Ocean Literacy Unesco

30/05/2026

Are you ready to join the conversation? A new thematic space is opening inside the Ocean Literacy Community 🌊

This time, we invite you to explore Ocean Culture & Heritage 🌍✨

Across the world, local cultures and heritage hold unique ways of understanding and coexisting with marine and coastal environments. From traditional ecological knowledge and Indigenous perspectives to myths, crafts, food practices, rituals, and everyday relationships with water, every community carries its own ocean culture 🩵

💬 Do you know inspiring examples of how traditions, stories, and cultural practices portray and strengthen our relationship with the Ocean? We cannot wait to hear about them!

This shared space was created to celebrate the plurality of ocean cultures and heritage and explore the many ways people connect with the Ocean across generations and shores.

What are you waiting for? Join the conversation ➡️ https://oceanliteracy.unesco.org/community

And if you are developing an initiative in this field, this could also be an exciting opportunity: projects can now apply for endorsement through the Ocean Literacy With All (OLWA) programme as part of the Call for Decade Actions 11/2026.

Find all supporting documents, including registration links for the upcoming virtual Q&A sessions on the UN Ocean Decade website.

28/05/2026

The Ocean is constantly moving 🌊🔄

Beneath the surface, differences in temperature and salinity drive powerful ocean currents that help regulate Earth’s climate. Warm water stays near the surface, while colder, saltier water sinks, creating a continuous global circulation that connects the Ocean around the world.

At the SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre, the workshop “Exploring Density and Currents” helps learners discover how these invisible forces shape our planet through a simple hands-on experiment simulating thermohaline circulation.

💡 Want to bring this experience into your classroom or home? The activity sheets are available on our portal, so you can experiment, observe, and learn wherever you are.

🇬🇧 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jMmnx-uE7QXkE6PARniAk7GX-WPTLi6j/view
🇮🇹 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Xc0lp9JmnFcDkweG7jpQWllrUYNzivTT/view

22/05/2026

From idea to restoration 🌊🌱
Save the Wave is a journey of science, collaboration, and community action for the future of the Mediterranean Sea.

Since 2021, UNESCO and e.on Italia , in collaboration with the University of Bari, have been working to protect and restore Posidonia oceanica meadows across two restoration sites, while engaging students, schools, and local communities through ocean literacy and educational activities.

On this International Day for Biological Diversity, under the theme “Acting locally for global impact”, Save the Wave reminds us that protecting biodiversity begins with local action, collaboration, and restoring the connection between people and the Ocean 🩵

We have already come a long way, but our journey to protect Posidonia and reconnect people with the Ocean is only just beginning. Stay tuned for this year’s new initiatives and activities!

We want a future with Posidonia in the Mediterranean.
Do you?

21/05/2026

🌊 SAVE THE DATE | Toolkit Launch Webinar

How can outdoor education help young children build a meaningful connection with the Ocean and the natural world from an early age? 🌱

Join us on 5 June 2026 for the launch webinar of the new UNESCO toolkit: Ocean Literacies in Early Childhood: Outdoor Education and Learning for Sustainability.

Developed thanks to the Kindergarten of the Lagoon project in Venice, within the framework of , this new resource supports teachers and educators in bringing ocean literacy and sustainability into early childhood education through engaging, place-based experiences.

During the webinar, participants will:
🐚 Discover the newly launched toolkit
🌿 Explore practical outdoor activities and pedagogical approaches
🌍 Learn how to adapt the programme to different local and educational contexts
💙 Reflect on how to nurture curiosity, environmental awareness, and connection with nature in young learners

📅 5 June 2026
⏰ 2:00–3:30 PM CET
🗣️ In English
🔗Registration link: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DlF4lFKQT-qoQDZVp0BcIA

The webinar is open to educators, researchers, and professionals interested in early childhood education, sustainability, and innovative approaches to ocean learning.

Participants will receive access to the webinar recording and the toolkit download link after the session.

Save your spot via the link in bio!

19/05/2026

Something exciting is happening inside the Ocean Literacy Community 🌊

Over the coming weeks, we will unveil a series of new thematic spaces designed to help members connect, exchange ideas, and share experiences around different areas of ocean literacy, starting with Art & Science for Ocean Literacy 🎨🔬

Are you working on a project that connects art and ocean science? Do you know inspiring examples of interdisciplinary collaborations that help people feel, understand, and connect with the Ocean?

This new space was created as a place for inspiration and dialogue, a meeting point for artists, researchers, educators, ocean lovers, and creators using different tools to strengthen our relationship with the Ocean and inspire action for our Blue Planet.

We cannot wait to discover the projects and ideas our community will share 💙
Join the conversation ➡️ https://oceanliteracy.unesco.org/community

And if you are developing an initiative in this field, this could also be an exciting opportunity: projects can now apply for endorsement through the Ocean Literacy With All (OLWA) programme as part of the Call for Decade Actions 11/2026.

Find all supporting documents, including registration links for the upcoming virtual Q&A sessions on the UN Ocean Decade website.

16/05/2026

16/05/2026

What better way to discover the wonders of the Ocean than by experiencing them firsthand? 🌊

Last week, our little ocean guardians visited the SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre as part of the Kindergarten of the Lagoon programme, this time diving into the fascinating world of cephalopods 🐙

Through games and interactive activities, they explored the incredible lives of squids, octopuses, and cuttlefish, learning about their anatomy, unique adaptations, and extraordinary abilities.

Through the Kindergarten of the Lagoon programme, children in Venice are getting to know the Ocean not just as a place, but as something that is part of who they are. Stepping outside the classroom, they experience the power of outdoor education, building a strong and lasting connection with their local environment.

In their curiosity and wonder, we can already see the ocean ambassadors of tomorrow 💙

Kindergarten of the Lagoon is part of , a project by , conducted in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, shaping the future of ocean education.

15/05/2026

Do you ever wish you could connect with like-minded people in the Ocean Literacy space, but don’t know where to find them? 🌊

Good news: the Ocean Literacy Community is here for you!

This global platform already brings together more than 700 educators, researchers, practitioners, students, and ocean lovers from around the world to exchange ideas, share projects and experiences, and create meaningful collaborations that advance Ocean Literacy together.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration, connections, or opportunities to collaborate, this is your space to join the conversation and grow alongside a passionate global community.

What are you waiting for? Join the conversation ➡️ https://oceanliteracy.unesco.org/community 💙

14/05/2026

Last weekend, the SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre opened its doors as part of the Festival della Lettura 2026 – Abitare le parole, a celebration of stories, curiosity, and connection 🌊📚

Through animated readings and hands-on activities, participants explored the Ocean in new and unexpected ways. Inspired by 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle, children followed the journey of thousands of rubber ducks lost at sea, discovering how ocean currents connect our blue planet across vast distances.

In the microscopy laboratory, visitors observed lagoon water samples and discovered the hidden world of plankton.

From stories to science, every activity at the Ocean Literacy Centre is an opportunity to spark wonder, encourage dialogue between generations, and strengthen our relationship with the Ocean💙

10/05/2026

The strong bond between a mother and her young goes beyond species, across our planet, from the highest mountains to the deepest Ocean.

💙 In the underwater world, mothers care for their offspring in different ways: some guide them through long migrations, while others sacrifice everything to protect the next generation.

Protecting the Ocean means ensuring that these efforts are not in vain, and contributing to a thriving blue planet for all life it sustains, including our own.