The 2024 Ocean Decade Conference was hosted by the Genova City Council and held in Genova, Italy, between 14-15 April. The initiative focused on preserving marine biodiversity in Mediterranean towns, highlighting success stories for restoring marine ecosystems in numerous Mediterranean cities. One workshop and one citizen science event were organised, allowing for sharing best practices and fostering cross-sector collaboration. 

On April 14, ANERIS participated in the workshop “Restoring Mediterranean Marine Ecosystems”, addressing the decline of ocean biodiversity and highlighting the importance of developing new technologies and tools for monitoring, sampling and preserving marine species. Berta Companys from CSIC moderated the discussions, highlighting the key activities carried out by the project team, such as conducting long-term, routine measurements and disseminating data to stakeholders. 

As partners of ANERIS, MedCities also attended the conference and organised a scientific event, engaging adults and children in a full-day program that included several citizen science activities, such as the BioMARathon, supported by ANERIS and CSIC. Additionally, the MINKA app was promoted, used for storing and collecting data.