I have always loved oceans. They represent freedom, wild beauty, places beyond. They are also critical to humans in countless ways.
As some of you know, I worked in ocean conservation for two years a few years back. It was eye-opening and I am grateful for all the people who shared their knowledge of the oceans with me. I also like technology and have worked in that industry for more than 25 years. So, of course, ocean technology companies have always been of interest, especially ones trying to help sustain our oceans.
This year I decided to dig a little deeper and create a list of major ocean conferences in 2020. This list doesn’t include all the conservation ones, but has some of the biggies, and it may be useful to others.
World Ocean Summit
March 9-10, 2020
Tokyo, Japan
“The World Ocean Summit will bring together a global group of policymakers, business and civil society leaders, investors, scientists and entrepreneurs to debate and develop new ideas on how to decouple economic growth from ocean degradation. This year [they] will have a much greater focus on small group discussion and interactive workshops, alongside the traditional plenary sessions, to draw on the expertise of our global audience.”
Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW)
June 9 – June 11, 2020
Washington DC, USA
Note: The website is not yet updated for 2020 as of this writing
“Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) is the nation’s premier annual conference examining current marine, coastal, and Great Lakes policy issues. CHOW includes three signature events: the CHOW Conference, the Ocean Awards Gala, and CHOW Hill Day.”
Blue Tech Expo
June 10-11, 2020
Washington DC, USA
“Organized to coincide with Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW), this year’s program will feature a one-day interactive technical program focused on new developments, innovative practices, regulatory and funding issues, and case studies of interest to both government and industry. Followed by a day of exhibits featuring industry’s leading providers and a special networking reception hosted by Oceanology International.”
UN Ocean Conference
June 2-6, 2020
Lisbon, Portugal
“The General Assembly through resolution 73/292 decided to convene the 2020 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The overarching theme of the Conference is “Scaling up ocean action based on science and innovation for the implementation of Goal 14: stocktaking, partnerships and solutions.”
Our Ocean
August 17-18, 2020
Palua, Micronesia
“Our Ocean 2020 will focus on six Areas of Action, convening partners from across the globe to identify solutions to manage marine resources, increase the ocean’s resilience to climate change and safeguard its health for generations to come. Commitments to deliver bold, measurable and impactful actions promoting and protecting ocean health are at the heart of Our Ocean. To date, there have been over a thousand commitments from governments, civil society and businesses in over 70 countries. Our Ocean 2020 will continue to encourage partnerships and commitments and report on the progress and successes of commitments from previous years.”
As a side note, I spend a week scuba diving in Palau a few years ago and it is a superb place, world-class diving and stunning islands.
Let me know if you are aware of other ocean conferences in 2020 that should be added to this list. As Lance Morgan, president of Marine Conservation Institute, used to say, “For our oceans!”
