European Maritime Day (EMD) is taking place in Cork (Ireland) next week, on 21-23 May 2025. The EMD is an annual event during which Europe’s maritime community meet to network, discuss and outline joint action on maritime affairs and sustainable blue economy. It provides an engaging and interactive experience to catch up on the current state of play on a broad range of issues concerning the blue economy and the marine environment and to discuss ways of moving forward. It features inspirational speakers, thematic sessions, stakeholder workshops, an exhibition and many networking opportunities. The EMD targets professionals from businesses, governments, public institutions, NGOs and academia as well as citizens interested in the sea. The EMD 2025 is organised by the European Commission, the Cork City Council and the Irish ministry Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.
In parallel to the EMD conference in Cork, a series of local related events are organised across Europe, reaching out to young people and citizens under the ‘EMD in My Country’ label. The objective is for people to realise that activities at sea (coastal tourism, fishing, sailing, shipping, offshore renewable energy, aquaculture etc.) are key for the European Union’s citizens and economies. EMD in My Country events aim to raise awareness about the importance of the ocean and seas and to engage the public, particularly young people. The European Union (EU) has 68,000 km of coastline and about one third of the EU population lives within 50 km of the coast. [1] Since the first edition in 2018, the number of EMD in My Country events has increased significantly, with a wide range of activities such as beach clean-ups, guided tours, art exhibitions, workshops, and conferences. EMD In My Country this year includes physical, virtual and hybrid events. Events will take place all over Europe from 1 April until 31 October 2025. Explore the Map of the Week to learn more about these events. By clicking on the starfish that represent the events, you can see the title of the events, the dates, the organisers of the event and you can access the dedicated websites with additional information about the events.
But there is more than you can see on this map! The European Atlas of the Seas has hidden five images of marine species that you can only see if you play the Atlas ‘Hide & Seek’ game. This game is available in the Atlas’ Teachers Corner and has been developed for schools. The game will allow students to learn how to find their way on a map and find specific locations based on a set on hints. They will also gain knowledge on marine biodiversity by searching for information on marine species. Of course, everyone can play! Give it a try …
Did you note that we annotated the Map of the Week? We did this with the ‘My Notes’ tool. You can do this too in the Atlas. Find out how to annotate your maps.
Will you be at the EMD in Cork next week?
- Have a look at the programme and read the details about the workshops;
- Visit the exhibition and make sure to drop by the booths organised by the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) which powers the European Atlas of the Seas and the EU4Ocean Coalition for ocean literacy;
- Discover the full list of EU4Ocean activities at EMD as well as a series of side events, including a workshop titled ‘Coastal Success through Ocean Knowledge’ in Cobh on 20 May, a workshop on ‘Maximising support to blue skills and ocean literacy' and the Announcement of the winners of the #MakeEUBlue Awards 2025 in Cork on 23 May and many activities related to ocean sounds!
By the way, the workshop titled ‘Coastal Success through Ocean Knowledge’ is an EMD in My Country event. Can you find it on the map?
Good news, even if you are not in Cork next week, you can take part in EMD! You can watch plenary sessions which will be live streamed on YouTube.
Enjoy the events!
The data in the map are provided by the European Commission.
[1] https://maritime-forum.ec.europa.eu/theme/governance/european-maritime-day-my-country_en