The IOLN’s Vision is to build an Ocean Literate Society across the island of Ireland.
In 2025, we turned that vision into action by focusing on one core theme: connection. It was a year defined by strengthening the ties between our Members, building capacities, and reaching wider audiences.
Here is how our community moved forward in 2025, and where the tide will take us in 2026.
1. Building Our Network’s Capacity
To better support our Members, we first needed to strengthen our own foundations.
We significantly expanded our organisational capacity this year by welcoming Catherine McCann (Executive Officer) and Grace Windsor (Project Officer) to the team and establishing the framework as the IOLN as a CLG. Alongside this growth, our new website went live.
We also prioritised future sustainability through GuardIAS, a three-year Horizon Europe project, and setting a long-term funding plan in motion.
The IOLN would like to acknowledge the generous support of the Marine Institute/Foras na Mara as Sponsors of the Network. Since the establishment of the IOLN, the Marine Institute has played a significant role in enabling and advancing the work of the Network, which continues today, with the Marine Institute serving as both Sponsors and founding Members of the IOLN. We greatly look forward to working with them in 2026!
2. Connecting Our Community
Connecting Members in person was a key priority. We held four regional events, including two cross-border gatherings, each with a distinct focus.
Our journey began in Connemara, where we partnered with Údarás na Gaeltachta and the EmpowerUs project for an Irish language event centred on ‘Marine Identity’. The conversation highlighted the emotional and cultural ties to the ocean, the challenges facing traditional fishing, and community-driven efforts to sustain livelihoods. This was later followed by a related webinar on marine identity.
In Carlingford, we collaborated with the Shifting Tides project for a cross-border event bringing scientists, divers, and local residents together. The event demonstrated how citizen science and creative approaches can forge strong connections to coastal ecosystems.
Moving to Cork, we explored the concept that every skill is needed for ocean literacy. Supported by The Wheel, this event launched our training series by blending practical citizen science with inspiring talks. The morning saw us examining river health with Streamscapes and exploring the River Lee with the Cork Environmental Forum.
The afternoon session brought this theme to life with diverse perspectives from artists, wellness advocates, maritime culture experts, and findings from our own activism.The day was a powerful demonstration that you don’t need a science degree to be an ocean champion.
Our fourth event in Belfast, held at the Europa Hotel, focused on ‘Cross-border Collaboration for Ocean Literacy’. Dr Emma McKinley (Cardiff University) set the scene with a keynote on evolving ocean literacy from a “nice to have” to a policy essential. The first panel, moderated by Kate Burns, tackled the disconnect between grassroots passion and policy implementation, with speakers such as Ciara Brennan (Environmental Justice Network Ireland) and Erin McKeown (RSPB) highlighting the challenges of protecting a shared environment amidst post-Brexit regulatory divergence.
The afternoon session, ‘Ocean Literacy in Action,’ moderated by Suzie Cahn, celebrated practical examples of connection. Maxim Fomin (Ulster University) shared how AR is preserving folklore, while Dr. Lindsay West (Queens University Belfast) introduced the concept of ‘Marine Identity’, and Rod Cappell (Aquaculture NI) urged us to reconnect with our local sustainable seafood.
We also highlighted the all-Ireland My Ocean Campaign to help everyone share their personal connection to the sea.
3. Listening, Learning, and Building Skills
Responding to Members’ needs is central to our work. Following a Training and Capacity Building Needs Analysis, we ran two practical training sessions on ‘Practical Skills for Ocean Literacy‘ and ‘Funding Ocean Literacy’, supported by funding from Training Link (The Wheel).
We also delivered a special Heritage Week webinar exploring Ireland’s deep cultural, historical, and ecological relationship with the ocean. The seminar showcased how valuing Ireland’s maritime heritage is a powerful way to build ocean literacy.
4. Sharing Our Collective Voice
The Network’s voice was present at over 20 national and international events, ensuring our community’s expertise was part of key conversations. These included:
- European Maritime Day (Cork)
- Mna Na Mara Conference (Galway)
- One Ocean Science Conference (Nice, France)
- Co-creating Change Conference (Dublin)
- European Marine Science Educators Association Conference (Ostend, Belgium)
- GuardIAS kickoff meeting (Italy) and first general assembly meeting (Greece)
5. Our Momentum: Looking Ahead to 2026
This work provides the foundation for 2026. Our plans are focused on delivering more tangible opportunities for Members, specifically:
- Hosting 5 regional events, including a Gaeltacht partnership with Údarás na Gaeltachta.
- Running 3 training sessions for Members, starting with a collaboration with Leave No Trace Ireland in February.
- Launching an all-island events calendar, Members-only hub, and Member spotlight features on our website to boost collaboration and help Members share their work.
We will continue to grow our network, find new ways to support our Members, and be a leading voice for ocean literacy at key events in Ireland and internationally.
About the IOLN
Although IOLN CLG was established in 2023, the Network had been growing as an informal network since 2016. It brings together like-minded individuals and organisations who are committed to the importance of the seas and oceans to the island of Ireland and its citizens.
The aim of the Network is to improve coordination, collaboration, and capacity to achieve a common vision – an Ocean Literate Society across the Island of Ireland. The Network consists of a broad and diverse range of Members including NGOs, public bodies, research and academia, education, private enterprises, and individuals.
Find out more and become a member to help build an Ocean Literate Society.
