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Empowering ocean stewards: IOC–UNESCO launches new online course on operationalising the BBNJ Agreement
01 Apr 2026
In April, a major new training opportunity is opening for ocean professionals, students, policymakers and anyone committed to the future of the high seas. The comprehensive self-paced, online course 'Using Science, Knowledge & Tools to Operationalise the BBNJ Agreement' features expert contributions from MARBLES researchers
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IUCN new policy brief on the BBNJ Agreement’s Clearing-House Mechanism
30 Mar 2026
A new policy brief co-authored by our partners Amelia Westmoreland and Thomas Vanagt from 3BIO/ABS International and Marcel Jaspars from the University of Aberdeen, highlights how countries can best share information about marine genetic resources (MGRs) under the BBNJ Agreement.
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Partners advance BBNJ implementation efforts ahead of PrepCom3
16 Mar 2026
Ahead of the 3rd BBNJ Preparatory Commission (PrepCom3) which will run from 23 March to 2 April 2026, our partners from the University of Aberdeen (UNIABDN) and 3BIO/ABS Internatioanl (ABSint) have participated in a couple of BBNJ-focused events in the last few weeks
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Gilles van Wezel Appointed Member of the KHMW
06 Mar 2026
MARBLES’ Coordinator Gilles van Wezel, professor of Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Leiden, has been appointed as a member of the Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen (KHMW). Founded in 1752, the KHMW is the oldest ‘Learned society’ in the Netherlands and is dedicated to strengthening the connection between science and society.
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MARBLES Stakeholder Summit – Programme available, save your seat!
25 Feb 2026
The MARBLES Stakeholder Summit - Transforming Marine Biodiversity into Innovation, an industry-focused event showcasing the transformative potential of marine biodiversity for industry, policy and scientific innovation
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MARBLES’ partner appointed chief of bioinformatics at Wageningen University and Research
17 Feb 2026
Marnix Medema, a MARBLES partner at Wageningen University & Research, took up the role of chair of the Bioinformatics group on 1 February 2026. In this position, he aims to improve the connection between bioinformatics and life sciences.
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Celebrating the career and contributions of UCC's Alan Dobson to MARBLES
12 Feb 2026
Within MARBLES, Alan has played a pivotal role leading Work Package 1 (WP1): Novel Bio‑Resources and Improved Approaches to Biodiversity Mining.
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MARBLES partner receives new funding to further investigate marine sponges
02 Feb 2026
MARBLES’ partner, Detmer Sipkema from Wageningen University, has been awarded an ENW-M grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) for innovative, fundamental research. Thanks to this grant, worth over €400,000, Detmer's research team will be able to further investigate a method to produce medicines and other bioactive compounds in sponge cells.
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Join us at the MARBLES Stakeholder Summit - Register today!
01 Feb 2026
The MARBLES Stakeholder Summit - Transforming Marine Biodiversity into Innovation, an industry-focused event showcasing the transformative potential of marine biodiversity for industry, policy and scientific innovation
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MARBLES E‑Newsletter Issue 7 - Out now!
26 Jan 2026
All the latest news, events and highlights from the project including discovering antimicrobial molecules from deep-sea sponge microbes, algal‑associated bacteria that inhibit aquaculture pathogens, contributing to the UN’s BBNJ negotiations in New York, and releasing antiSMASH 8.0 with enhanced biosynthetic gene cluster analysis capabilities!
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New article explores the deep‑sea sponge Inflatella pellicula and its unique microbiome
23 Jan 2026
MARBLES researchers from University College Cork (UCC) and Wageningen University (WU) have published a new MARBLES‑supported article in Microbial Genomics that offers new insights into the microbiome of the deep‑sea sponge Inflatella pellicula and the metabolic potential of its wider microbiome.
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Entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement
18 Jan 2026
The Agreement on Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) officially entered into force on 17 January 2026, after achieving the 60 ratifications required for its activation.