In this talk, Carlos Mallo Molina reflects on his journey from constructing ports and other infrastructure to restoring marine ecosystems, and how that shift inspired a new way of understanding development through Nature-Based Solutions.

“Regener-Action” is a call to reimagine engineering and conservation as one — to move from extraction to regeneration. Through his experience leading projects that restore corals and seagrass meadows, Carlos shows how working with nature, rather than against it, can heal both ecosystems and our own identity as humans.

Ocean restoration is often framed in terms of habitats, biodiversity, or climate goals, but rarely in terms of the welfare of the billions of animals who live in the sea. Yet recognizing aquatic animal welfare opens new pathways for both ethical and ecological progress.

This talk explores how taking into account the lived experiences of fish and other marine animals can strengthen restoration efforts, from reducing harmful practices in fisheries to shaping more responsible approaches in aquaculture. By linking animal welfare to global governance processes, we can broaden the foundation of marine conservation and deepen public engagement.

Rethinking our relationship with the oceans ultimately means reimagining restoration as a commitment not only to ecosystems, but also to the sentient beings within them.

The Science of Transformation: From Individual Understanding to Systemic Action

‍The IPBES 2024 reports represent an unprecedented scientific milestone in our understanding of how to generate effective social transformation toward sustainability. Five years after the IPBES Global Assessment of 2019 documented the magnitude of the planetary biodiversity crisis, the new 2024 Transformative Change and Nexus Assessments provide the first scientifically robust answers to the central question of our time: what must we do to achieve nature-positive social transformation?

Empirical evidence from nearly 400 successful transformation cases documents for the first time the mechanisms of effective social change, revealing that transformation requires simultaneous modifications across three dimensions: our visions (ways of thinking, knowing, and seeing nature), our structures (ways of organizing, regulating, and governing), and our practices (ways of doing, behaving, and relating to ecosystems).

The Assessment identifies with scientific precision the three underlying causes that perpetuate ocean biodiversity destruction: disconnection from nature and domination over nature and other people; unequal concentration of power and wealth; and prioritization of individual and material short-term gains.

The revolutionary Nexus approach transforms our ocean understanding by empirically demonstrating that marine biodiversity, water, seafood, human health, and climate are inextricably interconnected, requiring integrated responses that generate systemic co-benefits. This systemic perspective is crucial as ocean ecosystems face irreversible biophysical tipping points such as the disappearance of shallow-water coral reefs and the collapse of global fisheries.

This keynote provides operational frameworks grounded in rigorous scientific evidence to translate understanding of these transformative mechanisms into concrete ocean rewilding strategies. With data demonstrating that positive outcomes can be achieved within a decade or less when diverse actors work collaboratively, this presentation shows that ocean transformation is not only urgent and necessary, but scientifically demonstrable, practically achievable, and economically viable.

At a critical moment where each decade of delay doubles the costs of action, this keynote translates the most advanced science available into immediately applicable tools for those seeking to catalyze transformative change in ocean conservation.

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The increasing anthropogenic pressure on marine ecosystems has intensified the presence of plastics and emerging pollutants in the marine environment. Plastics accumulate across all compartments —water column, sediments, and biota— producing physical and chemical effects that disrupt biodiversity and key ecological processes.

The combined effects of these pollutants with global stressors like climate change and resource overexploitation amplify risks to marine ecosystem health and human well-being.

This talk reviews the current state of knowledge and management of plastic pollutions, identifying critical gaps and priorities for monitoring and regulation. Integrated strategies linking science, governance, and social participation are essential to mitigate impacts and promote the sustainability of marine ecosystems.

Ninety percent of global trade travels by sea, and the exponential increase in maritime traffic, alongside technological changes, has intensified its ecological impact across multiple dimensions.

This conference examines the evolution of shipping effects on oceanic ecosystems, analyzing how increased tonnage, vessel speed, and commercial route density have exacerbated problems such as underwater acoustic pollution that interferes with marine mammal communication, and increased collisions with marine megafauna.

