New webinar and toolkit from the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI)

On 9 February, the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) hosted a webinar titled “The Marine Biodiversity and Ocean Health (MBOH) Breakthrough – the Role of Communities,” with AquaPLAN’s coordinator, Elena Maggi, participating as a speaker. The session aimed to advance dialogue on the practical measures ports can adopt to reduce shipping’s impacts on marine biodiversity and enhance ocean health, while giving equal consideration to landside effects on people, including coastal communities, rights holders, and Indigenous peoples.

Elena introduced AquaPLAN, what light and noise pollution (LNP) consist of and their consequences for coastal ecosystems. She then outlined four key approaches to mitigating LNP and protecting these habitats: policy instruments, combined risk maps, protocols, and potential mitigation solutions.

The agenda also featured presentations from the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF) on Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies; from the Port of Vancouver on Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation; and from the Centro Regional de Empresas y Emprendimientos Responsables (CREER) on The Marine Biodiversity and Ocean Health Breakthrough – Ports and Communities: Insights from Ethnic Communities in Colombia.

The webinar aligned closely with the Marine Biodiversity and Ocean Health Breakthrough Toolkit, developed to support the transition toward a more resilient blue economy and launched during COP30. The Toolkit draws on the experience and engagement of numerous organisations contributing to this transition, and it will continue to evolve as new knowledge and practical insights are shared. Submissions of projects or initiatives that advance any of the MBOH Roadmap goals remain open for inclusion in the MBOH Toolkit until 25 February 2026.

Access the webinar recording and submission form.