That’s a wrap on the Marine Science Education Strand at the 8th ICASE World Conference on Science and Technology Education, hosted by University College Cork.
Co-organised by the Irish Ocean Literacy Network and endorsed by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission as an Ocean Decade Activity, the Strand brought together educators, researchers, policymakers and practitioners from 18 countries to explore how Ocean Literacy can be advanced through education, research, policy, community engagement and the arts. Over four days, the programme featured eight keynote presentations, dozens of talks and lightning presentations, an Ocean Decade book launch, film screenings and discussions that demonstrated both the diversity and the growing momentum of Ocean Literacy around the world.
It was a privilege to open the Strand with a welcome keynote celebrating collaboration for an ocean-literate society — a message that echoed throughout the week. Whether discussions focused on formal education, citizen science, storytelling, policy or community action, the same conclusion kept emerging: no single organisation, discipline or country can build an ocean-literate society alone.
The conference also marked the launch of Ocean Literacy: The Foundation for the Success of the Ocean Decade, a three-volume, open-access book series. We were particularly proud that the Irish Ocean Literacy Network features in Chapter 15 of Volume III, which has been made freely available through funding from the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment.
Another highlight of the week was the screening of Women from the Sea, an inspiring Ocean Decade-endorsed documentary by filmmaker Raquel Clemente Martins. The film celebrates the stories, leadership and experiences of women working across ocean-related fields and was a powerful reminder that storytelling is just as important as science in building an ocean-literate society. It was a privilege for the IOLN to help host the screening and the discussion that followed, featuring Vera Quinlan and her daughter, Lilian Quinlan Owens, who provided the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack for the documentary.
It was great to see so many members of the IOLN community sharing their work with an international audience. Congratulations to Rory Jackson (Ocean Plastics Project), Lucy Hunt (Sea Synergy), Nóirín Burke (Blue Bioeconomy to Libraries), Rita Melia (Science–Art Engagement for Early Childhood Ocean Literacy), Mairéad Sullivan (Story Maps for Marine Spatial Planning), and everyone else who contributed presentations, discussions and ideas throughout the conference. The breadth of expertise on display reflected the strength of the Ocean Literacy community across Ireland.
A huge thank you goes to Teresa J. Kennedy, whose vision, enthusiasm and tireless support made the Marine Science Education Strand possible and who has been an incredible advocate for the Irish Ocean Literacy Network from the very beginning.
Thank you also to Nóirín Burke, Lucy Hunt, Rita Melia, Rory Jackson, Katie McShane and the many IOLN members who volunteered their time to staff the exhibition stand, welcome delegates and showcase the incredible work taking place across Ireland.
Most of all, thank you to everyone who presented, moderated sessions, screened films, exhibited posters and took part in the conversations over the four days. It was inspiring to see so many people from across the world working towards the same goal.
To everyone we met for the first time in Cork — we hope this is just the beginning of new collaborations.