Scientific evidence will be presented on how these cumulative impacts are transforming the oceans into industrial highways, highlighting the urgent need to implement new regulations that govern shipping routes and promote speed reduction in sensitive areas and the incorporation of technologies that reduce collisions with megafauna.

In this presentation, we will see how industrial fishing, particularly bottom trawling or deep-sea fishing, illegal fishing and generous public funding of this sector have contributed to the destruction of marine ecosystems, the dramatic decline in fish stocks in European waters and the deep crisis affecting the entire sector. All these problems exacerbate and aggravate other challenges: global warming, ocean acidification, pollution of all kinds...
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We will also see that this situation is not inevitable and that scientists and economists agree that a just transition to a model based on small-scale coastal fishing could be the solution, generating sustainable ecological, economic and social benefits and saving the fishing sector in Europe.

We will see that rules already exist (but are not enforced...) to initiate this change, but that it is first and foremost necessary to redefine the concept of ‘sustainable fishing’. Above all, we will see that this change depends largely on political will and that it is high time for EU Member States to have the courage to take the necessary decisions to save our oceans!

Based on rigorous scientific evidence, this keynote lecture presents a comprehensive assessment of the current state of biodiversity in the planet's major marine ecosystems. We will present the latest data on decline rates in coral reefs, pelagic ecosystems, deep-sea floors, and coastal zones, quantifying species losses and critical habitat degradation.

The conference will include a comparative analysis between oceanic regions, identifying ecosystems at greatest risk and the most determining stress factors. Through scientific projections based on current models, it will demonstrate why the next decade represents a critical window for action, presenting the scientific imperative that justifies the urgency of implementing conservation measures on a global scale immediately.

The international regulatory framework today encompasses multiple instruments that obligate governments and society to address the dual challenge of conserving and restoring marine ecosystems. The adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity dedicates 2 of its 23 targets to actions directly related to biodiversity protection through these two mechanisms. Target 2 calls on states to "ensure that by 2030 at least 30 per cent of areas of degraded terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine ecosystems are under effective restoration, in order to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, ecological integrity and connectivity." Target 3, in turn, calls for "ensuring and enabling that by 2030 at least 30 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas, and of marine and coastal areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, ...."

With a parallel approach, the EU adopted in 2024 the European Nature Restoration Regulation, which requires Member States to restore at least 20% of the EU's terrestrial and marine areas by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. This regulation complements the 1992 Habitats Directive, which aims to protect natural habitat types and populations of wild species (excluding birds) in the EU through the establishment of an ecological network and a legal framework for species protection. The Directive establishes the need to conserve habitats of Community interest and requires that measures be adopted to maintain or restore them to a favorable conservation status.

Undoubtedly, these regulatory frameworks demonstrate the importance of adequately developing both approaches to halt biodiversity loss and ensure the continuity of the goods and services that ecosystems continuously provide us. Nevertheless, many people still struggle to accept this dual objective and to recognize the need to approach the actions of both targets jointly and complementarily.

We have just five years left to meet Targets 2 and 3 of the Kunming-
Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: restoring and protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030. The challenge is twofold: how do we hit these goals on time, and how do we make sure the solutions we put in place continue to work in the long run?

Right now, ocean life faces a dangerous combination of threats—from human
activities like overfishing and pollution to the impacts of climate change. Current
conservation efforts haven’t kept up with the scale or speed of these pressures. At
the same time, traditional policy-making, both nationally and internationally, moves too slowly to meet the 2030 deadline.

In this talk, I will share new approaches we’ve been developing in the UK and
extending to Europe and the UK Overseas Territories. These advances show that
scientists and conservationists can’t do this alone. Working together—across sectors and disciplines—is essential.

A powerful way forward is knowledge co-production: researchers, policymakers,
communities, and other partners identifying problems together, carrying outresearch, and co-creating solutions. This participatory approach ensures that the tools, data, and evidence we generate are informed by, and directly useful, for
decision-makers.

By collaborating in this way, we can speed up climate-smart, evidence-based action and give ourselves the best chance of reaching the 2030 ocean protection targets.

