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Participation of students from Calabar University, Nigeria, in the Mundus maris Awards to celebrate World Oceans Day this year triggered a spike of interest also among researchers and faculty at the university. That offered a welcome opportunity to our Vice President, Prof. Stella Williams, and her colleague in Calabar, Prof. Francis E. Asuquo, to explore what to do together about promoting ocean literacy and engagement for conservation and sustainable use. That resulted in a one-day Seminar on Ocean Conservation and Sustainability with some 230 participants.

The Sunday without cars is a fixed appointment in Brussel's agenda and much loved by the inhabitants who take to the street in droves on byke, roller scates and foot. The Mundus maris team had a great field day talking to a cross-section of people about how to reduce the acidification of the ocean from excess traffic using fossil fuels and other opportunities to connect more sustainably to the one Blue Planet we have. Lots of people suggested that cars should be banned at least once a month, not only once per year. Is the administration hearing the message of the citizens?

Young university, young marine researchers. From 11 to 14 September 2018 the Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg was a most welcoming host for the ninth and so far biggest gathering in the series of self organised conferences of YOUMARES. With over 250 participants from some 35 countries, 109 talks, 31 posters, the organising team led by Dr Viola Liebig, member of the management of the German Society for Marine Research (DGM), and Dr Simon Jungblut of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar Research pulled off another memorable gathering. Mundus maris was a proud supporter.

Last Friday, 7 September 2018, the University Belgrano, partner of Mundus maris, organised a set of activities within the framework of the Argentinean National Week of Science and Technology. One of these activities consisted of a role play where four stakeholders had a conflict over pollution of plastic waste as used in all restaurants from a fast food chain. The role play was interpreted by each of two groups of around 45 high school students, who discussed the social and economical aspects of a possible reduction of plastic contamination. The schools involved were Escuela Argentina General Belgrano and Colegio Lincoln and Instituto Huergo. 

Plastic pollution in the ocean from lost fishing nets and massive amounts of household litter, such as bottles, cups, straws, bags and much else reaching the ocean mostly through rivers has hit public consciousness. Everybody has seen the pictures of birds, turtles and even marine mammals miserably starved to death with their stomachs full of plastic.

The conference on "The effect of marine litter on fisheries and oceans" was organised by the European Parliament Intergroup on “Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development” at the EP in Brussels on 5 September 2018 to explore and discuss the new European Commission proposals on ways to tackle marine litter.

Rainer Froese, one of the "fathers" of FishBase opened the FishBase SymposiumEvery year the international consortium sustaining FishBase and other global information systems about biodiversity and human use of the ocean meet to assess progress and new challenges. Each time, a public science symposium showcases advances in using the information systems for conservation and sustainable use of aquatic resources. This year's consortium and symposium were hosted at GEOMAR in Kiel, Germany.

Alissa Trotz, University of Toronto, keynote speakerWhat kind of development do we want for today's world? That was the central question addressed by almost 400 participants from some 35 countries during the biannual Swedish Development Research Conference (DevRes) organised 22 and 23 August in Gothenburg. Mundus maris contributed to a special session under the aegis of the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes focusing on how to ensure that perspectives of people on the ground - anywhere - get heard and that joint learning can take place.

Some 9,000 participants, among them exhibitors, speakers, project organisers and visitors populated the European Development Days 2018 under the timely motto She is We. Visitors queued for long times to get into the spacious premises of the Tour and Taxis complex on 5 and 6 June. Security was strict and queuing continued until after passing the reception desk. But it was definitely a worthwhile wait. A string of high-level conferences, workshops and the EDD Village with a wide variety of booths interspersed with meeting and rest areas created a conducive environment for exchanges on policies and practices. Commission President Juncker was one of the speakers of the opening ceremony.

Mundus maris and its friends and allies teamed up again this year to celebrate World Ocean Day, 8 June, together around the globe under the UN motto focused on protecting the ocean – and ourselves - from hideous plastic pollution. Celebrations entailed a quite diverse programme of activities, starting with the youth contest for Mundus maris Awards. Preparatory and awareness raising activities took place in several countries. Celebrations reached their culmination with special events on three continents: taking off in Brussels, Belgium, and followed by other events in Argentina, Cameroon, Nigeria and Senegal.

More than seventy individuals and groups of young people sent in their works in response to the invitation to tell a story in words or moving pictures about this year's motto of World Ocean Day "For a Plastic Free Ocean". They came from six countries: Belgium, Cameroon, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal.

An international jury looked carefully at their submissions and chose the winners across the six categories of the contest.

Announced with some fanfare and pride about the on-going expansion in the numbers and scope of certified fisheries, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) had invited to a podium discussion at the overbulging Brussels Seafood Fair, 24 to 26 April 2018. More exhibitors than ever are vying for business despite or perhaps because of globally shrinking production. Have so many more fisheries suddenly become sustainable?