The challenges facing our ocean demand more than scientific understanding. They require strong connections between research, policy, and society. BlueActionAA helps bridge these worlds, supporting solutions for a sustainable future. This commitment has been recognised through the project’s endorsement as a contributor to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, a global movement working to generate the science needed for healthier, more resilient ocean and freshwater ecosystems.
BlueActionAA is an international project designed to help communities move from concern to action. Its endorsement recognises the project as a Decade Action, meaning it is formally recognised as contributing to a worldwide effort to restore ecosystems, improve water quality and strengthen the long-term health of the ocean. The Ocean Decade runs from 2021 to 2030 and brings together projects that are actively working to deliver practical solutions, not just research or plans.
Coordinated by the Marine Institute and delivered through an international consortium, BlueActionAA connects scientific organisations, innovation partners and local actors across the Atlantic and Arctic regions. These regions include many communities that are already leading restoration efforts but need support, resources and stronger links to science and policy to scale what they are doing.
At its heart, BlueActionAA is about enabling people on the ground to take meaningful action. The project supports coastal and inland communities to design, test and deliver solutions that restore habitats, reduce pollution and improve how marine and freshwater environments are managed. Through targeted funding, hands-on technical support and capacity development, BlueActionAA helps communities turn local ideas into lasting action, while making sure scientific evidence and local knowledge work together.
By focusing on ecosystem restoration and recovery, BlueActionAA supports healthier seas, rivers and lakes that can sustain biodiversity, support livelihoods and better withstand future pressures. Restored ecosystems are more resilient, store more carbon, filter pollution and provide protection against erosion and flooding. The project’s work contributes directly to rebuilding the natural systems that people and nature depend on.
Being endorsed as part of the Ocean Decade connects BlueActionAA to a global community of organisations and initiatives working towards the same goals. This creates opportunities to share lessons, collaborate across borders and give greater visibility to community-led action that is already making a difference. Through this engagement, BlueActionAA will share experiences and results to help inspire and inform others who want to act.
The endorsement recognises the strength of BlueActionAA’s community-driven approach and the collective effort of its partners, and marks an important step in supporting ambitious, practical action to protect and revive marine and freshwater ecosystems at local, regional and global scales.
More information about BlueActionAA, including project activities, funding opportunities and partner organisations, is available at www.blueactionaa.eu.