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The restoration of marine ecosystems is an urgent priority and, as occurs on land, rewilding is one of the most appropriate approaches to achieve effective and lasting results, optimizing conservation efforts and existing resources. In the case of Spain, its variety of ecosystems and rich biodiversity are making it a magnificent setting for testing rewilding, not only on land but also at sea.

A review of the challenges and opportunities in utilizing this tool in the Spanish context reveals the progress being made on land and allows us to assess the extent to which the same principles can be applied in the marine realm. In this regard, the initial lessons learned from ongoing terrestrial experiences can be combined with existing restoration opportunities at sea—whether current (marine protected areas, fishery reserves) or potential—and can help define realistic proposals to promote marine restoration through rewilding.

Marine and coastal rewilding requires a systemic, ecosystem-based approach that recognises the dynamic interconnections between terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments. In this session we will outline the framework that Rewilding Europe and Network is developing to extend rewilding from land to sea, encompassing interventions across rivers, wetlands, estuaries, salt marshes, coastlines, and open marine areas.

Drawing on the hybrid Ridge-to-Reef Catchment-based Approach (R2R-CaBA), it integrates the broad spatial perspective of ridge-to-reef with the targeted, watershed-scale strategies of catchment restoration,  addressing ecological connectivity, land–sea interactions, and cross-system feedbacks. We will zoom in examples across the Oder Delta in Poland/Germany to stimulate discussion on operationalising land–sea rewilding frameworks within conservation policy and practice across Europe.

The conservation of marine ecosystems presents unique complexities compared to terrestrial ones, particularly due to their high connectivity. However, this very characteristic offers opportunities, as marine ecosystems demonstrate remarkable recovery capacity. In the realm of rewilding, these challenges compel us to rethink some of the rewilding principles that have been applied in terrestrial environments.
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Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, on the coast of Mozambique, clearly illustrates these challenges: overfishing depletes fishery stocks, human pressure degrades corals, and rising Indian Ocean temperatures trigger recurrent bleaching episodes.

How can we advance the rewilding of such an ecosystem? Is the mere protection afforded by a marine protected area sufficient, or must we explore additional interventions that enhance its resilience and recovery?

Spain's biogeographic situation and geomorphology make it particularly vulnerable to both direct and indirect adverse effects of climate change, requiring action through both ecosystem adaptation measures and prevention of its effects. Special emphasis is also required on the protection, conservation, and restoration of marine ecosystems, crucial allies in the fight against climate change.

The Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge coordinates the development of the National Restoration Plan, in compliance with the European Nature Restoration Regulation, which must be jointly developed by all administrations with jurisdiction over the matters addressed by the Regulation, and with the collaboration of the entire society. Focused on the marine environment for this presentation, the Plan will be briefly explained, including its objectives and lines of work, as well as progress and challenges to date.

Lessons from (Cabo Pulmo (Mexico) / Gokova Bay (Turkey)) on How Fully Protected Areas Transform Ocean Ecosystems and Coastal Communities.

In a world where marine ecosystems face unprecedented collapse, two extraordinary cases stand as beacons of hope, demonstrating that when we give nature space to recover, it responds with extraordinary abundance. Cabo Pulmo in Mexico's Gulf of California and Gokova Bay on Turkey's Mediterranean coast represent some of the most remarkable marine recoveries ever documented, transforming from severely degraded and overexploited waters into thriving underwater paradises that now sustain both marine life and the prosperity of the communities involved. These success stories reveal a profound truth: the most powerful conservation tool we possess is often the simplest one: the courage to act and allow nature to restore itself through fully protected marine reserves.

Both sanctuaries share a common narrative of community-driven transformation, where local fishers made the bold decision to sacrifice short-term catches for long-term abundance, becoming guardians of their own marine heritage. Cabo Pulmo's 463% increase in fish biomass over two decades and Gokova Bay's remarkable recovery of carnivorous species and biodiversity spillover effects into adjacent fisheries demonstrate that marine protection is not about restricting human opportunity—it's about multiplying it exponentially. These cases illuminate how fully protected marine areas serve as natural banks that generate compound returns in ecosystem services, economic opportunities, and community resilience, offering a replicable blueprint for ocean recovery at a time when only 2.7% of our global ocean enjoys such protection..

