Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience |  University of Cape Coast

The Centre for Coastal Management - Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (CCM-ACECoR) together with the Solving Sustainability Challenges at the Food-Climate-Biodiversity Nexus Project  (Solving-FCB), marked World Oceans Day 2026 with a reflective storytelling campaign anchored on the theme “REIMAGINE: Beyond the world we know, a new relationship with our ocean.”

Ahead of the celebration, individuals from diverse backgrounds were invited to share personal reflections on their relationship with the ocean. These narratives were carefully collected and later featured during the commemorative event.

The initiative aimed to highlight the often-overlooked emotional and cultural connections people have with the ocean. By centring lived experiences, CCM-ACECoR sought to reinforce the idea that the ocean is not only a source of livelihoods and ecological services, but also a space of identity, memory, and meaning for many communities.

On the day of the celebration, the curated reflections were shared on our social media accounts, creating a moment of engagement and dialogue. The stories underscored a shared message: the ocean is deeply intertwined with human life, and protecting it requires recognising and valuing these personal connections.

Through this approach, CCM-ACECoR encouraged a shift in perception, by inviting stakeholders to move beyond conventional narratives of ocean use and towards a more relational and stewardship-oriented understanding of marine environments.