Once again, we established our house reef in arguably the best position of the diving area, tending to and maintaining it for nine days. A major draw was our plastic tower: plastic waste collected from beaches and rivers worldwide—remnants of our plastic-based civilisation that simply cannot be ignored.
In 2026, we were once again joined by numerous high-profile visitors—including (clockwise) "Doc" Florian Huber (the "Indy" of underwater archaeology), Martin "Splity" Splitt (host of the Deko-Zeit podcast), Hannes Jaenicke (actor, environmental activist, and founder of the Pelorus Jack Foundation, who was awarded the Dive Award Climate 2026), Angela Ziltener (Dolfin Watch Alliance), Claudia and Hendrik Schmitt (documentary filmmakers known as "The Jetlagged"), Tim Noack (Mantahari), and Katharina Koch (Aqua Active Agency, who presented us with a funding cheque of €2,000—our thanks once again!).
In presentations held at the diving tower and the Water Pixel World, we reported on our international school programme (Mozambique and Indonesia), provided an outlook on our research on tiger sharks in the Maldives, and offered expert advice on diving with sharks—always in front of a large and highly engaged audience.
Above all, we assembled an inspiring team for the entire nine days—individuals of diverse talents from all sectors of society and from across Germany, who travelled to Düsseldorf at their own expense, volunteering and using their annual leave. The atmosphere at the ElasmOcean house reef remained highly professional, motivated, and dedicated throughout—and despite the demanding days, was filled with humour and camaraderie.
It was an exceptionally rewarding experience.
We look forward to seeing you all again—at the latest at "boot" 2027, then in Hall 13!
More protection through knowledge.