The Mediterranean Sea faces unprecedented pressures from overfishing, pollution, climate change, and habitat degradation. In response, the Med Sea Alliance brings together a diverse coalition of NGOs and civil society to work towards a common goal: ensuring that at least 30% of the Mediterranean is effectively protected by 2030, in line with global biodiversity commitments.

This presentation will introduce the Med Sea Alliance and showcase ongoing 30x30 efforts in countries such as Spain and others across the region. From policy advocacy and stakeholder engagement to scientific assessments and public campaigns, the Alliance promotes collaborative approaches that align local actions with regional and international frameworks.

Finally, the talk will outline the strategy driving the “Mediterranean 30×30” vision: combining science-based targets, strong governance, and community involvement to deliver lasting marine protection. By strengthening partnerships and amplifying voices across borders, the Med Sea Alliance aims to secure a healthier, more resilient Mediterranean for both nature and people.

Marine Protected Areas (MPA) are increasingly being promoted as an ocean-based climate solution. However, these claims are controversial because the literature on the climate benefits of MPAs is scattered and poorly synthesized. To address this knowledge gap, a systematic literature review has recently been conducted of 22,403 publications covering 241 MPAs and analyzing 16 ecological and social pathways through which MPAs could contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. This meta-analysis determines that marine conservation can significantly improve carbon sequestration, coastal protection, biodiversity, and the reproductive capacity of marine organisms, as well as fishers' catches and incomes. Most of these benefits are only achieved in fully or highly protected areas and increase with MPA age.

This conference will present these results and analyze the extent to which MPAs can constitute a useful tool for climate change mitigation and socio-ecological system adaptation.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) now cover 12% of seas in the European Union. Their implementation is scrutinized and criticized, but their protection levels remain largely unknown at EU scale. We provide the first assessment of protection levels of EU MPAs, describing the level of legal restrictions of activities using the MPA Guide framework.

Our results show that 86% of EU MPA coverage was either lightly protected, minimally protected, or incompatible with conservation objectives. Various legal and social factors have led to this limited use of MPAs to regulate activities. Using metropolitan France as a case study, this research also shows how stakeholders’ strategies drive MPA decision-making, offering broader insights into the political dimensions of MPAs.

Linking ecological and legal insights together with history and politics helps understand the challenges and opportunities in implementing MPAs to address biodiversity loss.

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Small-scale (artisanal) fisheries have long flown under the radar of science and policy, yet they are central to global food security and sustainable development. Our recent work as part of the Illuminating Hidden Harvests initiative shows they provide at least 40% of the world’s catch (37 million tonnes each year) and can supply 1 in 4 people with about 20% of their intake of key micronutrients. They are also a cornerstone of livelihoods: 1 in every 12 people worldwide, nearly half of them women, depends in some way on small-scale fishing.

But small-scale fisheries are far from uniform. Drawing on the largest dataset compiled to date, my research shows that their vast diversity can be grouped into five global archetypes, shaped by differences in technology, markets, and operational practices. Recognizing this diversity is crucial - too often their role has been oversimplified or ignored in policymaking, limiting their potential to drive global development.

The big picture is clear: small-scale fisheries are already doing the heavy lifting for nutrition, livelihoods, and local economies. The challenge and the opportunity is to ensure they are fully recognized, better governed, and properly supported, so that as sustainable development aspires, truly no one is left behind.

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The starting question this study aims to answer is: how should the fisheries food system be configured in the near future to be sustainable and healthy? To address this, a comprehensive analysis of the system is conducted, carrying out, on one hand, a reconstructive diagnosis of the current fisheries food system, and on the other, a forward-looking projection exercise (to 2050) considering climate scenarios and potential production and consumption models. Specifically, these future models are two: a first model reflecting a business-as-usual trend (BAU model), and a food system transformation model—Relocalised Seafood Transition (REST). The latter incorporates proposals associated with eliminating intensive fishing gear, restricting trade flows (import/export), and adapting to the healthy and sustainable dietary intake recommendations from The EAT-Lancet Commission, among others. This allows for the identification of potential socio-environmental impacts derived from these models with a view to informing substantive policy decision-making.

