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Welcome to Ocean InSight – a podcast series on marine conservation and ocean science for sustainable development, with unique perspectives from inspiring experts and pioneers on the frontlines of marine research, policy and society. Join our hosts Kira Gee and Alison Clausen for season 3 on a trip to the worlds ocean and coasts as we unpack the complex scientific questions that will determine the fate of millions of people. Tune in and follow the third season of Ocean Insight, which is being jointly hosted by the MeerWissen Initiative and IOC UNESCO in the framework of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

In the first episode of season three the hosts Kira Gee and Alison Clausen talk about the challenges and solutions of achieving a sustainable ocean economy. Our guest are Betty Makena, Kenya's first ever woman Port Inspector for the International Transport Federation and Edward Kimakwa, Senior Marine Advisor for the Western Indian Ocean Governance Initiative (WIOGI) at GIZ Kenya and Our Blue Future (OBF) Coordinator. We’ll look at the outcomes a sustainable ocean economy could - and should - set out to achieve and actions that are already being implemented towards it. Dive in and learn more about how to manage the competing interests of conservation, sustainable use and social justice. 

To mark World Oceans Day 2023, a special episode of the MeerWissen podcast Ocean InSight looks at how Early Career Ocean Professionals in 5 African countries envision ocean science for sustainable development in the future. Yaw Atiglo, Ndeye Bousso, Kaijage Laurian, Thando Mazomba and Rendani Ndanduleni Ivy Malwela share what drew them to careers in ocean science and what challenges and opportunities they perceive for unlocking the science we need for the ocean we want. Be inspired by young voices from South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, and Tanzania.

The "nature-sounds-ocean-waves-for-relaxation" and "calming-sea-sounds" are used under License: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). www.freesoundslibrary.com. Additional sound effects from www.zapsplat.com.

This special French-speaking episode of the MeerWissen podcast is hosted by Ibrahima Camara and Baye Cheikh Mbaye. They are taking us to West Africa to discuss how knowledge-based solutions can be implemented to foster a sustainable blue economy. Alison Amoussou from the Abidjan Convention is in conversation with Waly Ndiaye from the Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles, more specifically the Oceanographic Research Center of Dakar-Thiaroye (CRODT). So what exactly could a sustainable blue economy look like in the Abidjan Convention region, and what lessons can be drawn from the INDUCE project?

The "nature-sounds-ocean-waves-for-relaxation" and "calming-sea-sounds" are used under License: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). www.freesoundslibrary.com. Additional sound effects from www.zapsplat.com.

This episode takes the 2022 UN Biodiversity conference (COP 15) in Montreal, Canada, as a starting point to ask what is changing for biodiversity conservation and if we are on the right track for halting and reversing nature loss in the ocean. We are joined by Joe Appiott, coordinator for marine, coastal and islands biodiversity at the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and Dr Kerry Sink, Marine Program Manager and Principal Scientist at South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). So, what exactly might change with the new global biodiversity framework, and is this a step in the right direction? What about the regional perspective on biodiversity conservation in the ocean: What can experiences from South Africa teach us in going forward? 

The "nature-sounds-ocean-waves-for-relaxation" and "calming-sea-sounds" are used under License: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). www.freesoundslibrary.com. Additional sound effects from www.zapsplat.com.

Marine spatial planning (MSP) is often described as an attempt to balance the many demands we are placing on our oceans. Critics say it is all about blue growth and not enough about the environment. But is this always the case? In this episode of Ocean Insight we meet Dr. Anja Kreiner, Head of Subdivision Environment at the National Marine Information and Research Centre, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources in Namibia and Chair of the National MSP Working Group, to explore Namibia’s interpretation of MSP. We also meet Nico Willemse, Project Manager of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem Project and member of the Benguela Current Commission, to learn about the Benguela Current Convention and what is being done to support a transboundary approach to MSP. So dive right in to find out how blue growth and biodiversity protection can be reconciled and how MSP can support the 30x30 goal.

The "nature-sounds-ocean-waves-for-relaxation" and "calming-sea-sounds" are used under License: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). www.freesoundslibrary.com. Additional sound effects from www.zapsplat.com.

Blue nature-based solutions are being discussed worldwide as an innovative approach to mitigating climate change. But what exactly are nature-based solutions, and what support is needed from science, policy and practice to implement them? In this episode of Ocean Insight, Paubert Mahatante, Minister of Fisheries and the Blue Economy in Madagascar, and Arthur Tuda, Executive Secretary of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), give examples of blue nature-based solutions in the WIO. They discuss what sets this approach apart from traditional conservation and how it can support communities in becoming more resilient.

