YouSea Institute is a Slovenian non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation and restoration of marine biodiversity, with particular emphasis on seabed habitats and the coastal ecosystems of the Adriatic and Mediterranean. Its work brings together marine science, nature conservation, education, participatory science, sustainable mariculture, public engagement and creative practice. The Institute develops activities that reduce pressures on the marine environment, create or restore habitats for marine organisms, improve understanding of ecological processes and encourage communities to become actively involved in protecting the sea.
Ocean literacy is a central component of YouSea’s work. Through its Blue School programme, the Institute cooperates with schools and educational institutions to integrate marine and sustainability topics into formal and non-formal education. It organises lectures, practical workshops, field activities, guided visits, participatory-science programmes and encounters with marine professionals. Topics include marine biodiversity, seagrass meadows, invasive species, climate-related changes, pollution, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, marine conservation and appropriate behaviour in coastal environments. YouSea also develops interactive educational materials, games, quizzes and worksheets, helping children and adults understand their connection with the ocean and translate knowledge into responsible action.
The Institute’s conservation and restoration activities include the Sea Oasis Piran, a living underwater laboratory composed of specially designed structures that provide settlement surfaces, refuges and microhabitats for marine organisms. The structures are used to study ecological succession, test materials and sustainable mariculture approaches, and explore practical responses to biodiversity loss, warming seas and pressures on shellfish populations. By increasing the availability of structurally complex habitat, the Sea Oasis supports local biodiversity while also serving as a platform for scientific monitoring, education, underwater photography and public communication.
A particularly important example of YouSea’s art–science approach is the project In Memory of the Greats, dedicated to the critically endangered Mediterranean fan mussel, Pinna nobilis. The fan mussel is not only an iconic Mediterranean species but also an ecosystem engineer: its large shell provides habitat for algae, invertebrates and small fish, while its filter-feeding contributes to water quality.
The project brought together more than 80 artists and creators, marine biologists, educators, photographers, schools, cultural organisations and environmental partners. Participants produced artistic interpretations of the fan mussel, which were first presented to the public in an exhibition at the Monfort Gallery in Piran. Selected sculptures were subsequently placed on the seabed within the Sea Oasis Piran, transforming the exhibition into a permanent underwater gallery and experimental habitat.
The submerged works are scientifically monitored to document the settlement and development of marine communities. By March 2026, the first organisms had already colonised the sculptures, demonstrating that the artworks can gradually become part of the marine ecosystem and provide new surfaces and shelter for marine life. The project therefore moves beyond the use of art solely as a communication tool: artistic objects become functional ecological structures, while scientific monitoring generates new knowledge about their contribution to habitat creation and restoration.
Through projects such as In Memory of the Greats, YouSea uses art to make biodiversity loss visible and emotionally understandable, while science ensures ecological relevance, accuracy and measurable environmental impact. This combination enables the Institute to connect research, conservation, restoration and ocean literacy, reaching audiences that may not otherwise engage with marine science and encouraging a deeper cultural and personal relationship with the sea.
Website: www.yoursea.org