Our work: previous and ongoing activities

Here, you can find information about previous work that has been done in connection to the preceeding research projects, ECOCARE and The Ocean Incubator Network. 

The report of the activities carried out by our bLYSs team in the summer 2026 is now published

Ahmed, D., Sweis, F., Mutreb, Z., Mohamed, A. H., & Poto, M. P. (2026). Asfour Initiative: Reclaiming Ocean Literacy through Islamic Ethics and Community-Led Storytelling and Wellbeing in South Sinai. Septentrio Reports, 2. https://doi.org/10.7557/7.9015.

Our wonderful workshop activities are now reported in the document co-developed by Amna Usmani and Jessica Liebmann and published on Septentrio Report UiT. 

Poto, M. P., Ahmed, D., Liebmann, J., & Usmani, A. (2026). Knowledge Co-Creation and Blue Equity: Reimagining Ocean Futures in Hamilton, Canada. Septentrio Reports, 2. https://doi.org/10.7557/7.8887

Links to the Conference.

Illustration of the ocean characters of our co-created stories
Conference Cover created by Sanpo Yokoi, Japan and Sarah Mohamed, UAE and Egypt, 2006 Foto: xxx

eco care side event at un ocean decade conference in nice 2025

Photos by project member Emily Murray.

  

Group of people working together

 

Crocheted animal, a turtle.

  

three women together.
Margherita Poto, Giulia Parola and Sofie Quist.
Three women in group photo
Margherita Poto, ECOCARE practicum student from McMaster Canada Youna McGowan, and Giulia Parola. 

  

Photos by Charlotte Buksrud, Communications Advisor at the Faculty of Law UiT.

 

material for workshop on display in front of windows and on table

 

material for workshop on table

  

material for workshop on table

  

material for workshop

  

display of books on window frames

  

Workshop material on table

  

food on table

 

food on table

  food on table

  

food on table

  

food on table

  

participants talk in a circle

  

photo of people in the circle talking, focus on woman speaking

  

poster of ecocare wokrshop on the window

  

table containing points and ecocare poster

  

Man speaking in the circle

The Booklet of the event, with the script and references can be found here

From left: Youna McGowan, Zia Madani, Caroline Bohrer, Margherita Poto, Dana Ahmed, Claudia D'Andrea: end of the show and co-created work, October 3, 2025.

Beyond Borders 2025 has introduced emotional and ocean literacy to the NEMCA Academy in Songea, Tanzania. Supported by a diverse range of sponsors, including academic institutions and private donors, the initiative brought together a interdisciplinary team of young researchers, students, educators, and illustrators. In collaboration with three educational institutions in Tanzania, they developed a comprehensive program designed to engage children, trainers, and educators alike.

The scientific report can be found here: Poto, M. P., Haule, C. N., Parola, P., Masakula, L. B., Peftiyev, P., Haule, A., Ahmed D., Russo, V., Sarti, C. (2025) Beyond Borders: A co-created educational project on emotional, ecological and ocean literacy. Ruvuma Region, Tanzania. Septentrio Reports, (2). https://doi.org/10.7557/7.8180