Event overview
The 2025 UN Ocean Conference, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, aims to accelerate action and mobilize actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean. The conference will bring together governments, intergovernmental organizations, the scientific community, the private sector, philanthropic organizations, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities, and other relevant actors to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water.
Our Participation
Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean
Date: June 7, 2025
Location: Nice, France
On June 7, members of the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO) will convene in Nice to discuss the urgent need for sustainably-funded, globally-distributed and well-coordinated ocean observations. As a member of the POGO Board of Trustees, Dr. Anya Waite will be in participating in this important event.
To read the full POGO statement, please visit: No Data, No Action: Investing in Ocean Observations to Achieve SDG14 and a Sustainable Future
The Startup Reef
Reef Pitch Daily
Date: June 9, 2025
Time: 17:00 – 18:00 CEST
Location: Green Zone (La Baleine)
On June 9, Eric Siegel will be moderating a pitch session at The Startup Reef — the official ocean innovation pavilion at the UN Ocean Conference Green Zone.
Curated by 1000 Ocean Startups, the Startup Reef will showcase 40 pioneering start-ups driving scalable solutions for a regenerative blue economy. The Reef is more than a showcase — it’s a hub for breakthrough ideas, cross-sector collaboration, and real-world ocean impact. From marine robotics and seaweed farming to AI-driven ocean intelligence and inclusive tech for small-scale fisheries, discover how startups are tackling our ocean’s greatest challenges:
- Ocean intelligence and data
- Combating pollution
- Renewable ocean energy
- Emissions drawdown
- Sustainable blue foods
- Ocean restoration at scale
For more information: https://www.1000oceanstartups.org/thereef
Technology and Policy to Inform and Accelerate a Sustainable Ocean
Date: June 10, 2025
Time: 08:00 – 09:30 CEST
Location: Hôtel West End Nice
Led by IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society, and co-sponsored by the Ocean Frontier Institute, the Marine Technology Society, the Society for Underwater Technology, and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology.
Dr. Anya Waite and Eric Siegel will be participating as panelists in the Technology and Policy to Inform and Accelerate a Sustainable Ocean side event. From cutting-edge ocean sensing to legal frameworks shaping marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR), this panel will explore how science and policy must evolve together to meet urgent ocean challenges.
For more information: https://standards.ieee.org/events/intl/2025-un-ocean-conference
Towards a Decade Digital Ecosystem: The UN Decade Vision 2030
Date: June 10, 2025
Time: 17:15 – 18:00 CEST
Location: INSPIRE area
On June 10, OFI’s Science and Policy Manager, Ronnie Noonan-Birch, will participate as a panelist at the Towards a Decade Digital Ecosystem side event to discuss challenges, gaps, and next steps towards the development of a digital ecosystem to help generate insights needed to address climate change.
Link to more information: https://www.digitaloceanpavilion.eu/content/the-eu-international-collaboration
Impactful Innovations Day
Innovation in an Ocean World
Date: June 11, 2025
Time: 11:00 – 12:30 CEST
Location: Statsraad Lehmkuhl tall ship
Organized by the UN Ocean Decade Technology and Innovation Working Group, and hosted by Katapult Ocean, Eric Siegel will be co-moderating the Innovation in an Ocean World side event, alongside Jyotika Virmani (Executive Director, Schmidt Ocean Institute) and Justin Manley (Senior Advisor, Oceankind). This side event is part of the Impactful Innovations Day hosted by Katapult Ocean.
For more information: https://katapultoceanevents.tilda.ws
From Science to Solutions: Advancing the Ocean Carbon System for Climate Action
Date: June 12, 2025
Time: 14:00 – 16:00 CEST
Location: Le Théâtre de la Semeuse
Hosted by the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS), JPI Oceans, and the Ocean Frontier Institute
Dr. Anya Waite will participate as a panelist in the From Science to Solutions: Advancing the Ocean Carbon System for Climate Action side event. This highly interactive panel will consist of leading experts from across the ocean observing and climate science communities. Together, they will offer perspectives from research, policy, and system governance to address critical gaps in the ocean carbon value chain.
Due to limited capacity, registration is required.
For more information: https://www.icos-cp.eu/news-and-events/events/science-solutions-advancing-ocean-carbon-system-climate-action
Enhancing Ocean Carbon Monitoring to Support the Paris Agreement
Date: June 12, 2025
Time: 16:30 – 17:15 CEST
Location: European Digital Ocean Pavillion
On June 12, Dr. Anya Waite will be participating as a panelist in the Enhancing Ocean Carbon Monitoring to Support the Paris Agreement side event, organized by the Integrated Carbon Observation System. This panel will discuss how we can enhance ocean carbon monitoring by addressing scientific priorities and advancing technological innovations to meet global climate commitments.
Link to more information: https://www.icos-cp.eu/news-and-events/events/enhancing-ocean-carbon-monitoring-support-paris-agreement
