135th Edition
2 weeks until the NYC OceanTech Summit!
Hi everyone!
We are SO close to the third annual NYC OceanTech Summit! Mark your calendars for June 4th and get your tickets here.
Also, Oceanic Global has released the trailer for their Short Film Festival. If you are in NYC, LA, or London, follow this link to get tickets for the premiere in your area.
News
Pushing maritime decarbonization into new territory, German shipbuilder Meyer Werft has unveiled “Project Vision,” a concept for the world’s first large-scale fully battery-electric cruise ship that could cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 95% while signaling the growing feasibility of zero-emission passenger shipping.
Colombia has pledged to sustainably manage 100% of its national waters by 2030 through the global 100% Alliance, positioning itself as a regional leader in integrated ocean governance by advancing marine conservation, spatial planning, and sustainable ocean economy development across both its Caribbean and Pacific coasts.
Showcasing the commercialization pipeline for environmental innovation, UC San Diego’s 2026 Triton Sustainability Challenge is advancing student- and researcher-led ventures, from coral reef restoration and ocean sensing technologies to blue carbon verification platforms, designed to translate sustainability concepts into real-world impact across the blue economy and climate sectors.
Mongabay reports that ocean philanthropy still represents less than 1% of global charitable giving despite growing investment in marine conservation, climate resilience, and blue finance mechanisms needed to address mounting ocean governance and sustainability challenges.
Southern Connecticut State University is helping launch the Eastfjords Transdisciplinary Environmental Research Network in Iceland to study fragile coastal ecosystems through collaborative, place-based environmental research and international scientific partnerships.
Opportunities
The AquaScale BIM Innovation Studio+ will be in Galway, 26-28 May. It is a three-day intensive program that aims to bring together a small group of aquatech enterprises for pressure testing, execution planning, etc.
Hatch Blue has opened applications for their Atlantic Canada Aquaculture Studio, with applications open until May 29th.
UC San Diego’s StartBlue Accelerator has opened applications for their immersive fall program.
The newest iteration of UCSC’s Blue Pioneer’s program has been announced, this year taking place as a two week immersion acceleration in Zanzibar. Check here for more details.
Canada’s first blue economy accelerator Blue Action Canada has opened applications for their 2026 cohort.
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
[TOMORROW] The Ocean Nexus monthly webinar for May is on the 20th at 2:30PM ET. This month’s topic is “Advancing equity through Indigenous governance: fisheries in Alaska”. Register here.
[TOMORROW] At the LAB Miami, the Seaworthy Collective will be hosting their 2026 startup showcase on May 20th.
Hatch Blue has organized a Blue Catalyst Challenge Demo Day on May 22nd in Singapore.
June 1-3, the AI, Ocean & Coastal Territories Waves of Change Forum is being hosted in Biarritz.
The Florida Ocean Alliance is hosting a webinar on June 2nd entitled “The Future of Resilience: Technology, Innovation & Florida’s Coasts”.
The NYC OceanTech Summit will be hosted at BATWorks on June 4th!
The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is hosting “Blue Economy Summer Series: Growing the Value of Maine Seafood” on June 4th.
Symbrosia, Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), and Hawai‘i Technology Development Corporation are co-leading the organization of Kona Kai Festival on June 14th, where ancestral/traditional knowledge and ocean innovation meet for our ocean’s health.
On June 17th, Braid Theory is hosting a “Port of LA Harbor Tour and Coastal Resilience Scorecard Workshop”.
The 7th World Conference for Marine Biodiversity will be taking place in Belgium 17-20 November 2026. You can register here.
Learning
Developed by the Marine Conservation Institute, the Blue Park Standard is a science-based global benchmark for effective marine protected areas that emphasizes biodiversity conservation, equitable governance, strong protection, adaptive management, compliance, and long-term implementation capacity to ensure MPAs deliver meaningful ecological outcomes rather than protection in name only. Learn more here.
Focusing on Australia’s role in emerging ocean climate strategies, this paper argues that responsible development of marine climate interventions will require major advances in scientific research, monitoring and verification systems, and inclusive governance frameworks that meaningfully involve affected communities and First Nations peoples before any large-scale deployment decisions are made.