Alexandra Koustou, an advocate for ocean conservation and Senior Advisor at Oceana, participated on Wednesday, as part of the United Nations General Assembly, alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in the official announcement of the establishment of the OceanEye International Alliance for the Global Ocean Observation System. On this occasion, she called on governments to make better use of knowledge about the oceans in order to accelerate efforts to protect and restore them.
“We welcome the initiative by President von der Leyen and Prime Minister Carney on OceanEye and global ocean observation. Better information gives us an extremely important opportunity: to know what is happening in the oceans, where there is potential for recovery, and what is needed to accelerate their restoration,” said Alexandra Cousteau.
“At Oceana, we see every day how better information leads to better decisions. From monitoring fishing activity and detecting illegal fishing to protecting marine habitats and restoring fish stocks, reliable data allows us to understand what is happening far from shore and beneath the sea’s surface, enabling governments to make informed decisions and take action.”
Alexandra Cousteau’s participation continues her family’s tradition of ocean exploration, while also highlighting her own two decades of work to protect the oceans. Thanks to the work of her grandfather, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and her father, Philippe Cousteau, millions of people have discovered life beneath the ocean’s surface. Today, her own work focuses on restoring the richness of marine life. As climate change and other pressures alter marine ecosystems, understanding the changes taking place, identifying areas where recovery is taking place, and evaluating which measures are effective are essential for the effective protection and restoration of the oceans.
For Europe, the upcoming European Ocean Act represents a significant opportunity to leverage this knowledge, translating a better understanding of the state of the oceans into policies that support their restoration and the coastal communities that depend on them.
“At a time when international scientific cooperation is under pressure and millions of Europeans are directly experiencing the effects of the climate crisis, international collaboration through OceanEye highlights the timely and meaningful recognition of the oceans’ importance to humanity,” said Vera Coelho, Vice President and Executive Director of Oceana in Europe.
“Europe now has the opportunity to use this improved knowledge to take more meaningful action. A legally binding European Ocean Act can help ensure that this knowledge leads to healthier seas, the recovery of fish stocks, and a more secure future for coastal communities.”
From Knowledge About the Oceans to Action to Protect Them
OceanEye is a key initiative of the European Ocean Pact, aimed at strengthening observation, research, and scientific knowledge about the oceans. The initiative, launched by the European Commission in 2026, aims to establish the European Union as a global leader in the collection and use of ocean data, with the goal of covering 35% of the global ocean observation system by 2035.
At the heart of the initiative is the OceanEye International Alliance, which brings together countries and international partners with the goal of strengthening the Global Ocean Observing System, mobilize investment, and expand international cooperation. The data collected through ocean observation are utilized across a wide range of sectors, from meteorological and climate forecasts to maritime safety, coastal resilience, a sustainable blue economy, and efforts to protect and restore marine ecosystems.
As Europe strengthens its ability to monitor and understand what is happening in the oceans, the next challenge is to ensure that this knowledge is used in the decisions that shape their future. The upcoming European Pact for the Oceans offers the opportunity to transform the goals of the European Pact for the Oceans into a stronger institutional framework for the protection and restore them.
Oceana calls for the adoption of a legally binding European Pact for the Oceans, with effective enforcement mechanisms, which will strengthen their protection and restoration, contribute to the recovery of fish stocks, provide preferential access to coastal waters for fishermen who adopt environmentally sound practices, and establish ocean health as a central objective of all European Union policies. The combination of more comprehensive scientific knowledge and stronger policies can help Europe accelerate the recovery of the oceans, while supporting the well-being and resilience of coastal communities.