Welcome to the second season of Ocean Insight and our new episode! Have you ever wondered what ocean governance and integrated ocean management actually mean? The second episode of season 2 answers this question from the perspective of the Western Indian Ocean region and the Nairobi Convention. Our guests are Judy Beaumont, the newly appointed Director of the International Ocean Institute Southern Africa, and Dixon Waruinge, Head of the Secretariat of the Nairobi Convention. Dive in and learn about the challenges of ocean governance in an international context, especially one as diverse as the WIO region. Hear what can be done - and has been done - to successfully address them.

The "nature-sounds-ocean-waves-for-relaxation" and "calming-sea-sounds" are used under License: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). www.freesoundslibrary.com. Additional sound effects from www.zapsplat.com.

Welcome back to the first episode of season 2 of Ocean Insight! This episode takes us to Tanzania and Zanzibar. Christopher Muhando from the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of Dar es Salaam and Dr. Aboud S. Jumbe, Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries in Zanzibar, explain what scientists can do to package their data, and what kind of data and information decision-makers need to make an impact. Dive in and learn about the importance of platforms for data and information – platforms that bring together scientists and decision-makers to better understand each other’s needs and to ensure research has policy impact.

Welcome back to the last episode of season 1 of Ocean Insight! After showcasing some of the excellent MeerWissen projects, and giving you some behind the scenes insights about the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, we now switch to the political side of ocean governance and talk to Dr. Heike Henn, Director for Climate Policy, Energy, Urban Development and Environment and Commissioner for climate policy and climate financing at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Dr. Jacqueline Uku, President of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and senior scientist and principal research coordinator at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute.

This time we are tuning in with a special episode about the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, or Ocean Decade. Alison Clausen, Programme Specialist at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO was kind enough to give us a short virtual behind-the-scenes tour of the Ocean Decade.

In the 7th episode of our podcast series Ocean InSight Waly Ndiaye, Birgit Quack, Florian Weinberger & Anne Fricke explain the ecological and economic importance of seaweed habitats in Senegal! Dive in and learn why seaweeds have often been undesired by the fishermen and local population of Senegal and how CLIMALG-SN is trying to improve their image. Our guests also explain how local and traditional knowledge plays a key role in identifying the more than 400 species of seaweed known and shaping the perception of those versatile and beneficial plants.

In this episode Baye Cheikh Mbaye and Ibrahima Camara from Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics and Ocean Siméon Fongang at University Cheick Anta Diop in Dakar, who are both co-coordinating the project "Taking the Pulse of the Ocean" (PULSE) in Senegal, reflect on the partnership between researchers, political decision makers and fishermen to make local data in the Senegalese coastal area via a mobile App accessible and useable. They give insights into the collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Senegal to disseminate the idea of a beneficial and participatory data gathering.

Join our guest Shannon Hampton from the International Ocean Institute (IOI) in Cape Town, South Africa and listen to her story of being a biologist in ocean governance. In her role as the programme manager at IOI she is also co-coordinating the MeerWissen partnership project Western Indian Ocean Governance Exchange Network (WIOGEN).

Join the hosts of OceanInSight Paul Tuda and Hauke Kegler to the western side of the African continent and learn about the unexpected alliance formed to protect the largest cold-water coral reef in the world, off the Mauritanian coast. In this episode Sandra Kloff from the non-governmental organization Nature Mauritanie and Professor André Freiwald from the research institute Senckenberg am Meer give a comprehensive look at a variety of human induced threats on the famous Banc d’Arguin National Park, Africa’s largest marine protected area.

This episode explores the interface of land and sea, how managing priorities are set, and what role cultural aspects can play. Our guests are Linda Harris and Myriam Perschke from the Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, as well as Kira Gee from the Helmholtz-Centre Hereon in Geesthacht, Germany. Together, they are working on the MeerWissen project CoastWise, which aims to improve knowledge for integrated management of the land-sea interface in South Africa. 

Artisanal fisheries are crucial for the livelihoods of coastal communities in East Africa. Overexploitation and destructive fishing activities however harm the coastal and marine ecosystems and the lack of data and a sustainable management endanger the use of traditional fishery practices. George Rushingisha (Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute) shed light on the issues from a local perspective, give insights into the Fishing Data East Africa (FIDEA) Project in Mozambique, Tanzania and Zanzibar and point out the challenges in data aggregation related to COVID-19.

How does COVID-19 affect local non-governmental organisations & coastal communities in Eastern Africa?
Dr. David Obura, Founding Director of CORDIO East Africa, reflects on the impacts of COVID-19 on ocean science in Eastern Africa and evaluates how it affected marine science and conservation.