137th Edition
Happy World Oceans Week!
It’s your last chance to sign up to attend the 3rd NYC OceanTech Summit. The full summit schedule and list of participating startups/researchers can be found on our website. If you’re in NYC, I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
News
Starting with the bad news, so we can go up from here. The Trump administration’s National Science Foundation is moving to dismantle major portions of the Ocean Observatories Initiative, raising concerns among scientists that the loss of this long-running deep-sea monitoring network could severely undermine climate research, ocean forecasting, and understanding of marine ecosystem change.
A TIME Magazine feature on the evolving “value of the oceans” argues that marine ecosystems are becoming central to global economic and climate strategies, as governments and investors increasingly recognize the ocean’s role in carbon storage, food systems, and energy transition, while also warning that this rising valuation is colliding with accelerating ecological degradation and governance gaps.
Carbon180 released their Ocean Policy Roadmap. The roadmap outlines a framework for responsibly advancing marine carbon dioxide removal by pairing research and innovation with strong governance, community engagement, environmental safeguards, and robust monitoring systems to ensure ocean-based climate solutions are effective, equitable, and scientifically accountable.
The LA Times published an article about California startup OceanWell, which is testing a new approach to climate-resilient water infrastructure. The startup is preparing offshore trials of its deep-sea desalination technology, which uses ocean pressure to produce drinking water with lower energy use and potentially fewer ecological impacts than traditional coastal desalination plants.
Positioning ocean and energy infrastructure as increasingly central to global economic competitiveness, this article argues that ammonia is emerging as a critical next-generation fuel and industrial feedstock capable of decarbonizing shipping, power generation, and other hard-to-abate sectors within the evolving blue economy.
Marking a major milestone in maritime decarbonization, the global fleet of commercial vessels using wind propulsion has now surpassed 100 ships, signaling rapidly accelerating adoption of wind-assisted technologies as shipping companies seek lower-emission, fuel-saving alternatives for ocean transport.
The Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance outlined how “reef-positive” parametric insurance models can rapidly fund post-storm reef restoration, strengthen coastal resilience, and create scalable financial mechanisms that protect both marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
Opportunities
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
[THURSDAY] The NYC OceanTech Summit will be hosted at BATWorks on June 4th! BE THERE 🫵
Throughout this World Ocean’s Week, the Explorer’s Club in NYC is hosting several fascinating events. Check them out here.
The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is hosting “Blue Economy Summer Series: Growing the Value of Maine Seafood” on June 4th.
June 8th-11th, Stony Brook University is hosting the 2026 State of the Science on Offshore Energy, Wildlife, and Fisheries.
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.
Braid Theory’s IGNITE22 Global Tech Showcase will be highlighting blue economy innovations on June 16th.
The 11th Our Ocean Conference is taking place in Mombasa and Kilifi Counties, Kenya, on 16-18 June 2026.
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
Plan Sea’s most recent podcast episode discusses the role of Indigenous Knowledge in ocean-based climate solutions.
Advocating for a broader rethinking of ocean governance, this blog post from the Ocean Nexus argues that marine social science should move beyond simplistic gender inclusion narratives to address the underlying colonial, racial, and structural inequities that shape power, participation, and decision-making in ocean spaces.