restore the Baltic Sea.

Over the past two years, in both projects, we have brought together scientists, non-governmental organisations, management practitioners, fisheries, tourism representatives, and other stakeholders in a series of interactive workshops. Together, we explored the restoration of salt marshes, stone reefs, sand habitats and seagrass meadows and their most important ecosystem services. In the Baltic Coast Dialog project, we discussed principles and pioneer projects of blue restoration, addressed challenges of bottom trawling in marine protected areas and invasive species and jointly highlighted strategies for ecosystem-based fisheries management.

As these important conversations continue, we invite you to take part in the next steps. Our goal is to continue building a participatory and collaborative dialogue, paving the way for future action in the Baltic Sea and its conservation.

Please note:

• This conference will be a joint final event of two projects, both mainly managed by Rewilding Oder Delta e.V.. Everyone is invited to attend the entire conference period.
• It will be partly a hybrid event. In-person attendance is encouraged for networking and deeper engagement. Yet, the number of in-person participants is limited, so we recommend to register early.
• Registration: Please register here by 18^th of August.

Preliminary Programme see here

Keynote Speeches: 

Sebastian Unger, Head of the Marine Protection Division, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany (BMUKN)

Elisabeth Schueler, Manomet, USA (online) 

Dr. Britta Knefelkamp, Head of Marine Nature Conservation, Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Germany

Rüdiger Strempel, HELCOM Executive Secretary

Fabien Quétier, Rewilding Europe

Interactive Sessions:

There will be opportunities to learn from a range of experts, sharing their experiences on working at different levels with the above mentioned topics. After each presentation, there will be opportunities to ask questions. We are also planning to implelment interactive discussion rounds on day two and three, followed by a broader dialogue with participants.

Networking Opportunities:

Together, we will collectively explore approaches to restore and protect marine ecosystems and the Baltic Sea. Take advantage of the opportunity to network with people from Germany and multiple Baltic countries during the lunch and coffee breaks and build connections with professionals from industry, resource management, NGOs, and academia.