Learn4Sea Project

LEARN4SEA – bringing together knowledge, innovation and regional cooperation to strengthen institutional capacity and contribute to the sustainable protection of the Black Sea. 🌊

The LEARN4SEA Final Conference marked an important milestone, bringing together partners and stakeholders from across the Black Sea region to share results, experiences and perspectives for future cooperation.

On 20–21 August 2026, the Learn4Sea Project Final Conference brought together different generations, countries and institutions in Varna under the theme “Strengthening LOCAL Institutional Capacity for Safeguarding the Black Sea.”

Jointly organised by CERONAV and Black Sea - Danube Association for Research and Development (BDCA), the LEARN4SEA Conference brought together organisations and stakeholders from across the Black Sea region to present the project’s key achievements – from the network of Environmental Information Centres and innovative air and water quality assessment to educational resources and immersive VR learning tools.

A dedicated panel, “Saving Our Sea Together,” focused the discussion on stronger cooperation between public authorities, environmental agencies, academia and civil society in addressing shared Black Sea challenges.

Representing Marine Cluster Bulgaria, Ilze Atanasova presented the wider strategic and cooperation framework for the sustainable and competitive development of the Blue Economy and highlighted how MCB is helping translate regional priorities into practical partnerships and opportunities.

Among the initiatives presented were:

🔹 The Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea (CMA) and MCB’s role as the Bulgarian National Hub, including Bulgaria’s 2026 coordination priorities;
🔹 EIT Water, with MCB acting as the Black Sea Regional Hub, connecting regional stakeholders with European opportunities in water, marine and maritime innovation;
🔹 BlueDial , strengthening cross-border dialogue and cooperation across the Black Sea;
🔹 Enterprise Europe Network and the opportunities offered in the Network
🔹 initiatives promoting stronger Black Sea–Danube synergies, connectivity and cross-regional partnerships.

The message connecting these activities with the discussions at LEARN4SEA is clear: regional challenges require regional cooperation – bringing together knowledge, networks and people to turn shared priorities into action.

CERONAV–PRU bilateral meeting

On 13–14 August 2026, CERONAV and Piri Reis University (PRU) met in Constanța for a hands-on bilateral meeting focused on the finalisation of LEARN4SEA activities and future cooperation.

The two-day working sessions focused on:
🌊 testing and installing PRU’s VR educational game on CERONAV’s equipment;
📊 discussing EIC capabilities, air-quality sensors and the format for sharing environmental data through the web portal after the project ends;
🎓 exploring how VR and other interactive educational materials can be adapted to different age groups and learning contexts;
🤝 sharing experiences and discussing opportunities for continued collaboration beyond LEARN4SEA.

The meeting concluded with concrete actions for the remaining project activities and a shared commitment to continue cooperation towards a cleaner and more informed Black Sea region.

LEARN4SEA Final Conference Varna Bulgaria
Dates: Thursday 20 - Friday 21 August 2026
Venue: Cherno More Hotel, Varna, Bulgaria

The LEARN4SEA project – Innovative Joint Learning for Environmentally-Friendly Behaviour of Communities in the Black Sea Basin – is pleased to invite you to participate in the Final Conference, where the project's achievements, innovative educational tools, pilot activities, Environmental Information Centres, and jointly developed solutions for strengthening environmental awareness and cooperation across the Black Sea Basin will be presented.

The conference is jointly organised by the Romanian Maritime Training Centre - CERONAV and the Black Sea – Danube Association of Research and Development (BDCA), in cooperation with all LEARN4SEA project partners.

Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme
Priority 2: Clean and Green Region
Policy Objective 2: A greener, low-carbon transition towards a net-zero carbon economy and a resilient Europe.
Specific Objective 7: Enhancing the protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, and reducing all forms of pollution.
Partnership:
· CERONAV – Romanian Maritime Training Centre (RO) – Lead Partner
· Black Sea – Danube Association of Research and Development (BDCA) (BG)
· LEPL – National Environmental Agency (NEA) (GE)
· Piri Reis University (PRU) (TR)
· Shabla Municipality (SM) (BG)
Project Period: 26 June 2024 – 25 August 2026

Project objective: Enhanced environmentally-friendly behaviour of more citizens through jointly developed solutions that strengthen the capacities of local administrations and promote environmental awareness at multiple educational levels, contributing to better environmental protection and pollution reduction in the Black Sea Basin region.

Participation in the event is available upon invitation or prior confirmation with the organisers. For further information, please contact the Black Sea – Danube Association of Research and Development (BDCA) at [email protected]

Agenda of the conference will be published prior the event .

Learn4sea.eu - LEARN4SEA Final Conference Varna Bulgaria LEARN4SEA - NETWORK OF ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTRES (EIC)

Today, 30th July 2026, the Environmental Information Centre (EIC) Constanța, established under the LEARN4SEA project coordinated by CERONAV welcomed its youngest visitors ever.

🌈 For the first time, the centre hosted 14 preschool children (aged 5–6) from Piticot Kindergarten, accompanied by five teachers and kindergarten staff members, for an educational visit specially designed to match their age and curiosity.
CERONAV team prepared a fun, interactive programme that introduced environmental protection through play.

👭The children enjoyed memory games, explored virtual environments using VR headsets, completed an exciting treasure hunt, and learned how to distinguish between elements of the natural environment and recyclable waste by sorting illustrated cards into the correct categories.

