To celebrate the World Oceans Day, from June 6 to 8, Genoa will host a new edition of “World Oceans Day: Know, Understand, Coexist”, promoted by the INGV – National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.
The ocean plays a fundamental role in regulating the Earth’s climate and is one of our main allies in the fight against the climate crisis. A deeper understanding of the oceans is more essential than ever in order to identify effective solutions capable of mitigating the impacts of climate change. To promote ocean knowledge and protection, the United Nations has established the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), a global programme aimed at fostering research, international cooperation, and public awareness.
World Oceans Day – Know, Understand, Coexist offers an opportunity to reflect on the vital importance of seas and oceans, deepening awareness of their impact on our daily lives and on the future of the planet. The 2026 Genoa edition will allow participants to explore the sea beyond its surface, understand the challenges it faces, and learn to coexist more consciously and responsibly with the vast blue heritage that surrounds us.
The initiative is part of a broader outreach programme involving institutions, research bodies, and universities, with the aim of bringing the public closer to issues related to marine sustainability and the impacts of climate change on the oceans.
The University of Genoa (Department of Pharmacy – DIFAR, Department of Mechanical, Energy, Management and Transport Engineering – DIME, Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences – DISTAV, Department of Political and International Sciences – DiSPI) and the Sea Centre are partners of the 2026 Genoa edition and, on this occasion, propose a series of events dedicated to the sea and its understanding.
Programme of the Genoa edition
For three days, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in an experiential path featuring interactive hubs and outreach spaces designed to engage the entire community. Alongside seminars, the programme includes an exhibition village in the city centre, hands-on workshops, and experiential activities suitable for all ages, helping to make science more accessible and participatory.
Within this framework, the University of Genoa offers a series of seminars hosted at the Auditorium Montale of the Carlo Felice Theatre. The talk series highlights UniGe’s research on marine ecology, biodiversity, and sustainability, with presentations dedicated to ecosystem study and conservation. Topics range from the exploration of deep-sea environments to the biodiversity of seamounts, as well as innovative applications linked to sustainability, including circular processes in the cosmetics industry and the role of marine sponges in water purification.
The series of talks at the Auditorium Montale opens on Saturday, June 6 at 6:00 PM with “Monica Montefalcone: A Life for the Sea”, an intervention by Carlo Nike Bianchi (Genoa Marine Centre – SZN), in memory of the UniGe professor of ecology who tragically passed away in the Maldives together with her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, a UniGe Biomedical Engineering student, and Muriel Oddenino, research fellow at DISTAV, Federico Gualtieri, recent master’s graduate in Marine Biology and Ecology, and Gianluca Benedetti, diving instructor.
The Sea Village will be located in Largo Pertini.
Admission is free and open to all.
Workshops and EduGames require prior booking.
Further information is available on the university magazine.
The full programme is available on the official World Oceans Day website.
