A Look into the Future: mareXtreme at the National Marine Conference 2025

Author: Walter Menapace

On May 6 and 7, 2025, the first National Marine Conference took place at the Westhafen Event & Convention Center (WECC) in Berlin. More than 400 participants from politics, science, civil society, and business came together to discuss strategies for a sustainable future for our oceans under the theme “Vibrant Seas.”

The conference featured a diverse program of international keynotes, thematic expert panels, and interactive Deep Dives on key ocean topics — including marine protected areas, climate change and oceans, extreme events, plastic pollution, sustainable maritime industries, and ocean literacy and science communication. A central theme throughout was the close integration of scientific knowledge and political decision-making — truly reflecting the conference motto: “From Knowledge to Action.”

The mareXtreme research mission was prominently represented, with a talk by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Torsten Schlurmann, spokesperson of the mission, focusing on the role of marine extreme events and the importance of interdisciplinary research in adapting to their occurrence. In his presentation titled “Marine Extreme Events and Natural Hazards”, Schlurmann highlighted the urgent need for society to better understand the growing complexity of marine hazards — from storm surges and marine heatwaves to algal blooms, erosion, and coastal flooding. These events no longer occur in isolation — they interact, reinforce one another, in a so-called cascading effect, and pose a serious threat to entire coastal ecosystems and communities.

Prof. Schlurmann presents the systemic interactions of marine extreme events at the National Marine Conference 2025 in Berlin — highlighting the urgent need for integrated early warning systems and interdisciplinary collaboration

A key takeaway: Marine extremes know no disciplinary boundaries — and our responses shouldn't either. That is why mareXtreme focuses on linking exposure, vulnerability, and systemic impacts, with science acting as a bridge between knowledge and preparedness. At a time when our coasts are becoming increasingly vulnerable, mareXtreme shows how science can not only warn, but also transform our perception.

Surely, mareXtreme participation at the conference made one thing clear: the science is open to understand a changing world — but is society ready to embrace it?