Antonia Spielvogel Shares Campaign Highlights as a 2026 Ocean Protection Ambassador

This blog post was authored by Antonia Spielvogel, a 2025 EarthEcho Ocean Protection Ambassador.

Antonia‘s campaign is proof of the Eleanor Roosevelt quote, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

In January, Antonia didn’t know what bottom trawling was. But after finding out about the EarthEcho International Ocean Protection Ambassador Program (EU Cohort), her life rapidly changed. Looking back on the year 2025, Antonia has served as the official German youth delegate at the UN Ocean Conference, and reached people on an international, national and local level, bridging an age range of 70 years and a geographical distance of 18,000 km. The campaign's baseline was established with a petition against industrial bottom trawling in marine protected areas (MPAs), a critical issue given that MPAs are essential tools for biodiversity conservation but often face challenges from destructive practices like bottom trawling. This petition served as a measurable starting point for assessing the campaign's impact.

“The Ocean Protection Ambassador Program enabled me to create an impactful, long lasting campaign within a short period of time. EarthEcho provided tracking sheets that helped define the structure of my campaign. This led to one-in-a-lifetime chances, unbelievable opportunities and impactful experiences.  This program changed my life and I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity.”  - Antonia Spielvogel

During the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in June in Nice, this year, Antonia actively engaged in extensive networking, connecting with influential figures including high-level politicians, directors of research centers, and CEOs of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). A pivotal moment during this conference was her delivery of a speech on behalf of Carsten Schneider, the Minister of the Environment, an event that rose international attention and was presented in front of a large audience. Upon returning to her landlocked hometown in southern Germany, Antonia recognized a significant gap in public awareness regarding ocean conservation issues, particularly concerning the issue of bottom trawling in marine protected areas, even though fish in the local supermarkets could have been fished this way.

To address this, she proactively engaged with local media, securing newspaper coverage of her attendance at the UN Ocean Conference. This media outreach served a dual purpose: raising awareness about bottom trawling and introducing ideas for future projects and teasing events, while also leveraging traditional media for public education and campaign visibility. Effective communication is crucial for marine conservation campaigns, as it helps bridge the gap between scientific understanding and public action.

After graduating high school in July, Antonia intensified her focus on the campaign. She participated in a German youth ocean competition, which included a research expedition on the Baltic Sea from July 4th to July 7th. During this expedition, Antonia contributed her specialized knowledge of bottom trawling in MPAs, enriching the research team's understanding, even though the primary focus of the expedition was seagrass meadows. This experience underscored the importance of interdisciplinary knowledge sharing in marine science and conservation. Following the research trip, Antonia played a significant speaking role at a parliamentary evening in Berlin on July 8th, organized by the German Ocean Foundation. Here, she addressed prominent leaders, including Steffi Lemke, the former Minister of the Environment. Her advocacy against bottom trawling in MPAs received positive feedback, and she used this event as an intense networking session further expanding her professional connections. Such direct engagement with government officials and policymakers is vital for influencing marine policy and governance which often can‘t be reached without strong public presence.

Inspired by the diverse approaches to ocean literacy presented at the UNOC, Antonia developed a vision for an interactive workshop designed to educate participants on the complexities of MPA placement. Ocean literacy, defined as understanding the ocean's influence on humanity and humanity's influence on the ocean, is recognized as a transformative mechanism for reshaping human-ocean relationships and empowering communities. The workshop concept involved a large geographical map of two coastal cities with varied coastlines, including islands, bays, and river deltas. Small groups of approximately five participants would receive this map along with around 30 "info-cards." These cards provided crucial background information not immediately visible on the map, covering economic interests (e.g., wind farm placement, tourism, the fishing industry), ecological complexities (e.g., endangered species, fragile ecosystems, artificial reefs), and social aspects (e.g., local fishers' dependence on income). The objective of the workshop was for groups to discuss and decide on the management of the area, specifically addressing where MPAs could be established, their protection levels, and placement. So called side-quests included deciding on the placement of wind farms or hotels. The workshop also envisioned separating participants into "blue" and "red" groups, each focusing on different geographical sections of the map and corresponding info-cards. This setup aimed to simulate the political complexities of ocean protection and emphasize the critical role of communication and collaboration in finding legitimate solutions, effectively placing participants in the role of policymakers. The development of this workshop proved challenging due to the need to condense complex topics into easily understandable yet comprehensive information, ensuring sufficient guidance while allowing for discussion. This initiative aligns with the UN Ocean Decade's call for co-designing transformative science and learning strategies to bridge the gap between science and society.

