Map of the Week – Rivers and lakes
On 16 June, the EMODnet Secretariat organized an online European Atlas of the Seas workshop which brought together the Atlas technical and communication teams, representatives from the European Commission Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), the Atlas partners Nausicaá and Escola Azul, data providers, members of the EU4Ocean Coalition - amongst which two Young Ocean Advocates and a representative of the Network of European Blue Schools - scientists, ocean advocates, teachers and professionals in the blue economy. The workshop provided the participants with the opportunity to learn about ocean literacy and the many different aspects of the Atlas, from the story behind map layers to how the Atlas can be used in education. In her opening keynote speech, European Commission Policy Officer Zoi Konstantinou pointed out that ‘Today, more than ever, we need to invest and to develop further ocean literacy. We need to bring the European citizens closer to our seas and to communicate the importance of the ocean for our lives and engage them in conserving the systems”.
A key question that was addressed during the workshop is how we are all connected to the ocean and seas. Atlas Ambassador Easkey Britton explained that “One of the reasons I am an ambassador of the Atlas is because it helps creating a culture of care". All speakers and panelists were asked what their preferred map layer is in the Atlas. The answers varied widely from, for example, a seafloor litter map, the drifting buoy temperature tracks monthly map, the coastline changes based on satellite data, the marine installations, the EU4Ocean map and the telecommunication cables map. Interestingly, this showed how every speaker and panelist connected to the ocean and seas. Easkey Britton chose the rivers and lakes map because “it is visually so beautiful and changes how we think about ‘land’ (which is really covered in water), and it highlights how we are all connected to the sea and ocean by our proximity to waterways and water bodies wherever we are in Europe”.
Presentations from the workshop are available on the webpage dedicated to the workshop. Wish to know more about the European Atlas of the Seas, how you are connected to the ocean and seas and what you can do to conserve the ocean systems?
- Explore the map of the week to find out which river is closest to where you live. Zoom in the map to see the names of the rivers;
- Visit the European Atlas of the Seas space in the EMODnet virtual exhibition until October 2021;
- Participate in the ‘Make Europe Blue’ campaign and submit your pledge for the ocean;
- Learn about the activities of the EU4Ocean Coalition.
The data in this map are provided by the Joint Research Center.