The combination of the set of assumptions associated with these two models, together with projections from global climate scenarios (SSPs—Shared Socioeconomic Pathways) and climate variation models (RCPs—Representative Concentration Pathways) from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and with projections of socioeconomic transformation based on historical trends in catches, fishing power, gear types, and international trade at the national level, allows for establishing results comparable with the current scenario (baseline) and between the proposed models.

These results are analyzed from the perspective of employment demand, greenhouse gas emissions, the nutritional quality of food supply in Spain, and material footprint.

The Eastern Pacific or East Pacific is one of the most productive and diverse oceans, home to significant populations of migratory marine megafauna. However, this region faces intense anthropogenic impacts, including fishing pressure, maritime traffic, pollution, and climate change. In the face of these challenges, scientific research is essential to understand and safeguard marine life populations.

Since 2006, MigraMar—a network of researchers and conservationists from different countries and institutions—has been working on studying the movements of migratory marine species so that they may thrive in safe and healthy oceans. The results obtained over the last 20 years help visualize key marine migratory routes to guide conservation efforts. These routes, dubbed Swimways (Migravías), connect priority habitats in the region, creating links and marine corridors between protected areas and other ecosystems such as seamounts.

By strengthening connectivity, the Swimways protect areas of high mobility and the distribution range of many species, allowing energy flow to be maintained and contributing to the preservation of marine biodiversity.

Despite covering 71% of our planet, ocean science remains dramatically underrepresented in media coverage, creating a dangerous disconnect between critical marine research and public understanding. While scientists document alarming rates of biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, these findings often remain trapped in academic journals, failing to generate the awareness necessary for meaningful conservation action. Simultaneously, misinformation and "greenwashing" narratives proliferate on digital platforms, undermining scientific credibility and delaying essential action.

This roundtable brings together leading science journalists, communicators, and media professionals to explore how to transform complex scientific data into compelling narratives that inspire action rather than despair. From investigative documentaries to digital platforms and ocean influencers, we examine innovative approaches that can bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and urgent societal need for ocean protection, addressing practical challenges such as scientific accuracy, audience engagement, and ethical environmental reporting.

The discussion explores strategies to amplify diverse voices—particularly coastal communities, indigenous knowledge holders, and young advocates—while examining how strategic science communication can transform public perception, influence policy decisions, and mobilize the global movement necessary to ensure ocean survival. At a critical moment where narrative can determine the future of our seas, this session provid

The work of OCEANA IN EUROPE will be presented, specifically its marine habitat protection campaign. Key strategies and objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy and its national implementation to achieve the commitment of effectively protecting at least 30% of the marine environment will be addressed.

Fundamental legislative instruments for the creation of marine protected areas will also be analyzed, as well as the challenges that hinder progress. Finally, the presentation will explore how the strategic use of legal pathways can drive Member States to fulfill their environmental protection obligations.

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The Protection Principle proposes a paradigm shift in ocean governance by reversing the burden of proof, ensuring that protection takes precedence over exploitation. Emerging from years of sustained advocacy, the concept gained significant momentum at the Third UN Ocean Conference in Nice in June 2025 with the launch of the Protection Principle Task Force.

This presentation will trace its conceptual evolution and examine pathways for its operationalization in practice, focusing on the Mediterranean as a case study. By highlighting measures such as vessel speed reduction in the cetacean migration corridor, it will illustrate how the Protection Principle can move from aspiration to applied policy, embedding ocean protection as the norm rather than the exception.

Marine protection law is evolving rapidly at both international and EU levels, offering the opportunity to strengthen States’ and institutions’ duties to protect the marine environment.

This presentation examines how these developments translate the protection principle into practice, focusing on two case studies: shipping, where whale collisions and underwater noise require mandatory mitigation measures, and deep-sea mining, where prevention points toward a moratorium.