👏Their enthusiasm, curiosity and joyful energy made this first preschool visit a truly memorable experience for everyone involved. It was wonderful to see how eagerly they interacted with CERONAV team, asked questions, discovered new concepts and happily received LEARN4SEA promotional materials.

🍃We strongly believe that environmental awareness starts at an early age, and this first visit by preschool children to the EIC Constanța marks an important milestone in the LEARN4SEA project's mission to inspire environmentally responsible communities across the Black Sea Basin.

✅ A big thank you to the children and teachers for spending the day with us. We look forward to welcoming them back soon!

CERONAV presented LEARN4SEA project at the national workshop on innovative marine technologies and environmental protection

✅ On 7–8 July 2026, representatives of CERONAV participated in the national workshop organized by the National Institute for Marine Research and Development "Grigore Antipa" (NIMRD) within the EfxINNOs project. The event, held in Constanța, focused on innovative technologies for marine environmental monitoring and the sustainable development of the Blue Economy. It brought together researchers, experts, public authorities, academia and a wide range of Romanian stakeholders interested in marine environmental protection and innovation in the Black Sea region.

As the Lead Partner of LEARN4SEA – Innovative Joint Learning for Environmental-Friendly Behaviour of Communities in the Black Sea Basin project, CERONAV was represented at the event by two members of its project team.

👩‍🏫During the session dedicated to Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin projects, LEARN4SEA Project Manager, delivered a presentation introducing the project, its international partnership, its objectives and the progress achieved so far. The presentation also highlighted the project's activities aimed at increasing environmental awareness and promoting environmentally responsible behaviour among communities across the Black Sea Basin.

Participants learned about the project's three key solutions: the network of Environmental Information Centres (EICs), the jointly developed methodology for air and water quality assessment, and the guidelines designed to strengthen cooperation among public authorities in environmental protection. 🌊The presentation also showcased the innovative educational materials, advanced monitoring equipment and pilot activities implemented in Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia and Türkiye.

📣The event provided an excellent opportunity to promote the achievements of the LEARN4SEA project, strengthen cooperation with Romanian stakeholders and explore future collaboration opportunities with organisations active in research, environmental protection and innovation across the Black Sea region.

The LEARN4SEA project is coordinated by CERONAV and is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme 2021–2027.
Project partners

✅The LEARN4SEA Environmental Information Center was officially launched in Constanta by the Romanian Maritime Training Centre - CERONAV

The participants were representatives of NGOs, research institutions, academia (both secondary schools and higher education institutions), as well as the very notable presence of representatives of Constanta County School Inspectorate and Interreg NEXB BSB Programme. 🤝In addition, members of the press, representing 9 different media organisations, were present. The Project Partners BDCA (Bulgaria) and PRU (Türkiye) also participated in the event.

🏡The centre established by CERONAV in Constanța serves as a regional hub for environmental awareness, informal education and stakeholder engagement in the Romanian Black Sea coastal area, and is designed to support a wide range of beneficiaries, including pupils, students, teachers, researchers, local and regional authorities, environmental NGOs, media representatives and members of the general public interested in environmental protection.

Project co-funded by the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme
Project partners

🌊 Strengthening Cooperation for Black Sea Innovation and Learning

Representatives of the LEARN4SEA project (🔗 https://learn4sea.eu/index.php/learn4sea) actively participated in the ANEMONE PLUS (BSB00949) – Phase 1 Stakeholder Co-Design Workshop, held on April 22, 2026, in Constanța, Romania.
The event, organized under the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme 2021–2027, brought together key stakeholders from governance, research, business, and civil society to contribute to the co-design of a WebGIS platform aimed at assessing the vulnerability of the Black Sea marine ecosystem to anthropogenic pressures.

💡 During the session dedicated to Interreg projects on the Romanian Black Sea coast, LEARN4SEA representatives showcased the project’s innovative approach to maritime education and capacity building.

🚀 A highlight of the participation was the hands-on demonstration of immersive learning materials developed in Virtual Reality (VR) by CERONAV experts. Participants had the opportunity to directly test these training modules using VR headsets acquired through the project, experiencing first-hand how digital technologies can enhance skills development in the blue economy sector.

🤝 The workshop provided a valuable platform for:
exchanging knowledge and best practices across Interreg initiatives
fostering synergies between projects addressing environmental protection and maritime training
engaging stakeholders in participatory, co-creation processes
LEARN4SEA (BSB00008) continues to promote innovative, digital, and practice-oriented learning solutions, contributing to a more resilient and sustainable Black Sea region.

🌍🌊 Earth Day 2026 | LEARN4SEA

This Earth Day, we highlight the mission of LEARN4SEA – Innovative joint learning for environmentally-friendly behaviour in the Black Sea Basin.

Through collaboration across Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Türkiye, LEARN4SEA is working to protect our environment by empowering communities and strengthening institutions to reduce pollution and preserve biodiversity.

💡 What we’re doing:
• Establishing Environmental Information Centres (EICs) as hubs for awareness and education
• Creating innovative environmental learning materials
• Delivering informal trainings for all education levels
• Monitoring air and water quality with modern tools
• Organising waste collection and awareness campaigns
• Supporting authorities with practical guidelines for sustainable cooperation

🌱 By combining education, action, and collaboration, LEARN4SEA is helping communities adopt responsible behaviours and build a cleaner, greener Black Sea region.

✨ This Earth Day, be part of the change. Every action matters.

🌎💚