Facilitated by the ANERIS project, yet another interesting workshop took place on 15 February 2024. This event, titled “The sea in the cities” (Ill mare nelle città), was held in Italy and jointly organised by the Municipality of Ancona and Marche Polytechnic University in the framework of Ocean Cities Network Conferences. The event gathered both researchers (Marche Polytechnic University, Institute of Marine Sciences), and policymakers and institutions (MedCities, OceanCities, United Nations) dedicated to safeguarding urban ecosystems. 

As part of the United Nations Decade of the Oceans, this workshop aimed to bridge the gap between the marine ecosystem and the urban environment, and proposed measures on how to involve scientists, politicians, and citizens to address the main challenges of preserving oceans and marine species. In addition, while emphasising on the pressures of marine wildlife protection, participants in the workshop highlighted the importance of economic development and the positive impact it would leave on coastal areas.