This section provides an overview of the important events that took place during the first year of the Pro-Coast project.

The Pro-Coast project has seen a series of significant events since its launch in November 2023. These included the Kick-Off Meeting in Brussels, which set the foundation for the project. Subsequent activities included workshops, publications, and participation in international events.

- October 17th: 'Spring-to-Sea': Societal transformation towards water stewardship.

Co-creation Workshop. Organiser: OTTERS project.

- November 8-9: Kick-Off Meeting. Brussel, Belgium.

The Kick-Off Meeting marked the official launch of the Pro-Coast project, bringing together partners from across various sectors and regions. Over the two days, participants outlined the project's primary objectives, defined individual roles, and developed a shared vision for addressing coastal challenges.

The discussions helped create a clear plan for upcoming activities. The event also provided an opportunity for networking, knowledge exchange, and aligning on the methodologies and strategies required to achieve the project's objectives. This meeting laid the groundwork for a cohesive, multidisciplinary effort to protect coastal environments and communities.

- November 11th: Web Publication.

Website: Universität Leipzig. Title: EU-Förderung für Forschungen zu sozial-ökologischer Transformation und Klimaresilienz an der Universität Leipzig. Author: Dr. Alexander Yendell. For more details, click on the link below.

Web Publication (German)

- December 9th: Press Release.

Title: Kick-Off Meeting Press Release. This press release announced the official beginning of the project, aimed at informing all targeted audiences, particularly citizens.

- December 10th: Innovative Instruments for Joint Biodiversity and Climate Policy.

Event: Bocconi University at UNFCCC COP28. Location: Dubai, UAE. Organiser: SUR Lab, Bocconi University. In collaboration with: the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE)and the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).

Pro-Coast 2024 Calendar

Presented below is a summary of the major events that took place in 2024 as part of Pro-Coast.

In 2024, Pro-Coast members participated in a wide range of global events, including conferences, workshops, and webinars. These events provided opportunities to showcase the project's work on biodiversity, equality, and sustainability through presentations, collaborative workshops, and scientific discussions, advancing its mission to support nature-based solutions and promote inclusive conservation practices globally.

- December 10th: European Research Area Workshop: Equality under the Weather? Sex and Gender in Research on Climate (Change).

Online Conference. Presentation: Dr Alexander Yendell, researcher at the Research Institute Social Cohesion (Leipzig section), delivered an insightful presentation on Gender and Intersectionality Dimensions in Pro-Coast.

- December 10-16: Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Windhoek, Namibia.

- November 26-27: CommOCEAN Conference on Ocean Communication.

Malaga, Spain. Click on the link below for further information.

CommOCEAN Conference (English)

- November 25-28: 4th Mediterranean Geosciences Union (MedGU).

Barcelona, Spain. Annual Meeting. Click on the link below for more information.

MedGU (English) 

- November 24-27: European Coastal Challenge Summit - Littoral 24.

EUCC International Conference. Ovidius University of Constanta, Romania. Learn more about this event by visiting the link provided below.

Littoral 24 (English)

- November 20-21: 3rd Steering Committee Meeting. Koper, Slovenia.

Alongside this on-site event, a workshop on Collaborative Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Development provided participants with strategies to define and measure project success effectively.

- November 20-21: iDiv Annual Conference.

Location: Leipzig, Germany. Dr Alexander Yendell gave a presentation on: Societal Dynamics and Loss of Coastal Ecosystem Biodiversity: A Sociological Multi-Level Review.

iDiv Conference (English)

- October 20-23: 3rd World Conference on Climate Change & Sustainability.

Location: Barcelona, Spain. This conference brings together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss innovative solutions and strategies for addressing climate change and promoting sustainability.

- October 20-23: Conservation Social Science Conference 2024.

Dr Ann-Marie Nienaber delivered two presentations: (a) Change Agents and Their Decisive Role in Driving Change in Communities; (b) Behavioral Change for Transformation Combined with a Stakeholder Engagement Approach.

- October 1-2: MonGOOS General Assembly and Workshop.

Location: Malaga, Spain. Workshop theme: Boost the understanding of the Mediterranean for adaptation to climate change and extreme events.

EuroGOOS: European Global Ocean Observing System (English)

- August 2nd: Paper Publication.

Title: Assessing Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities’ Spatial Heterogeneity in Mediterranean Transitional Waters through eDNA Metabarcoding. Publication: Scientific Reports, edited by Springer-Nature.

Authors: Maurizio Pinna, Francesco Zangaro & Valeria Specchia. Partners Involved: University of Salento. Read the full article below.

Scientific reports article publication (English)

- September 25th: NetworkNature Annual Event 2024.

Theme: Busting myths: People with nature. Location: Brussels, Belgium. Organiser: NetworkNature. This annual conference focuses on the relationship between people and nature in addressing global challenges.

NetworkNature (English)

- September 22nd: Climate Change Morning at Streedagh Beach.

