A few words on the survey:
Between August 10th and September 6th 2026, 627 people were surveyed about their perception of the ocean and their concern for it and the resources it provides.
The survey was conducted as part of an international research project on the understanding of and perspectives on the ocean among the german general public. It was piloted within the UN Ocean Decade in Australia, France, Japan and the US before CeOS adapted and carried it out in Germany. The first round of surveys was concluded in 2024. This second measurement took place only a few months after the stranding of the humpback whale „Timmy“ on the German Baltic coast. The assumption arose, that this emotionally charged incident, which was also very present in media, had changed the participants‘ awareness of and concern about ocean-related topics.
Within the survey, every participant was given one euro, which they could divide freely between donating to preselected organisations (NABU [The Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union], Seenotretter [sea rescue], Welthungerhilfe [world hunger aid], and WWF) or to fully or partially keeping the euro. This question was designed to show the connection between the stated concern and the actual action and decisions the participants made. As a result of the weighted answers, the following amounts will be donated:
NABU €103.91 Certificate
Seenotretter €78.23 Certificate
Welthungerhilfe €64.26 Certificate
WWF €79.25 Certificate
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all participants once again, and to thank them on behalf of the organisations for their donations.
The results of the two survey waves are currently being analysed and will be published in publicly accessible scientific papers in the near future.
