Millions of migratory birds depend on the Wadden Sea each year, making international cooperation along the East Atlantic Flyway essential for their survival.

n August, project partners met in Brest, France, for the final project meeting and to present the project’s results at the 15th European Conference on Ecological Restoration (SERE2026).

Josie Antonucci di Carvalho has joined CWSS as Project Officer for Monitoring and Assessment. Nantke Braun has taken up the role of Project Officer for Data Management. In addition, Julia Busch has returned from parental leave.

The three-year initiative supports biodiversity monitoring at 25 marine sites worldwide, using environmental DNA (eDNA) to improve understanding and protection of ocean life.

Fifteen Bachelor’s and Master’s students from the Wadden Sea region and beyond have completed a ten-day learning journey exploring one of the world’s most distinctive coastal ecosystems.

This year’s event focused on the importance of large-scale protected areas for the long-term conservation of the unique Wadden Sea ecosystem.

In the 2025-2026 survey season, researchers counted 3,385 seal pups and 12,497 grey seals during the moulting season, confirming further population growth across the region.