On the occasion of World Ocean Day on 8 June we highlight how three COST Actions are helping to address pressing water challenges affecting both our oceans and freshwater systems – vital resources at the core of life on Earth.
Water is at the heart of humanity’s greatest challenges – from ensuring food security and public health to protecting marine ecosystems and adapting to climate change. As Europe faces increasing pressure on its water resources, COST Actions are creating vital networks of researchers and innovators to address these complex water-related issues.
Guardians of our rivers
When you think of mussels, you probably picture those found in the sea and served at your favourite seafood restaurant. Freshwater mussels are less well-known, but they play a crucial role in our ecosystems, each filtering tens of liters of water daily. As Professor Tadeusz Zajac, Chair of the COST Action ‘Conservation of freshwater mussels: a pan-European approach’ (CONFREMU)’, points out, these remarkable creatures are essential for maintaining water quality and biodiversity.
Historically abundant and an important source of protein during crises such as the Holodomor in Ukraine in the 1930s, these mussels have declined drastically due to pollution and habitat changes.
Sensitive to environmental conditions, they are used in water monitoring systems and can live for over 200 years, with their shells recording centuries of water conditions. Their unique reproduction is dependent on fish, making them vulnerable to changes in fish populations. Protecting freshwater mussels supports the health of entire freshwater ecosystems, highlighting their ecological importance and fascinating life cycle.
CONFREMU’S success in a mussel shell
CONFREMU has transformed our understanding of freshwater mussels. By analysing and synthesising all available research on their ecosystem functions, they have provided new insights and practical tools for conservation. Their extensive work, published in leading scientific journals, includes a comprehensive database of mussel occurrences across Europe, accessible to all. This database is essential for conservation, spatial planning, and investment assessment.
CONFREMU has also tackled complex issues of evolutionary relationships (phylogenetics) and classification (taxonomy) of mussels, highlighting the Mediterranean’s role in protecting endangered species. The Action has developed a European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) standard for mussel studies and created an Action Plan with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for European mussel conservation. The Action’s training schools have spread complex methodologies across Europe, equipping researchers with the skills needed for advanced studies.
Future directions
The CONFREMU network, comprising over 130 scientists from 31 countries, continues its mussel conservation efforts with the coordination centre now established around the website and the plan to establish a European branch of the Freshwater Molluscs Conservation Society. Upcoming priorities include the submission of a comprehensive Action Plan to the European Commission, developed in collaboration with IUCN, and the finalisation of the CEN standard to improve freshwater monitoring and environmental impact assessment. A comprehensive analysis of freshwater mussel occurrence in relation to water quality parameters is underway, intending to establish a global freshwater monitoring system. According to the Chair, however, “the most valuable outcome of the COST Action was the identification and integration of young, talented scientists into top research networks, thus securing the future of freshwater mussel research”.
The deep blue links of the world
The ocean is a web of fascinating connections that often go unnoticed. From fixed organisms like corals, algae and mussels that hitchhike on ocean currents over vast distances in their early days, to large animals such as whales and sharks that travel thousands of miles each year to feed and reproduce, marine life shows incredible connectivity.
These migrations not only span ocean basins, but also link surface and deep-sea ecosystems through nutrient cycles driven by their feeding and the release of nutrients from their bodies. In addition, the movements of species such as salmon, seals, sea turtles and seabirds carry huge amounts of nutrients from sea to land, profoundly affecting how ecosystems on land function and thrive. Understanding these movements is the goal of the COST Action ‘Unifying Approaches to Marine Connectivity for improved Resource Management for the Seas (SEA-UNICORN)’.
SEA-UNICORN is revealing marine secrets
The success of SEA-UNICORN has been based on robust interdisciplinary collaboration, integrating diverse research methods such as genetics, animal tagging and biophysical modelling. Dr Audrey Darnaude, Action Chair of SEA-UNICORN, highlights: “Our efforts have established an integrated multidisciplinary framework for studying Marine Functional Connectivity (MFC) and revealing the intricate spatial fluxes of matter, genes and energy across marine habitats and basins. This holistic approach not only advances our understanding of ocean dynamics but also supports sustainable ocean management and informs global policy. We’ve trained a new generation of marine ecologists, managers and policymakers to this aim and raised global awareness of the critical role of MFC for ocean resilience and services to mankind”.
