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10th World Ocean Summit

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World Ocean Initiative

Although young people express concern about the ocean, a lack of access and awareness creates a gap between their passion and actions. From the influence of social media to systemic barriers, discover what is driving the current state of ocean literacy among young people—and find out their perspectives on how ocean health can be improved.

 The great disconnect: Young people and ocean literacy

Tom Pickerell, global director of the Ocean Program for World Resources Institute discusses why holistic ocean management is essential to protect marine ecosystems, tackle illegal fishing, and sustain livelihoods.

Sustaining Our Seas: Why 100% Ocean Management Matters

Vidar Helgesen points to progress at a “very difficult time for multilateralism”, but describes the overall picture for the ocean and SDGs as “grim”

Multilateral success but no back-patting come 2030: IOC/UNESCO executive secretary talks SDGs

Inclusive and equitable blue economy


Sustainable Ocean Economy

Ocean-based solutions to climate change


Ocean and Climate

Protection and restoration of ocean ecosystems

Biodiversity, Ecosystems & Resources

Circular and regenerative practices


Ocean Health

Celebrating 12 years of the World Ocean Initiative partnership

Celebrating 12 years working with our founding supporter Blancpain

ISSUES

Ocean Home

Ocean home

Latest Insights

Fresh Insight

Watch, Listen, Learn

Spotlight

Investing in small-scale fisheries strengthens global nutrition, protects biodiversity and builds climate resilience.

Jörn Schmidt

India is blessed with rich and varied fisheries resources and a diverse array of fish species that have traditionally supported the livelihood of millions of fishers.

India’s fisheries sector—a transformative journey

In conversation with Francesca Clapcich, the professional sailor using her platform to champion environmental stewardship and inclusivity

Belonging as a tool to address ocean health

WWF defines a sustainable ocean-based or "blue" economy as one that provides social and economic benefits for current and future generations; restores, protects and maintains diverse, productive and resilient marine ecosystems; and is based on clean technologies, renewable energy and circular material flows.

Now is the time to protect Africa’s most biodiverse ocean region from exploitation

scaling sargassum solutions and building a sustainable blue bioeconomy

SOS Carbon: riding the wave of change six months after Ocean Changemakers

How rrreefs (Ocean Changemakers winner 2024) is using innovative technology and community engagement to rebuild coral reefs and restore marine biodiversity.


Reef revival: scaling up for a brighter ocean future

Navigating success and tackling global water challenges six months after Ocean Changemakers

Scaling solutions for Water Warriors

A guest blog by World Ocean Summit speaker Allyson Browne, co-founder and chief executive of HACC, the High Ambition Climate Collective

Turning the tide: ports as catalysts for climate action

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) shapes critical policies governing the potential extraction of minerals from the seafloor. In early August, the member states of the ISA overwhelmingly elected a new secretary-General, Letitia Carvalho

Challenging the seabed mining narrative: economic and technical realities

Julia Mellers, marine biologist at Wakatobi Dive Resort,discusses a new model for sustainable reef preservation through data-driven Conservation and tokenization


Wakatobi's reef tokens

By Julia Marsh, co-founder and chief executive of Sway, and Emy Kane, managing director of Lonely Whale

What if plastic could evolve to replenish the planet?

The vast expanse of our oceans, once seen as boundless and resilient, is now facing unprecedented threats due to human activities, particularly the maritime industry.

Improving our oceans' health by de-emissioning the maritime industry

Despite its modest landmass of just 457 square km, Seychelles’ ocean spans 1.37m square km—a territory equivalent to half the land area of Argentina. The abundant ocean not only defines the national identity but also serves as the bedrock of its economy, which rests on the twin pillars of tourism and fisheries.


Seychelles’ Balancing Act: Transforming Fisheries to Preserve Biodiversity

A guest blog by Melanie Knight, program manager, the ECHO Program 

Charting the course to quieter and cleaner ships and seas

While the US has a large number of ocean startup support organisations, countries like Iceland and Norway demonstrate remarkable density per capita, indicating a deep-rooted and vibrant ocean-entrepreneur ecosystem - writes David Hume, founder and editor-in-chief of The Liquid Grid

Finding cultures of ocean innovation

Harnessing seaweed’s potential can generate benefits across a wide range of the UN’s SDGs as well as generate returns for businesses and investors - writes Eugene Klerk, head of ESG research at Standard Chartered

Kelp is on the way

A guest blog by Rebecca Hubbard director, High Seas Alliance

The High Seas Treaty: ocean health is our health

By Jacqueline Savitz, chief policy officer, Oceana 

30x30 is a conservation game-changer; allowing bottom trawling undermines its promise

By Chris Gorell Barnes, founding partner, Ocean 14 Capital 

Food glorious blue foods

29th session of the International Seabed Authority—Reflections on the debate about deep-sea mining by Dr Michael Norton, European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) 

Impressions of a scientist at the ISA: March 30th 2024

The circular economy agenda has the potential to address plastic-waste pollution, but investment in solutions is sorely needed, writes  Ambroise Fayolle, vice-president of the European Investment Bank

Changing our plastic habits

Global efforts are slowly mitigating the environmental impact of fisheries and aquaculture, yet the welfare of individual aquatic animals remains overlooked, writes Catalina Lopez, director of the Aquatic Animal Alliance at Aquatic Life Institute. 

Aquatic animal welfare as a key intervention to achieve sustainability

Blaine Grimes of Gulf of Maine Ventures group discusses the challenges of talent gaps, funding hurdles and technical complexities facing blue-economy innovation

Challenges of technology transfer for blue-economy innovation

Q&A with Marisa Drew, chief sustainability officer at Standard Chartered Bank and mentor for this year’s Ocean Changemakers Challenge

“It takes courage to know when to walk away from an idea and look to the next”

In conversation with Lubomila Jordanova, CEO and founder of Plan A and mentor for the Ocean Changemakers Challenge.

