122nd Edition
Hi everyone!
Calling all filmmakers & storytellers: The fourth edition of the Oceanic Global Short Film Festival has opened their 2026 Call for Submissions today! The festival’s lens—Films that Awaken New Depths—continues Oceanic Global’s commitment to amplifying diverse, compelling Ocean stories that transcend surface-level awareness to discover emotional, cultural, and ecological connections that inspire profound change. Submissions are due on February 13th.
Now lets jump in.
News
OceanBit and Energy Estate have partnered to deploy ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) power plants co-located with data centers. They aim to replace diesel generators with continuous, carbon-free energy while enhancing digital infrastructure and resilience for coastal and island communities in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Katapult Ocean has announced a new partnership with maritime innovation accelerator ZEBOX to help ocean-focused startups move beyond pilots and scale their solutions into real industrial deployments.
Gigablue, a marine carbon-dioxide-removal startup developing scalable “Microalgae Carbon Fixation and Sinking” technology, announced a $20 million first close of its Series A financing at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
This article highlights Fugro’s nationwide coastal mapping initiative in Italy that uses high-resolution remote sensing and integrated geospatial data to pinpoint seagrass meadows and seabed conditions, providing the precise environmental intelligence needed to guide effective habitat restoration, biodiversity protection, climate resilience, and sustainable blue-economy decisions.
A new scientific report reveals that an unprecedented climate-linked common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) bloom off the southwest UK has reshaped local marine ecosystems and fisheries, driven by warmer seas and larval transport, and highlights the urgent need for improved monitoring, predictive tools, and adaptive management to help coastal communities and ecosystems adjust.
Learn about how a UK start-up founded by two brothers in Britain’s equivalent of Silicon Valley is developing autonomous vessels capable of conducting surveys, delivering payloads, and deploying robotics to dramatically cut offshore wind development timelines and costs for the renewable energy sector.
The World Economic Forum’s “The Ocean Economy Imperative: Defining Value, Managing Risk and Mobilizing Investment” report argues that the ocean economy must be better valued, its risks actively managed, and capital strategically mobilized to unlock sustainable growth, resilience, and long-term economic and environmental benefits.
At Davos, it was announced that the first ever Global Coral Reef Summit will be taking place this year in Saudi Arabia.
Opportunities
[DUE TOMORROW] 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.
The BLUE Excelerator has opened its 6th cohort Startups Application - Special Topics: "Pilots & Prototyping". Applications are open until February 14th.
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
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
Using over a year of reef soundscape data and AI-assisted acoustic analysis, this study demonstrates that coral restoration can enhance key ecosystem functions, such as biodiversity, fish recruitment, and bioturbation. Outcomes vary by region, however, which underscores the importance of context-specific approaches to effective reef recovery.
Check out this company spotlight of Ocean Eye by The Ocean Opportunity Lab.
In the newest episode of Plan Sea, the hosts interview Limenet’s CEO Stefano Capello and researcher Sara Groppelli about their innovative limestone-based ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) approach; from its humble beginnings and pilot plant development to tackling questions around cost, scale, environmental safety, monitoring, regulatory pathways, and community engagement in advancing responsible marine carbon dioxide removal.