The MAELSTROM project has officially come to an end, marking the conclusion of an exciting journey.

The MAELSTROM project has officially come to an end, marking the conclusion of an exciting journey. Over two days (November 21-22), we celebrated our collective achievements at the Final Event in Porto, Portugal, reflecting on the work accomplished and sharing the challenges and opportunities with both international and national stakeholders. The joint efforts of 14 international partners demonstrated that addressing marine litter and environmental crises requires not only scientific and technological innovation but also political will and civil society activism.

Innovation and Policy Discussion

On the first day of the Final Event, we showcased MAELSTROM’s cutting-edge technologies: the Bubble Barrier, the Seabed Cleaning Platform, the AI-Sorting Robot, and the MAELSTROM App, alongside life cycle and ecological assessments. Discussions centered on the impact of these solutions and explored how they could be expanded and applied globally beyond the project’s conclusion.

The second day focused on the EU Policy Framework and the lasting legacy of MAELSTROM. It provided a platform to share insights from our Working Group on Marine Litter Management and the Legacy Document.

The event culminated in a roundtable discussion, moderated by Professor Isabel Sousa Pinto. Esteemed guests and stakeholders gathered to engage in valuable conversations about the future of marine conservation and the ongoing fight against marine litter. Their insights sparked important dialogue on how to ensure the continued success of MAELSTROM’s outcomes globally.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the distinguished guests who contributed to the event:

• Elisabetta Balzi, Head of Unit Ocean, Seas and Waters, European Commission
• Fedra Francocci, CNR, Blue Mission Med
• Valerie de Liedekerke, AIR Centre, Blue Mission Med
• Simonetta Fraschetti, EAB, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
• Mike Elliot, University of Hull, IECS Ltd.
• João Frias, Atlantic Technological University
• Patricia Carvalho, Portuguese Pact for Plastics (Pacto Português para os Plásticos)
• Cristina Calheiros, CMIA Vila do Conde
• Maria do Céu Silva, Lipor
• Nuno Coelho, Docapesca – Portos e Lotas, S.A.
• Dália Vieira, Câmara Municipal de Vila do Conde

While we are immensely proud of what was accomplished throughout the MAELSTROM project, the journey does not end here. Marine litter remains a critical global issue, and continued action is necessary. MAELSTROM was one project in a much larger effort, but as we often say, “drop by drop, we can create waves of change.”

Thank you for following us throughout this remarkable journey. The fight against marine litter continues, and together, we will continue to make a lasting impact.

This is a wrap, but the mission lives on!