“The ocean sector is a key frontier for climate-change action”

Ahead of her panel discussion at this year’s World Ocean Summit, Gyorgyi Gurban, head of projects implementation, International Maritime Organisation on how greener shipping could be a game-changing opportunity to deliver on multiple sustainability targets

Why a greener maritime future is crucial for sustainable development

Q&A with Ted Janulis, founder and principal of Investable Oceans and mentor for this year’s Ocean Changemakers Challenge

“It takes fierce determination and grit to successfully launch and grow a startup”

A guest blog by Dr Dan Kammen, professor of energy at the University of California, Berkeley

Don’t buy the greenwashing – we don’t need deep-sea mining

A guest blog by Assunção Cristas, head of the ESG Integrated Services Platform and the environment practice area at VdA

Unlocking the power of blue carbon: a vital link between ocean, climate and biodiversity

A guest blog by Alfred Achar, founder and managing director of Bayrise Fish farm, on the importance of unlocking the African continent’s blue economy potential 


Alfred Achar

Greenhouse-gas emissions reductions aren’t happening fast enough. To bring technology to the scale necessary for significant impact, investment is needed. 

Betting big on the ocean economy

Transformations are taking place in the world’s oceans. Shifts in ocean currents, the expansion of warm-water masses, escalating fishing pressures and a decline in some marine species are all disrupting marine food chains.

Whales are telling us a story from the deep—will we listen?

A guest blog by Carlos Correia, CEO, Port of Lisbon

Harbouring sustainability: How ports can embrace environmental excellence

The global regulator of shipping has set the industry an ambitious net-zero target for 2050. Unified next steps are needed to meet this crucial goal. 


Charting a course to net zero: a fund and reward mechanism for international shipping

Coral reefs are in rapid decline due to rising temperatures and human activities. By some estimates, more than 50% of coral cover has been lost over the past 30 years.

Financing coral reef restoration through biodiversity credits

A guest blog by Alisa Kreynes, Head, Ports & Shipping, C40 Cities

Rocking the boat: building novel maritime partnerships to mitigate the climate crisis

Zurab Pololikashvilli, UNWTO Secretary-General on why protecting natural resources is not only good for the ocean but for livelihoods, communities and coastal economies

Charting a sustainable course: tourism pioneers the blue economy for thriving oceans

A guest blog by Giulio Magni, director of One Ocean Foundation

Balancing profit and planet in the ocean tourism industry 

There is potential not just to expand energy harvested from the ocean, but to make it cheaper too. 

Harnessing wave energy along with offshore wind

A guest blog by Josh Thomas – CEO, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Sustainable tourism management in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park: a collective effort

A guest blog by Markus Müller, chief investment officer ESG and global head of the Chief Investment Office, Deutsche Bank - Private Bank

Bridging the ocean finance gap

A blog by Caroline Douglass, executive director for flood and coastal erosion risk management at the UK Environment Agency, and speaker at the upcoming World Ocean Summit

Making England’s coastline more resilient in the face of climate change

A speaker blog by Larsen Mettler, managing director at S2G Ventures

The final frontier of ocean exploration: investing in ocean data and IOT

Catching up with Ocean Changemaker Challenge winner Olga Lucía Caro Jácome

Restoring coral reefs through regenerative tourism

A guest blog by Richard Brisius, race chairman of The Ocean Race

Why we need a Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights to protect the planet

A guest blog from Eric Siegel, chief innovation officer for Canada’s Ocean Frontier Institute and the executive in residence at CDL-Oceans

Investing in ocean start-ups provides triple bottom-line returns

WOI&#39;s &quot;Voices&quot; series taps into the minds of global changemakers and thought leaders who are imagining with us a healthy blue planet.

Voices

Dive into our unique exploration of ten MPAs and marine conservation areas to discover the best practice approaches that deliver success.

Beyond the surface: dive into the world of marine protection

A unique and vital research programme to estimate the economic value of ocean observation data streams to marine-centred climate-change mitigation activities globally

The Blue Data Project

Back to Blue, an initiative of Economist Impact and The Nippon Foundation, brings together two organisations that share a common understanding of the need to improve evidence-based approaches and solutions to the pressing issues faced by the ocean, and to restoring ocean health and promoting sustainability. The initiative will focus initially on aspects of the vexing challenge of pollution.

Back To Blue

Reports and tools

Events

What&#39;s new

The Protectors Oceans series examines the cutting edge of science and radical thinking at work in tackling the crisis facing the world’s seas. This series reflects the passion of those at the front line of marine biology, and tells the story of the challenges we face as we explore the world’s oceans.

Worldwide thousands of sea species are under threat. How can we protect them, the ocean itself and the millions of people who depend on it for survival?

The Protectors Series

Stories that inspire

The Protectors

A forum to advance sustainability solutions and accelerate world-changing impact.

The Sustainability Project

A new initiative from Economist Impact dedicated to transforming global food systems for the future

The Food Imperative 

A new initiative committed to creating a sustainable and inclusive urban future that benefits everyone

Urban Futures

A new initiative that examines how tech can be harnessed for maximum positive impact.

Progress 2030

Explore thought provoking insights and independent research that addresses the critical challenges facing the world and drives progress for people and planet.

World Ocean Initiative

The great disconnect: Young people and ocean literacy

Sustaining Our Seas: Why 100% Ocean Management Matters

Multilateral success but no back-patting come 2030: IOC/UNESCO executive secretary talks SDGs

Latest Insights

Small-scale fishers hold the key to food security and climate resilience

Discover The Protectors series