“Even more so when we were invited to contribute to the Ocean Decade Vision 2030 White Papers: Challenge 2: Protect and restore ecosystems and biodiversity. Finally, the positive response to our educational animated video and video game on MFC, especially from teachers and primary school children, makes me very happy. It underlines our success in raising awareness among new generations about this process that is crucial for the functioning of the global biosphere and the future of society”.
Turning the tide in marine research
Marine biotechnology harnesses the unique properties of marine organisms, which produce a vast array of metabolites with antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, nutritional, and other beneficial activities. This field is crucial for advancing Blue Growth and Bioeconomy strategies within the EU and contributes to 14 out of the 17 UN sustainable development goals. Despite its potential, the marine biota remains largely untapped, with nearly 30,000 natural products discovered and many more awaiting exploration. The Action ‘European transdisciplinary networking platform for marine biotechnology (Ocean4Biotech)’ has played a pivotal role in promoting this field by uniting experts, fostering knowledge sharing, and encouraging collaborative research. This initiative has established a unique, diverse, and geographically extensive network of marine biotechnology professionals.
Watch the videos made by Ocean4Biotech:
OCEAN4BIOTECH is making waves with innovation
The Action’s publications, biorepository, and ‘Map of Expertise’ have significantly advanced the marine biotechnology community. The biorepository, in particular, was a groundbreaking achievement, providing smaller nations and Inclusiveness Target Countries with their first opportunity to participate in EU-level biorepositories. Additionally, the Map of Expertise increased visibility for many members, highlighting their skills and making them more accessible to the marine biotechnology community. These efforts underscore Ocean4Biotech’s commitment to inclusiveness and knowledge sharing, greatly benefiting the field.
Ocean4Biotech made great strides in advancing marine biotechnology through proactive collaboration with policymakers. These efforts led to valuable publications, policy consultations, and the establishment of yearly events Blueware Slovenia. Ongoing publications and participation in the Scientific Committee for the upcoming XIV European Conference on Marine Natural Products in Slovenia in September 2025 further underscore the enduring legacy and continued collaboration within the Ocean4Biotech community.
Dr Ana Rotter, the Action Chair is enthusiastic: “This journey has been a profound personal and professional growth experience, allowing me to connect with remarkable experts and kind professionals across Europe. Together, we have built not just a network, but genuine friendships—a precious achievement in the professional world”, she concludes.
The power of collaboration
The unique structure of the COST Programme facilitated the success of the CONFREMU, SEA-UNICORN and Ocean4Biotech Actions by enabling collaboration and knowledge exchange, leading to breakthroughs that would not have been possible in isolation. Professor Tadeusz Zajac notes that COST funding has enabled different researchers to work together and achieve excellent results. “It is not technology that creates science, but people,” he says. “Thanks to COST funding, a professor from Cambridge collaborated with a small institute in Poland and achieved excellent results. COST is an opportunity to meet, to get to know each other, to create a good atmosphere for cooperation and to integrate people who never knew each other before”.
Dr Audrey Darnaude agrees that “international transdisciplinary collaboration and co-construction of science has also been key to bringing scientists and stakeholders closer together”. According to Audrey, “disseminating the collective knowledge on Marine Functional Connectivity to a wider audience will undoubtedly promote transboundary integrated management of marine resources and ecosystems in the near future”. Through the networking and collaborative framework provided by COST, Ocean4Biotech has increased the visibility and impact of marine biotechnology. This has led to several career advancements, leadership roles and collaborative projects that might not have happened otherwise. Dr Ana Rotter confides: “Writing joint articles that also addressed horizontal and general aspects related to marine biotechnology, an exciting field of research, was a very important collaborative initiative. This exercise was very time-consuming, as the publications were only the result of our networking activities and with several colleagues whom each of us met for the first time. Nevertheless, I would do it again in a heartbeat,” she concludes.
