• November 7, 2025

Marine Protected Area (MPA) managers from the Atlantic and Arctic regions will gather in Gran Canaria this January for an intensive workshop designed to strengthen management practices and shape the future of digital conservation tools.

The MPA Managers – Overcoming Challenges Workshop will take place on the morning of January 30th, 2026, as part of the inaugural PHAROS Mega Event in Gran Canaria, Spain. The four-hour interactive session, running from 9:00 to 13:00, will be held in person with provisions for remote participation.

Building Practical Solutions Through Collaboration

Facilitated by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) and the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC), the workshop brings together select MPA managers to exchange experiences, identify shared challenges, and collaboratively develop actionable solutions for protecting marine environments.

“Your insights and expertise will be instrumental in ensuring the platform is practical, relevant, and tailored to real-world needs,” organisers emphasised in announcing the event.

The session carries particular significance for the development of the Blueprint Platform, a comprehensive collection of digital tools designed to support MPA managers in their daily work. Originally developed under the Blue4All Project, the platform will be further refined and expanded through the PHAROS project, with direct input from practitioners shaping its evolution.

Three Core Objectives Drive the Agenda

Workshop organisers identified three primary goals for the gathering:

First, participants will provide detailed feedback on the Blueprint Platform’s usability and functionality, ensuring that digital tools align with practical management requirements. Second, the session will examine training needs and identify the most effective training formats for MPA practitioners. Third, managers will engage in peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, discussing common management obstacles and exploring potential solutions informed by their collective experience.

Workshop Timeline: From Introductions to User Stories

The morning session follows a structured agenda designed to maximise collaboration and information gathering. After introductions and brief presentations from each MPA representative, a short overview will outline the PHAROS project and workshop objectives.

MPA Managers Workshop – January 30th, 2026 Agenda

Time	Topics	Details
09:00–09:30	Round of introductions	Present each MPA (flash/pitch presentations by each MPA representative)
09:30–09:40	Introduction of the PHAROS project	Short presentation about the project and goals of the workshop
09:40–10:40	Discussion on challenges and needs of MPA practitioners	Participatory session on challenges that practitioners have encountered in their MPAs, solutions they have used to tackle them, and other potential solutions
10:40–11:00	Training needs (themes and structure)	Participative session around competencies and skills needed by MPA practitioners and identifying what training could address those training needs
11:00–11:30	Coffee break	—
11:30–11:40	Presentation of Blueprint Platform	Overview of the Blueprint Platform’s status and upcoming functionalities to be delivered by Blue4All by 2026
11:40–12:00	Functions and usability	Focus on the platform’s main functionalities: login, filtering, tools page, feedback, and tool upload
12:00–12:40	Co-creation of a first set of user stories	Introduction of the user story concept and co-creation of new user stories related to platform enhancement within the PHAROS project
12:40–13:00	Summary, follow-up and end	Moment for final questions, summarizing what was achieved during the workshop, and next steps going forward with the project

The bulk of the first session focuses on challenge identification and solutions. Participants will discuss obstacles they have encountered in their MPAs, solutions already implemented, and emerging approaches worth exploring. A dedicated segment addresses training needs, with practitioners identifying competencies and skills gaps that future training could address.

Following a coffee break, the second half shifts toward platform development. Organisers will present the Blueprint Platform’s current status and new functionalities scheduled for delivery by Blue4All through 2026. Participants will then examine the platform’s core functions, including login systems, filtering capabilities, tools pages, feedback mechanisms, and tool upload features.

The workshop culminates in a collaborative session where managers will co-create user stories—detailed narratives describing how end-users interact with the platform that will guide platform enhancements within the PHAROS project. A final segment allows for questions and summarises achievements while outlining next steps.

Part of Broader European Initiative

The MPA Managers workshop represents just one component of the PHAROS Mega Event, which will extend throughout the weekend from January 29th to 31st, 2026, with additional sessions scheduled for Thursday afternoon and Saturday.