The ECOMARINAS Project at EXPO 2025 in Osaka

Every year, on the third Monday of July, the Japanese celebrate Umi-no Hi, or Sea Day. Japanese identity and culture are inseparably connected to the sea, so it is no surprise that this day holds the status of a national holiday and is a day off work. Umi-no Hi is an opportunity to express gratitude to the sea for its many blessings and to hope for its continued favor in the future. This year at EXPO 2025 in Osaka, the day became an occasion for dialogue on the protection of marine ecosystems, and we joined the conversation by presenting the international ECOMARINAS project, which promotes sustainable sailing.

This unique bond with the sea is also deeply understood by sailors. After all, sailing is not only a sport – it is a lifestyle, and caring for the sea should be an integral part of it. Raising environmental awareness within the sailing community, both among sailors themselves and marina managers, lies at the heart of the ECOMARINAS project.

ECOMARINAS is an initiative of the Gdańsk Sports Centre, implemented in partnership with organizations from Poland, Lithuania, Sweden, and Germany, and co-financed by the Interreg South Baltic Programme 2021–2027. It is a joint response by four Baltic countries to the challenges related to protecting the Baltic Sea, sailing, and marina management. The project focuses on education, placing particular emphasis on the importance of sailors’ everyday habits and their impact on the marine ecosystem, as well as on developing tools necessary to minimize environmental damage in marinas.

The official opening of Marine Day at the Polish Pavilion was accompanied by the photography exhibition “Traces on the Water” by Karol Tomaszewski. The photographs were taken during a voyage aboard the tall ship Generał Zaruski as part of the ECOMARINAS project. The exhibition tells the story at the very core of the project – humility toward the sea and humanity’s impact on its future. Naturally, it became a starting point for discussions on marine protection and sustainable sailing.

One of the central events of the Marine Day celebrations was the conference “One Voice for the Sea,” opened by Arkadiusz Marchewka, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Infrastructure. In her presentation, Olga Sarna, President of the MARE Foundation, introduced the audience to the main objectives and implementation plans of the solutions being developed within the ECOMARINAS project. This was followed by an international panel discussion moderated by Olga Sarna, featuring representatives of the Portugal Pavilion – Tiago Pitta e Cunha (Oceano Azul), Saudi Arabia – Dr. Hamed Albalawi (SFDA, KAUST), and Japan – Yusuke Saraya (Honorary Director of the Blue Ocean Dome). The panelists represented different sectors and therefore different perspectives on marine protection and resource management, reinforcing our belief that cooperation – both international and cross-sectoral – is key to the effective protection of marine ecosystems.

The Baltic Sea is unique – and exceptionally vulnerable. Sailing and marina infrastructure can negatively impact the ecosystem if not managed in an environmentally responsible way. That is why ECOMARINAS analyzes, educates, and takes action – bringing together multiple sectors, from local authorities and municipalities to marina operators, research institutions, non-governmental organizations, as well as collaborations with sailors and the artistic community. The project is an example of how local initiatives can have a global impact. At EXPO, we demonstrated that international cooperation around aquatic environments is both possible – and essential.