In August, Antonia dove deeper into the world of ocean science, especially data-handling. While attending a summer school, organized by the GEOMAR, a german marine-research centre located in Kiel, and learning about GIS, Python and AI, she cooperated with the organizers of the summer school and was able to implement her campaign in the program, enabling her to create a specific focus on the long lasting and destructive effects of bottom trawling. Following the summer school, Antonia remained in Kiel to engage with the broader ocean community during the start of the European Ocean Race. This event served as an interface for politicians, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), scientists, and the general public, providing an ideal platform for advancing ocean conservation dialogues. This event also proved the importance of good connections. Antonia’s network not only enabled her to have a spontaneous speaking role on stage, which provided a perfect opportunity to share her work and petition, but also enabled Antonia to attend high-level events that allowed her to further network within the ocean community. Without a break, Antonia’s journey continued to an internship at the Alfred Wegner Institut on Sylt, that was offered to her during UNOC. The following 2 weeks were characterised by scientific research, which effectively enriched Antonia’s workshop as well as future plans.

By mid-September, Antonia completed all preparations for her public and school-based events. This included printing flyers, coordinating both in-person and online guest speakers, securing licenses for movie streaming, organizing media coverage, and obtaining approvals from schools and her local mayor for venue use. These organizational efforts underscore the multifaceted requirements for effective public engagement in environmental initiatives. The workshop, spanning three and a half hours, set out with a steep knowledge input featuring intense visual scenes from David Attenborough's documentary, Ocean. This visual foundation was followed by diverse guest speakers who introduced participants to ocean science, youth engagement, and ocean politics. These inputs built a broad knowledge base and were followed by the self-designed interactive workshop. The interactive learning experience covered an impressive age range of 70 years and incredibly diverse backgrounds, reaching from PhD candidates and holders in (marine) science to inexperienced individuals, first confronted with bottom trawling that very day. Such inclusive educational strategies are vital for fostering ocean literacy and broadening public support for conservation. Following Antonia’s successful public workshop, she continued spreading awareness in her local area, shifting her focus from the general public to schools. A key interactive activation was a postcard activity, where all 9th and 10th graders in the city confined their demands to Carsten Schneider, the Minister of the Environment. This direct engagement resulted in the collection of over 400 postcards, intended to be delivered to the Minister. Although initially planned for year-end delivery, Antonia strategically decided to retain the postcards to expand the activity within her own new projects, aiming to amplify its reach and impact. Such direct, youth-led advocacy is crucial for influencing policy and promoting a sense of ownership in environmental stewardship.

Additionally Antonia is now recognized as an EarthEcho International Ocean Protection Ambassador for one of the schools she spoke at, bringing to life yearly ocean events at the school with her as a guest speaker. In October, Antonia began her university studies in marine geoscience in Bremen, yet her projects continued to thrive. A pivotal development was the co-founding of JON – the Youth Ocean Network – during an in-person meeting in Darmstadt with several passionate collaborators. The genesis of JON originated from a recognized communication gap within the broader ocean community, particularly among youth organizations, which often led to inefficient advocacy and campaigning, a challenge also highlighted during UNOC. JON's core mission is to connect existing youth ocean organizations across Germany, thereby strengthening collective impact and improving communication of demands. Furthermore, JON aims to serve as a vital platform for all passionate youth in Germany, addressing the challenges faced by those in especially landlocked regions who often lack access to knowledge and resources in ocean conservation.

The JON founder team has already secured financial and organizational support from OKEANOS, a German ocean foundation, indicating strong initial backing for this ambitious project. Antonia plans to significantly expand her postcard activity through the JON network, which is projected to reach thousands of new individuals across Germany, vastly increasing its awareness-raising potential. The strong and important connections of Antonia and the JON founder team to the German government further position JON for a promising future in terms of political influence and policy engagement. In summary, Antonia's comprehensive campaign has successfully garnered over 6,200 signatures on her petition against industrial bottom trawling in MPAs, demonstrating a quantifiable impact in raising public awareness and advocating for critical marine conservation issues. Her strategic blend of scientific education, public outreach, and direct political engagement, now amplified through the establishment of JON, promising long-lasting effects.

Antonia’s passion for our ocean as well as all her campaign elements were extremely enriched by EarthEcho International's Ocean Protection Ambassador Program (EU cohort). Antonia is looking forward to expanding her network, knowledge and influence within the ocean community.