The interdisciplinary ZMT/IOI Winter School “Ocean Governance for Sustainable Marine Ecosystems” will train around 25 international scholars to develop solutions for a sustainable governance of the Ocean to sustain our marine ecosystems. With a 5 day intensive academic program it will enable young scholars to engage in marine governance issues by providing an scientific basis from different disciplinary perspectives. This approach allows a thorough and holistic understanding of the topic. Practitioners from the GIZ (German Corporation for International Cooperation GmbH), WWF and the BSH (Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie) will contribute their perspective. The aim is to equip the participants with a reflected understanding of ocean ecosystem issues and governance and have developed a network of experts. The Winter school is one of ZMT´s contribution to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.