The Pro-Coast project participated in the “Climate Change Morning at Streedagh Beach,” an event led by the Earth-HB Research Group at ATU-Sligo. As part of the Irish case study, Dr. Salem Gharbia’s team, including Mahdieh Raji and Fredrick Otieno, facilitated an engaging discussion on the urgent issue of coastal erosion. The event featured a beach clean-up and fostered collaboration among local communities, NGOs, researchers, and County Council members, focusing on the protection and restoration of sand dunes.

- August 26-30: 14th International Conference on Ecological Restoration.

Theme: Bringing Science, Practice, and Policy of Nature Restoration. Location: Tartu, Estonia. Organiser: European Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SERE).

SERE 2024 (English)

- July 16th: Research Design Workshop. Online.

- June 24-27: International Sandy Beaches Symposium (ISBS 2024).

Dr Alexander Yendell delivered a presentation titled: Societal Influences on Coastal Ecosystem Biodiversity Loss: A Multi-Level Analytical Approach. Located in Lecce (Italy), this event was organised by: the Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technologies, the University of Salento; LifeWatch Italy; and Posidonia Green Project.

For further information about the International Sandy Beaches Symposium, please visit the official website:

International Sandy Beach Symposium (English)

- June 24-25: British Ecological Society Symposium.

Theme: Resilient Landscapesfor People, Nature and Climate. Location: University of Birmingham. Robert Kenward showed the poster "Pro-Coast: helping people to transition for nature and climate". A link to the poster is provided below.

Poster: helping people to transition for nature and climate. (English)

BES Symposium 2024 (English)

- June 21st: Open Innovation Challenge Ceremony.

Location: Brussels, Belgium Organiser: GreenSCENT project. The ceremony celebrates the Open Innovation Challenge launched under the GreenSCENT project, with Pro-Coast invited to participate.

- June 18-20: Nature-Based Solutions Conference 2024.

Location: Oxford University Museum of Natural History and online.

Nature Based Solution Conference (English)

- June 16-21: World Biodiversity Forum 2024.

Location: Congress Centre Davos, Switzerland. The forum brings together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss global biodiversity challenges and solutions.

World Biodiversity Forum (English)

- June 16-19: 15th International Sustainability Transitions Conference.

Location: Oslo, Norway. The conference explored the theme "Sustainability Transitions and Nature" and brought together researchers and practitioners to discuss innovative approaches to sustainable development.

International Sustainability Transitions Conference (English)

- June 9-10: 2nd Steering Committee Meeting.

Location: Bergen, Norway. This event coincided with the Kick-Off Workshop for Change Agents, which took place from the 9th-10th of June.

- June 9-12: What Works Climate Solutions Summit.

Location: Berlin Germany.

WWCS Summit 2024 (English)

- June 6th: British Ecological Society Symposium.

Theme: Resilient Landscapes for People, Nature, and Climate. ocation: Birmingham, UK. A poster titled "Helping People to Transition for Nature & Climate" was presented by two ESUG members: Prof. Robert Kenward and Dr. Julie Ewald.

- May 30th: CEESP Webinars (2023–2024): Towards a More Inclusive Conservation Science.

Format: Online Webinar. Organiser: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

2023-2024: CEESP Webinars (English)

- May 28-29: THALASSA 2024 – Marine Sciences Conference.

Location: Larnaca, Cyprus. This conference explores and addresses challenges faced by marine and coastal environments while proposing innovative solutions to tackle these issues.

THALASSA 2024 (English)

- May 26: Paper Presentation for IX International Sandy Beaches Symposium.

Location: Lecce, Italy. Presentation of a paper titled "Societal Influences on Coastal Ecosystem Biodiversity Loss: A Multi-level Analytical Approach" authored by ULEI team members Alexander Yendell, Yvonne Jaeckel, Pauline Rosteius, Giulia Bär, and Helene Lerch.

- May 21: SCORE Webinar Series. Online.

SCORE Webinar series (English)

- May 15–18: 6th Euro-Mediterranean Conference for Environmental Integration.

Location: Marrakesh, Morocco.

EMCEI-2024 (English)

- April 27: European Geoscience Union Annual Meeting.

Location: Vienna, Austria. Poster presentation on the importance of Pro-Coast translation work by ESUG member: Julian Mühle. Poster title: Does Everyone Speak English?

- April 23: Launch of the First PRO-Coast Video.

PRO-Coast Youtube channel (English)

- April 16: BioAgora - Connecting Biodiversity Knowledge and Decision-making.

Online information event tailored for EU-funded projects enhancing biodiversity knowledge and policy. This event focused on the science-policy interface and the EU’s Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity. Attended by ESUG members: Robert Kenward, Ben Kenward, and Julie Ewald.

- April 14-19: European Geoscience Union Assembly 2024.

Location: Vienna, Austria & Online. Organiser: European Geosciences Union (EGU).

EGU2024 (English)

- April 3-6: European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) Conference.

