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Capacity sharing in the ocean sciences is essential for addressing pressing environmental challenges and fostering sustainable stewardship of marine ecosystems. This article focuses on three important capacity-sharing programs operating in Africa: Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP) Africa, Citizen Observation of Local Litter in Coastal Ecosystems (COLLECT) (a project of the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean), and Mundus Maris Africa. ECOP Africa, a pioneering platform for early career ocean professionals, emphasizes mentorship, training, and knowledge exchange to empower young marine scientists across the continent. Through dynamic programs and events, ECOP Africa is catalyzing interdisciplinary collaboration and inspiring the next generation of ocean leaders. Similarly, COLLECT leverages citizen science to tackle plastic pollution in coastal environments. By training secondary school students as “citizen scientists,” COLLECT has not only generated critical data on the distribution and abundance of coastal debris but also fostered environmental awareness and local engagement. These initiatives demonstrate the power of inclusive, community-driven approaches to capacity sharing in the ocean sciences. They highlight the transformative potential of combining open science, education, and international collaboration to address global challenges such as plastic pollution and climate change while empowering local communities to take active roles in preserving their marine environments.
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This content will become publicly available on January 1, 2026
20 Years of Partnership in Marine Sciences Between Cabo Verde and Germany: From Ideas, Opportunities, and Observations to Long-Term and Sustained Capacity Sharing
The collaboration between Cabo Verdean and German institutions in marine sciences began in 2004. Since then, it has evolved from project-based ocean observation efforts to a sustained, long-term partnership with strong commitments from both countries. Today, research infrastructure such as the Cape Verde Ocean Observatory and the Ocean Science Centre Mindelo, as well as the international master’s program, Climate Change and Marine Sciences, are operated in Cabo Verde. Here, we reflect on the development of this partnership and how the strengthening of capacities has positively impacted West Africa.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2318309
- PAR ID:
- 10599677
- Publisher / Repository:
- The Oceanography Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Oceanography
- Volume:
- 38
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 1042-8275
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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