This week, Europe’s maritime community is meeting in Limassol (Cyprus) on 21-22 May 2026 for European Maritime Day (EMD). Established in 2008, EMD is the annual European Union meeting point on maritime affairs and sustainable blue growth. This conference connects policy makers, scientists, industry and society through high-level plenary and thematic sessions, workshops and an exhibition area. Each year, EMD is organised in a different country. EMD2026 is organised by the European Commission, the Shipping Deputy Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus and the Limassol Municipality.
In parallel to the EMD conference, 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 EMD In My Country events, which aim to raise awareness about the importance of the ocean and seas and to engage the public, will take place all over Europe from 1 April to 31 October 2026. Explore the Map of the Week to discover the activities organised across Europe. Events are represented on the map by starfish. Click on them to read information about the events (e.g. title of the event, the date on which it is taking place and who the organiser is). Are some of these events taking place near you? Have a look at the website provided to see the details.
There is more than you see in this map. The Atlas technical team hid five images of sports in the map. To see the hidden images, you have to play the Ocean Sports Game! Read the game's instructions, have a look at the Atlas team's hints to find the images and dive into the map to find them! Once you have found them, progress to the next levels with the other components of the game to learn more about the ocean, coastal and water sports, marine biodiversity and citizen science!
Wish to know more?
Have a look at the EMD conference programme;
If you are at EMD, make sure you visit the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) booth in the exhibition;
Are you a teacher or an educator? Do you wish to organise the Ocean Sports Game as part of your educational activities? Get additional information from the Teachers Guide!
The data in the map is provided by the European Commission.
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