ECSA 61
Bridging the gap between science and policy in estuarine and coastal marine biodiversity: the way forward
24-27 August 2026 | Square, Brussels, Belgium
There is an urgent need to address the challenges of the triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Marine scientists and policy-makers worldwide have emphasized that in particular threats to biodiversity are the major challenge for both the health of the planet and the welfare of human societies.
These threats are relevant on local to global scales and require international collaborative action. Therefore, in all maritime areas attention is placed on assessing and managing such threats and planning for future initiatives to ensure a sustainable use of estuaries, coasts and seas.
We invite you to participate in ECSA 61 and contribute your recent findings in all aspects of coastal and estuarine sciences. Building on the results of several Horizon Europe projects it is a unique opportunity to show the most recent advances of coastal marine research and their applications for European and international policies.
For this purpose, ECSA 61 brings together a global multi-disciplinary community of researchers and professionals.
For the first time ECSA invites you for a ‘Science-meets-Policy’ day (27 August 2026), during which you have the chance to discuss research findings and applications for a sustainable future of coasts with managers and decision-makers from Europe and all over the world, and the ways in which these can be used in current monitoring and assessment policies
Special Sessions
We are now open for Special Session proposals!
You have the chance to shape the program of this conference. Besides the below-mentioned General Sessions, you can suggest additional Special Sessions.
Deadline for Special Session proposals: 24 November 2025
To submit your Special Session proposal click here.
General Conference Sessions
The abstract submission system will open in January 2026
Abstract submission deadline: 6 March 2026