Part of ANERIS’s broader mission is to foster inclusivity and diversity in marine science. The project, funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe program, is dedicated to developing next-generation tools for marine life-sensing and monitoring while also promoting ocean literacy and citizen engagement. Through observatories like MINKA, ANERIS empowers communities to contribute to marine biodiversity research, making science accessible to all.

In line with this mission, the project consortium joined the global celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026 on February 11th, with the theme "From Vision to Impact: Redefining STEM by Closing the Gender Gap.”

On the ground: Inspiring students in Catalonia

Berta Companys, a researcher at the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) and a key contributor to both the ANERIS and MINKA projects, led a series of inspiring talks at local schools in Barcelona and El Vendrell, Spain. She engaged with over 100 students across three schools: Maria Espinalt Institute, Institut-Escola Coma-ruga, and Escola Pau Casals. Her sessions focused on promoting STEM careers, sharing insights from her research, and introducing students to the innovative work of ANERIS and the citizen science platform MINKA.

The events, held on February 6th, 9th, and 13th, reached a total of 130 students (57 female and 73 male), aged between 11 and 17. Berta’s talks not only highlighted the importance of marine biodiversity and operational marine biology but also emphasised the role of gender equity in scientific fields.

Digital Advocacy: Highlighting excellence across the consortium

Beyond the classroom, other ANERIS partners celebrated the day by highlighting their female colleagues through dedicated digital campaigns, showcasing the invaluable expertise they bring to the project.

CytoBuoy combined the day with the campaign for their 25th anniversary, highlighting Emma, a software engineering intern at CytoBuoy,  currently working on a core software project focused on optimising the camera systems used in our instruments to analyse and classify microorganisms in aquatic environments. See the post here.

Another partner, Euro-Bioimaging, shared an inspirational video, showcasing the female researchers working in the organisation. Watch the video on their LinkedIn and Instagram. 

Yvonne Wiese and Siobhan Burke, partners in ANERIS from the Marine Institute, alongside other colleagues, were celebrated by SmartBay Ireland. Read the post here.

As ANERIS continues to expand its outreach, the consortium invites other partners and researchers to share their own stories of inspiring the next generation of scientists.