By exploring these examples, the talk highlights the concrete legal consequences of the protection principle in contemporary marine protection law.

Stop trying to simplify and embrace complexity by understanding it - all of it- from the complexity of scientific knowledge to the complexity of human systems, through the complexity of geopolitics.

Furthermore, if the rule of law matters to us, international law must be better valued, built in and leveraged. It does not say what the effects of inputs in the marine environment are but it determines e.g how to decide the tolerance levels, ie thresholds

The growing body of scientific evidence confirming sentience in fish and invertebrates has profound implications for animal welfare and ocean governance. Yet industrial aquaculture, particularly the emerging push to farm cephalopods and other wild, carnivorous species, directly contradicts this scientific consensus. Such systems not only inflict suffering on sentient beings without proper legal protections but also undermine ocean resilience through the unsustainable use of wild-caught fish for feed, biodiversity loss, and ecological degradation.

This presentation situates animal welfare within the framework of the European Ocean Pact, demonstrating how recognition of marine sentience necessitates a shift in legal and ethical governance of farmed aquatic animals.

By highlighting Eurogroup for Animals’ campaign against cephalopod farming and other high-impact aquaculture practices, I will argue that safeguarding sentient marine life, whether in farms or in the wild, is inseparable from protecting marine ecosystems and advancing ocean resilience.

Recent advances in neuroscience and behavioral sciences have increasingly challenged the long-held assumption that sentience is exclusive to higher vertebrates. Evidence from neuroanatomy, physiology, and cognition suggests that many fish and invertebrates possess the capacity to experience pain and suffering. Studies on nociceptors, stress responses, learning, and avoidance behaviors converge to indicate that these animals are not merely reflexive organisms, but beings capable of affective experiences. This growing body of research invites us to reconsider how we define and recognize animal sentience across taxa.

These findings carry profound ethical and practical implications for animal welfare science, legislation, and human practices such as aquaculture, fisheries, and laboratory research. If fish and invertebrates are sentient, then the moral responsibility to safeguard their well-being becomes urgent. This paradigm shift challenges us to integrate scientific evidence with ethical reasoning, expanding the scope of animal welfare frameworks to include species historically overlooked.

Ultimately, acknowledging the sentience of fish and invertebrates is not only a scientific endeavor but also a step toward more consistent and compassionate treatment of all animals.

On September 30, 2022, Spain marked a historic milestone in European environmental law with the approval of Law 19/2022, which recognized legal personhood to the Mar Menor lagoon and its basin, making it the first European ecosystem to obtain rights equivalent to those of natural and legal persons. This conference examines the paradigmatic case of the Mar Menor as a pioneer in the practical application of rights of nature in Europe, an extraordinary achievement accomplished through a Popular Legislative Initiative that gathered over 600,000 citizen signatures and obtained parliamentary support from all political parties except one.

Dr. Eduardo Salazar Ortuño, Professor of Environmental Law at the University of Murcia and one of the legal coordinators of this revolutionary legislation, presents an analysis of the process that transformed the Mar Menor from an "object of protection" into a "subject of rights" with legal capacity to defend itself in courts. Law 19/2022 establishes fundamental rights for the lagoon ecosystem: the right to exist as an ecosystem and evolve naturally, the right to protection, conservation, maintenance, and restoration, creating an innovative governance system through the Mar Menor Guardianship, composed of a Committee of Representatives, a Monitoring Commission, and a Scientific Committee. The recent constitutional ratification by the Constitutional Court in 2024 and the approval of Royal Decree 90/2025 that operationalizes these bodies demonstrate the legal viability of this model.

This conference explores the transformative implications of the Mar Menor case for the evolution of global environmental law, analyzing how this European precedent is inspiring similar initiatives in other ecosystems and jurisdictions. From an ocean governance perspective, the Mar Menor model offers a replicable blueprint for giving legal voice to marine ecosystems in crisis, demonstrating that recognizing intrinsic rights of nature is not merely a philosophical aspiration but a practical and effective legal tool for environmental protection in the 21st century.