Location: Vienna, Austria. Organisers: ECSA, BOKU, NHMW. Two Pro-Coast members attended and presented a slide describing the project.

ECSA 2024 Conference (English)

- March 14: CEESP Webinars (2023–2024): Sharing Power and Capacity for More Inclusive Conservation Governance.

Format: Online Webinar. Organiser: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

- March 11-13: 11th Annual World Ocean Summit.

Location: Lisbon, Portugal. Organiser: Economist Impact. Details: The summit brings together global leaders to discuss innovative solutions and strategies for sustainable ocean management.

- 6 February 29: CEESP Webinars (2023–2024): Incorporating Human Wellbeing for More Equitable Conservation.

Format: Online Webinar. Organiser: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

2023-2024 CEESP Webinars (English)

- February 26: Kazakhstan Conference Presentation.

Presentation of the paper "Conservation at a Crossroads" at the Kazakhstan Conference, in honor of ESUG member Prof. Dr. Tatyana Bragina. Partners involved: Robert Kenward.

Conservation at a Crossroads (English)

- February 15: CEESP Webinars (2023–2024): Advancing Gender Transformative Approaches to Conservation.

Format: Online Webinar. Organiser: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

- February 8th: European Citizen Science Association Publication.

Inclusion of a news item in the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) newsletter.

- February 5–6: CCTI 2024: 18th International Conference on Climate Change: Threats and Impacts.

Location: Lisbon, Portugal. Click on the link below for more information.

ICCTI 2024 (English)

- January 15–16: 18th International Conference on Coastal Risk and Climate Change.

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands.

- January 14-15: International Conference on Ecosystems and Biodiversity (ICEB).

Location: Zurich, Switzerland.

PRO-COAST 2025 Events calendar

2025 is set to be a busy year for the Pro-Coast project, with several events scheduled to drive progress and collaboration. These will include multiple workshops early in the year, followed by training in citizen science methodologies in May. In June, the 4th Steering Committee Meeting in Tallinn (Estonia) will feature additional workshops on developing Change Champions and addressing project challenges. Later in the year, events such as the Local Biodiversity Programmes for Coastal Ecosystems in October and the 5th Steering Committee Meeting in November will continue advancing the project’s goals.

This calendar offers a look at the progress and events of the Pro-Coast project over 2025. 

- January: Ethics Workshop. Online.

- January 13th: Standardization Workshop.

- February: KPIs Workshop: Monitoring and Measurement. Online.

- February 14th: The World Society in the Climate Crisis Conference

Organized by the Research Centre Global Dynamics, Leipzig

Presentation: "Between Humans and the Sea: Research Perspectives and Challenges in Coastal Biodiversity Conservation – Insights from the Pro-Coast Project"

Presented by: Alexander Yendell and Yvonne Jaeckel.

This presentation highlighted how sociological theories – particularly Beck’s Risk Society and Latour’s Actor-Network Theory – can enhance the analysis of human-environment interactions in coastal regions. Drawing on the Pro-Coast project, the speakers shared insights from a participatory coastal protection planning process with local stakeholders in northern Spain. The case study underscored the importance of addressing social structures and power dynamics when designing sustainable, inclusive conservation strategies.

- May: Training Sessions in Citizen Science Methodologies.

- May 4th: EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters.

Brussels, Belgium. Click the link below for further information on this event.

Restore our Ocean and Waters (English)

- 3rd - 5th June: 4th Steering Committee Meeting and Workshops. Tallinn, Estonia.

The 4th Pro-Coast Steering Committee Meeting will take place alongside a series of in-person workshops aimed at fostering collaboration, sharing insights, and addressing key challenges. The program includes:

- Conservation and Human Use Index Workshop

- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Workshop: Challenges and Best Practices.

- Workshop: First Challenges and Learned Lessons.

- Community Sustainability Platform (CUSP) Workshop.

- Developing Change Champions.

- May: Training Sessions in Citizen Science Methodologies.

- May 4th: EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters.

Brussels, Belgium. Click the link below for further information on this event.

Restore our Ocean and Waters (English)

- June 16-18: 7th Biennial European Conference on Climate Change Adaptation.

Rimini, Italy. Find more information about this event through the link below.

ECCA2025 (English)

- October: Local Biodiversity Programmes for Coastal Ecosystems Workshop.

- November: 5th Steering Committee Meeting.

Future Events in 2026

The year 2026 will mark the final chapter of the three-year Pro-Coast project, with several key events planned. These include multiple workshops, as well as the Final Conference in October, where the project’s results and achievements will be shared.

The events listed below will outline the final phase of Pro-Coast, as well as the events planned for 2025.

- October: Final Conference, Brussels, Belgium.

This event will mark the conclusion of the Pro-Coast Project, summarising its achievements and findings.

- June: 6th Steering Committee Meeting.

- May: Review, Refresh, Reset Workshop.

- January: SWAP Workshop.

- January: Ethics Workshops with focus on Case Studies.