14–20 September 2026, across Europe

Wherever you are in Europe, you can contribute observations of marine life, either on your own or by joining a local activity. This year, several communities, organisations and initiatives are taking part throughout the week. Read more under Contributing initiatives and communities.

Marine life along Europe’s coasts is not yet fully documented and constantly changing, and many areas need more observations over time. By taking part, participants help collect valuable information about where species are found and contribute to a better understanding of marine biodiversity, from common coastal species to unexpected findings.

European Marine Citizen Science Week is built around local activities organised across Europe. Participating organisations and partners are invited to create activities that fit their local context, for example, a beach walk, school activity, guided field activity, snorkelling session or diving activity.

Local organisers decide how to organise and communicate their activities, while contributing to the shared European Marine Citizen Science Week.

Read more about participating partners and organisations under Contributing initiatives and communities.

Guidance for organisers

To support organisations planning a local activity, practical information is provided on how to organise, communicate and follow up an event.

• Information for organisers (PDF)

Each participating organisation is encouraged to promote its activity through its own communication channels and adapt messages to its local audience and context.

Communication material and templates

Communication material for European Marine Citizen Science Week is available in a shared Trello board.

Link to TRELLO

Here you will find:

• ready-to-use communication material
• visual identity guidelines
• European Marine Citizen Science Week logos
• BioEcoOcean logo
• resources for social media and local communication

Local organisers are welcome to create their own communication material and adapt messages to their language, audience and activity. When using the shared European Marine Citizen Science Week identity, please follow the visual guidelines and use the official logos provided on Trello.

European Marine Citizen Science Week is initiated by BioEcoOcean, so the BioEcoOcean logo should remain visible in communication material connected to the initiative.

Observation platform

Participants, including scientists and citizens, are invited to observe marine and coastal species, take clear photos, and upload their observations through MINKA, the Citizen Observatory platform used for this project. Observations can be added using the MINKA app or the MINKA website.

MINKA platform

• MINKA organiser user guide (PDF)
• MINKA translation guide (PDF)

Data and follow-up

Each participating organiser is responsible for reviewing and managing observations from their own activity. This can include involving relevant researchers or experts, checking data quality and considering how observations may contribute to open biodiversity data infrastructures such as Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) and Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

After the activity, organisers are encouraged to share a short results update with participants, local partners and the European Marine Citizen Science Week coordination team. Sharing results helps participants see how their observations contribute to knowledge about marine biodiversity and helps us build a broader picture of marine life across Europe.

Everyone can take part. You do not need to be an expert. The event is open to schools, families, coastal communities, divers, snorkellers, NGOs, researchers, nature guides, and anyone interested in marine life.

• How do I take part (PDF)
• Why does my observation matter (PDF)

Participants, including scientists and citizens, are invited to observe marine and coastal species, take clear photos, and upload their observations through MINKA, the Citizen Observatory platform used for this project. Observations can be added using the MINKA app or the MINKA website.

MINKA is a European digital platform for biodiversity observations and supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During the European Marine Citizen Science Week 2026, MINKA will be used to collect marine and coastal observations from participants across Europe.

The platform follows a Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR)-oriented approach, and part of the data collected through MINKA can be made available through international biodiversity data infrastructures such as GBIF.

Go to the MINKA website

Participation in the European Marine Citizen Science Week 2026 is voluntary and takes place at each participant’s own risk. Participants are responsible for their own safety and should always follow local rules, weather warnings, safety instructions, and guidance from local organisers. Please take extra care near water, slippery rocks, cliffs, harbours, boats, and other coastal environments.

Participants should not enter unsafe areas, disturb wildlife, damage habitats, or collect organisms unless this is clearly allowed and supervised as part of an organised activity. Children and young people must be supervised by a responsible adult. Schools, groups, and local organisers are responsible for making their own risk assessments and ensuring that activities are suitable for their participants and location.

The organisers of the European Marine Citizen Science Week provide general information and communication material, but local organisers are responsible for the practical planning, safety arrangements, and permissions for their own activities.

Photographs and geographic information are collected for research in the MINKA platform. No personal data are collected. By participating, you consent to your observations being used for these purposes.  

This year, marine citizen science initiatives and communities across Europe are taking part in European Marine Citizen Science Week, contributing observations of marine and coastal life. Together, these observations will contribute to the overall results of the Week and help build a broader picture of marine biodiversity across Europe.

Marin citizen science local initiatives and contributing communities 

Gotland, Sweden – 15 September 
A marine BioBlitz inviting school children in Klintehamn to explore the coast, photograph marine life and share their observations.

Terceira, Azores – 20 September
BioBlitz Terceira brings people together to explore and document coastal biodiversity around the natural pools of Porto Martins.

PHAROS 
PHAROS Living Labs connect local communities and citizen science activities across different European coastal and marine areas. During the Week, observations from participating communities will contribute.

BioMARató Catalunya
A long-running citizen science initiative engaging people in documenting marine and coastal biodiversity along the Catalan coast, with observations shared through MINKA.

BioMARatona Portugal
A citizen science initiative inviting people to explore and document marine and coastal biodiversity in Portugal and contribute their observations during the week.

ANERIS
A European initiative developing and supporting new approaches to marine biodiversity monitoring, including citizen science and the use of MINKA to collect biodiversity observations.

BiodivOcean

BiodivOcean is an international Erasmus+ education and citizen-science project focused on raising awareness about marine biodiversity and ocean literacy. We use MINKA to report species that attach to racks that schools hang out in the sea. During the week, we will actively inform our users and schools to explore and report as many marine species as possible.

For more information or questions about the European Marine Citizen Science Week 2026, please contact:

Email: mcsw@bioecoocean.org

For more information or questions about BioEcoOcean, or organizational questions, please contact the team at Uppsala University:

Florian Lüskow, Postdoc

Email: florian.luskow@geo.uu.se 

Åsa Eriksson, Project employee

Email: asa@green.nu 

Lina Mtwana Nordlund, Associate Professor and Project leader

Email: lina.mtwana.nordlund@geo.uu.se 

The event is initiated and coordinated through the EU-funded BioEcoOcean project. For more information, please visit: www.bioecoocean.org