The GES4SEAS project has finalised a new educational comic book designed to help young people understand the close relationship between ocean health and human well-being.

Developed as part of the Horizon Europe project GES4SEAS, the book translates key scientific concepts into accessible stories about marine biodiversity, human pressures, ecosystem health and ocean management.

The comic book builds on this mission by helping young audiences explore how the ocean influences our lives, and how our actions influence the ocean. The story follows the key messages defined for GES4SEAS. It begins with Healthy Seas for Healthy Human Societies, showing how ocean health supports human well-being. It then introduces the idea that marine ecosystems are affected by multiple pressures, where 1 + 1 is not always 2, because pressures can accumulate and interact in complex ways. From there, the book explains why maintaining Good Environmental Status matters for both ecosystems and people, and why avoiding tipping points is essential to protect the stability of marine systems. It also introduces Ecosystem-Based Management as a way to manage the whole system, rather than treating environmental problems in isolation. The final comics bring the story towards Ocean Optimism, showing how science, management tools and collective action can support marine recovery and more sustainable relationships with the sea.

To bring these ideas to life, the comics use real examples from different European regional seas. Scientists from the GES4SEAS consortium wrote a series of short comics on key marine topics, including biodiversity, human pressures, environmental status and marine management. These comics were then reviewed by children from different age groups and schools across Europe, including Denmark, England, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Romania and Spain.

Guided by their teachers, students helped improve the educational content, structure and layout of the comics, ensuring that the messages were clear, engaging and suitable for young readers. This direct involvement of young people was an important part of the project’s ocean literacy work, helping to make the final book both scientifically grounded and accessible.

The completed comic book is now available in 17 languages, including Basque, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Low German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish. A blank version is also available, allowing students to complete missing panels and create their own interpretation of the stories.

The book is intended to be more than a reading resource. Teachers can use it to introduce key ocean concepts in the classroom, inspire discussion, and support creative activities. Students can read the official version, complete the blank edition, or develop their own comics based on what they have learned.

Through this work, GES4SEAS aims to inspire young people to better understand the ocean, reflect on their connection to it, and recognise the importance of protecting marine ecosystems.

Download the comics in this link, and we hope it inspires you to explore, learn and protect our seas.