121st Edition
High Seas Treaty in effect & LOTS of opportunities
Hi everyone,
On January 17th, the High Seas Treaty entered into force, ushering in an exciting new era for conservation and ocean governance.
Once again, there are several opportunities for ocean climate solutions with applications open through March. Check them out!
If you are based in NYC, check out the Research Vessel Robert Gray docked at Pier 25 on the West Side Highway through the end of February. They have opportunities for tours and other events available on their website.
News
A major European seaweed industry consolidation took shape as Norway’s Seaweed Solutions merged with Portugal’s SeaForester to form the SeaForester Group and launch an €8 million growth capital raise, which is a move seen as signaling the start of a broader shake-up in the seaweed farming and restoration sector.
The World Economic Forum’s Investing in Blue Foods: Innovation and Partnerships for Impact report highlights the need to scale sustainable blue food systems by mobilizing innovation, investment, and cross-sector partnerships to boost nutrition, economic growth, climate resilience, and livelihoods, with particular emphasis on unlocking Africa’s blue food potential.
The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) highlights five cutting-edge technologies that are accelerating large-scale coral aquaculture and restoration efforts on the Great Barrier Reef. These technologies include span automated coral fertilization and AI-driven larval monitoring to robotic assessment, RFID tracking, and AI-guided reef deployment.
A UConn Today article reports on new research showing that coastal seaweed farms act as highly dynamic blue carbon systems that not only absorb CO₂ rapidly as they grow but also drive sediment chemistry changes (via bicarbonate production) that enhance long-term carbon storage, potentially rivaling traditional blue carbon ecosystems like seagrasses and mangroves.
The Port of Barcelona has broken ground on BlueTechPort, a €60 million blue economy innovation hub that will transform historic port facilities into a 25,000 m² ecosystem and real-world testbed for maritime and sustainability technologies, hosting around 2,500 professionals and reinforcing Barcelona’s role as a European center for blue-tech development by 2028.
A new Scripps Institution of Oceanography study shows that when climate-driven harm to the ocean— such as damage to coral reefs, fisheries, mangroves, and coastal infrastructure—is included in the economic tally of carbon emissions, the social cost of carbon nearly doubles, revealing that the financial impacts of climate change have been significantly underestimated without accounting for ocean losses.
Purina Europe’s Ocean Restoration Programme uses partnerships with conservation organisations to restore critical marine habitats like oyster reefs, seagrass beds, and seaweed forests across Europe, both to strengthen its supply-chain resilience and to contribute to broader ocean health and ecosystem recovery.
Opportunities
The Seaworthy Collective has opened applications for their 7th cohort, due January 28th.
The California Ocean Science Trust has a open Call for Expertise on Ocean-Based Sources of Marine Microplastics open until January 30th.
Newlab has created an open call for their Global Ocean Innovation Challenge through February 6th.
The UN Tourism Bahamas Sustainable Island Challenge is accepting applications until February 10th.
The first application deadline for the VentureWell Ocean Enterprise Accelerator is February 12th, and they have an “Ask us anything” session on February 4th.
Hatch Blue has opened applications for the Blue Catalyst programme, which will be open until February 27th.
The Ocean Enterprise Accelerator, funded by NOAA, is looking for US based startups working on new ocean data technologies and services. Applications are due March 3rd.
Applications are open for LA Blue 2026, a 90 day accelerator for ocean based startups intending to grow in Southern California. Applications are open until March 3rd.
OceanHub Africa has opened applications for the 7th cohort of their accelerator program, which will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The first intake of the year (2026) begins in March.
Applications are open for the Great Lakes Blue Tech Challenge. Apply here.
Applications are open for call for projects issued to the scientific community throughout the European Economic Area (EEA) on the topic of Ocean and Coastal Ecosystems.
Apply to Katapult’s Ocean Accelerator program that is designed to guide founders through complex entrepreneurial issues, add structure, and help raise a startup’s next round.
Fair Carbon has launched a Blue Carbon Academy that aims to help with the fine-tuning of the design of a Blue Carbon project.
Join the Blue Growth Community to get access to opportunities, expertise, and connections as an innovator.
Events
This Thursday, January 22nd at 2:30PM ET, there is a webinar on the topic of “Public-private partnerships in marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR): Structuring research collaboration for success”.
On 27 January 2026, 11:00 AM UTC to 1:00 PM UTC there is a webinar entitled “Indigenous Ways of Sharing Knowledge: Lessons for Scientists” hosted by the Ocean Knowledge Action Network.
The Ocean Nexus will be hosting a webinar with Dr. Wil Burns on the topic of “The Promise, and Potential Peril, of Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal” on January 28th.
Fair Carbon is hosting a webinar after Davos to explore “What did it mean for Blue Carbon?” on January 29th.
There are CARP Tribal Listening Sessions on February 3rd and 4th regarding existing and future California artificial reefs.
Learn about the future plans and initiatives for 2026 for the Global Seaweed Coalition through their members meeting on February 5th.
The Windward Innovation Celebration is back for its third year! As part of the 2026 International Partnering Forum, this event highlights the innovators and technologies that are shaping the future of ocean renewables. Join them in celebrating the Hub’s cohort’s journey from concept to commercialization and toast to their achievements on Tuesday, February 10th at 5PM in NYC.
Join the Nature Tech Collective in the conversation “From Planting to Proof in Mangrove Restoration: Lessons from East Africa” on March 4th.
From April 28th – 30th, the Carbon to Sea Initiative will be having their annual convening in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The 7th World Conference for Marine Biodiversity will be taking place in Belgium 17-20 November 2026. You can register here.
Learning
The most recent Coral Carbon blog post outlines an idea for a climate-focused ecotourism startup that uses electric watercraft and sustainable travel experiences to create market demand for decarbonized technology, foster deep human connection with nature, and support the transition of traditional travel industries toward a greener, more joyful future.
Analyzing literature on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, this study finds that MPAs generate both positive and negative social and ecological outcomes, and argues that MPAs should be applied as context-specific, precision interventions rather than one-size-fits-all solutions for marine sustainability.
A new interdisciplinary study reviewed a range of climate engineering and marine carbon-removal methods, finding that while some approaches could help counteract climate change, all carry potential risks for ocean chemistry, ecosystems, and food webs, highlighting the need for cautious, evidence-based research before large-scale deployment.
With the High Seas Treaty entering into force this past weekend, take a look back at how critics have warned that without clear regulations on fishing and harmful subsidies, restrictions on high‑seas fishing could simply push subsidized distant‑water fleets into coastal African waters, putting vulnerable local fisheries and fish stocks at greater risk of overexploitation and undermining food security and coastal governance in the region.
Companies doing the work
Birch Biosciences is using an “enzymatic recycling process” to help address the terrible fact that only 9% of plastic is recycled.