The Coastal Ocean Environment School in Western Indian Ocean (COES-WIO) in Kenya is thrilled to open applications for its inaugural program. Modelled after the successful Coastal Ocean Environment Summer School in Nigeria and Ghana (COESSING; https://coessing.org/), which has fostered oceanography skills and capacity across West Africa since 2015, COES-WIO offers a transformative learning experience in ocean science.
The program includes an immersive, in-person week from 21st to 27th September 2025 in Mombasa, Kenya, where participants will engage in hands-on activities, including fieldwork, laboratory analysis, data interpretation, and presentations. This experience is designed to enhance practical skills, connect with experts, and build networks that support continued growth and international collaboration in ocean sciences. Participants will have the opportunity to learn advanced ocean-related practices and global frameworks, important tools to advance capacity in research, management, and services.
The training is developed as a pre-activity of the 13th Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association Symposium and is organized in the context of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). The school will gather 75 international young professionals from the WIO region.
Venue: Mombasa, Kenya
The training will take place at the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) with some sessions hosted at Pwani University and Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI).
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, the learners are expected to:
- Be familiar with field surveys and experimental techniques within the different project tracks.
- Understand how to use different equipment for physical and biological data collection within the different project tracks.
- Be familiar with processes involved in the different project tracks including fish handling, postharvest processes, marine plastics and laboratory sample processes.
- Develop reports to communicate the scientific concepts learnt in the various project tracks.
Who should apply
Students (Bachelors, masters, PhD), early-career researchers, and professionals in marine science and oceanography-related fields, including sectoral stakeholders from the WIO region.
How to apply
This course has a limited number of participants. Please complete the online application form available on this LINK. The submission deadline is 15 July 2025 (23:59 CEST: Central European Summer Time). UNESCO is committed to promoting equal access principles. Applications from minority or underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged.
Contacts
Please contact the Course Coordinators for any queries: Gabriel Juma gabriel.juma@awi.de and Cosmas Munga ckamunga2014@tum.ac.ke
Learn more
Download the full announcement.
