The second edition of Bluewave Days, organized by the Bluewave Alliance, closed with the participation of 2,500 people and the collaboration of more than 50 organizations with a common goal: to raise public awareness of the need to restore the Mediterranean. This is one of the most precious and admired seas in the world, but also the one in the most extreme situation according to experts: it is the most polluted sea with the highest presence of plastics, the most overfished, the one that is warming the fastest - 20% more than the rest of the seas and oceans - and the one that is losing the most biodiversity.

To raise awareness of this reality, between June 8 and 13, the alliance, promoted by the ISDIN laboratory, organized more than 60 activities along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. One example is the Sustainable Diving Week held in different municipalities on the Costa Brava, which was accompanied by conferences, exhibitions, marine and underwater cleanups, workshops and outings for groups with special needs.

Underwater activities have also been carried out on the coast of Barcelona, the Balearic Islands and the coast of Malaga, such as underwater photography days and beach and port cleanups. In addition, 400 school and high school students have received direct training and sustainable sports projects have reached more than a thousand children.

The different actions have allowed participants to learn first-hand about the jewels of the Mediterranean, as well as the challenges facing this sea and discover different ways to contribute to the solution. In addition, the Bluewave Days have served to bring the public and the business world closer to various research initiatives in this field.

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The Bluewave Symposium

In this context, the Bluewave Symposium, the main event of the conference held in Barcelona, brought together renowned scientists such as Enric Ballesteros and Emma Cebrián, from the Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Joaquim Garrabou and Josep Lluís Pelegrí from the Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (CSIC) or Miquel Canals (Universitat de Barcelona), as well as the marine biologist Manu San Félix, with environmental entrepreneurs and business organizations.

The symposium served to discuss the main developments and projects in the field of the protection of marine areas and to call for the protection of 30% of the Mediterranean by 2030. According to the experts, if this percentage of protected areas were reached, the remaining 70% would be able to regenerate itself.

After the event, the Bluwave Awards 2024 were presented to recognize professionals who are global references in contributing to the conservation and protection of seas and oceans. The awards were presented to Dr. Iosune Uriz, a professional specializing in the taxonomy, biology and genetics of marine sponge populations, Dr. Michel André, for his research and contribution to the development of acoustic technologies for the protection of the underwater environment, and the sculptor Lorenzo Quinn, for his artistic contribution to raising awareness of the need to care for the seas and oceans.