Earlier this month, Romane Blassel and Leo Mensel from ECSA participated in the ECSA 2026 (European Citizen Science Association) Conference, hosted by the University of Oulu. The event served as a vital platform for the project to share its latest developments in stakeholder engagement and social impact.During a dedicated poster session, iMERMAID team members presented practical strategies for fostering collaboration between researchers, policy-makers, and local communities. The focus was on ensuring that marine protection efforts are not just scientifically sound, but socially inclusive and policy-aligned.

New Tools for Social Impact
Our partners from ECSA were on hand to introduce several key initiatives developed under the iMERMAID umbrella:

  • EJWP Capacity-building programme: Empowering young water professionals to lead the transition to a water-smart society.

  • The iMERMAID Schoolbook & Social Impact Workbook: These resources are designed to bring marine sustainability into the classroom and provide a framework for measuring the real-world impact of environmental projects.

How Sustainable Are You?
Engagement didn’t stop at the poster board. Attendees were invited to participate in iMERMAID’s ongoing research by completing the “How sustainable are you?” survey. The data collected will help the project understand public perceptions of sustainability and refine our outreach strategies.

Missed the conference? You can still participate in the survey and help shape our project’s impact by clicking the link below:
Take the iMERMAID Sustainability Survey