90th Edition
Applications open for Propeller Ocean MBA and decarbonizing maritime
Hi everyone!
The Carbon to Sea Initiative Annual Convening, and Carbon Unbound New York are currently taking place until tomorrow. The Université Côte d’Azur is hosting a 24 hour session on May 23-24 (this Friday) that takes a deep dive into various topics across 30-minute sessions on many fascinating topics, such as Mediterranean conservation, big data & the ocean, and polar ecosystems, along with many others.
News
Brooklyn-based startup Vycarb has launched a pilot project in New York City's East River, utilizing a solar-powered system to convert excess dissolved carbon dioxide into stable bicarbonate, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and deacidifying the water to create a more hospitable environment for marine life.
Drawing on the deep-rooted ecological knowledge of Indigenous communities like the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation, this article underscores how traditional practices—centered on respect, reciprocity, and sustainable harvesting—offer vital insights for modern fisheries management and the preservation of marine biodiversity.
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has awarded over £1.5 million through its Ocean Stewardship Fund to support more than 30 fisheries across regions including Mexico, Peru, Chile, China, Indonesia, South Africa, India, and Southern Europe, aiming to accelerate sustainable fishing practices and marine conservation efforts.
MarineShift360 has launched its inaugural Impact Accelerator Program, selecting the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Sweden's Secfuel, and the UK's BAR Technologies to receive tailored support to scale innovations in sustainable vessel design, renewable marine fuels, and wind-assisted propulsion, thereby advancing decarbonization across the maritime sector.
A team of students from Delft University of Technology has unveiled "Mira," a hydrogen-powered foiling boat designed to demonstrate the viability of sustainable maritime technology and inspire the shipping industry to adopt cleaner energy solutions. Learn more about their solution here.
A recent AP News article explores how scientists are investigating ocean-based geoengineering strategies—such as enhancing the ocean's natural carbon absorption capabilities—to mitigate climate change, while also addressing the potential ecological risks and ethical considerations associated with these interventions.
Opportunities
The funding window for the Blue Carbon+ program for Seagrass-Positive Businesses is open until May 31st EOD ET. Apply here.
The Neptune Awards from Ocean Exchange have a variety of deadlines for their $100,000 USD price depending on your region: May 30 for Asia & Oceania, June 6 for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and August 1 for the Americas.
Apply to present at Progression 2025 by June 1st! If you have a solution to make our oceans cleaner and have an idea that is ready to scale, you can find the registration link here.
The Seaworthy Collective have now opened the applications for The Continuum Ocean Enterprise Studio & Incubator. Applications are due on June 26th.
The Journal of Ocean Technology is looking for technical papers, essays, and short articles focused on how Indigenous researchers, technologists, scientists, groups, and communities around the globe use ocean technology for economic growth, resource management, community engagement, and mentoring the next generation of ocean leaders. Details can be found here. Submissions are due by July 25th.
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.
The 'Our Shared Ocean' Mobility and Travel Grants 2025 program offers funding to support research conferences, training courses, and research visits, primarily for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in partnership with Irish institutions. Remaining submission deadlines are June 13, September 5, and November 7, 2025.
Propeller VC has opened applications for their Fall Ocean MBA program. Apply here. The program will be taking place October 21–24, 2025.
Hatch Blue, an aquaculture and alternative seafood investor, is looking for startups to join their accelerator program, in which they will invest $75,000 in each successful applicant.
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.
Events
If you happen to be in Bergen, Norway on May 22nd, Maritime Bergen is hosting a lunch discussing how AI and VR are reshaping the maritime industry.
In collaboration with UNOC, Université Côte d’Azur and the MARRES program are hosting a 24 hour session on May 23-24 to spotlight the work of emerging ocean leaders. The sessions look fascinating, and I’ll be sure to tune in when I can.
Sea Forward is hosting a webinar on “Women in Ocean Impact: Hope, Inspiration and Action for Our Blue Planet” on May 28th. Proceed to their website to register and watch the recording of last year’s webinar.
Learn about “Ocean metagenomics”, the next frontier in ecosystem analysis aiming to fill in the massive gaps in the understanding of our biosphere in the ocean, on May 29th.
The One Ocean Science Congress will be in Nice, France, for June 4-6.
I will once again be cohosting the NYC OceanTech Summit on June 6th! Check out our website and REGISTER here.
The 2025 UN Ocean Conference will also be in Nice, France on 9 June - 13 June.
Hohonu is hosting a webinar on June 11th at 3PM ET entitled “How Communities Are Fast-Tracking Flood Readiness — and What You Can Learn”. Register here.
Apply to Katapult Ocean’s Impactful Innovations Day during the 2025 UN Ocean Conference on June 11th.
The COVE Demo Day will be taking place on Thursday, June 12th, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Register for OCEANS 2025 Brest, occurring in Brest, France from June 16-19.
On Wednesday, June 18th, at 7am PDT, Sofar Ocean is hosting a webinar entitled “Building South Africa’s real-time coastal observation network with SAEON & STS”.
The 2025 People and the Sea Conference will be taking place from 24-27 of June, with the theme focusing on “tensions, trade-offs, and transformations for the Ocean Decade and beyond”.
Attend the Advancing Marine CDR Summit this July 8-10.
The EAHN Thematic Conference on September 10-13th will be focusing on “The Built Ocean”. They have an open call for papers for the conference.
Register for the Ocean Hackathon 2025 that will be taking place from October 17th-19th in Paris.
The Ocean Exchange 2025 will be hosted in Fort Lauderdale, FL, from October 26-28.
Learning
Check out this blog from Ocean Visions reflecting on various pathways for ocean carbon removal.
A recent study published in Frontiers highlights that while coastal climate adaptation projects in Canada aim to mitigate climate change impacts, they may inadvertently exacerbate social inequities by disproportionately affecting marginalized communities, emphasizing the need for inclusive planning that integrates social equity considerations into adaptation strategies.
Here is the recording of last week’s “Integrating Local and Indigenous Knowledge in Blue Carbon projects” webinar, hosted by Fair Carbon.
This paper highlights the systemic labor injustices—particularly those affecting immigrant, racialized, and gendered workers—in the U.S. seafood processing industry, arguing that these issues are often overlooked in blue economy policies and advocating for their inclusion to ensure truly sustainable and equitable ocean economies.
Companies doing the work
Econowind is dedicated to wind-assisted ship propulsion, reducing emissions by using wind as renewable energy source.
Carbon Ridge is developing carbon capture & storage solutions for the Maritime industry.