Hi everyone!
There are TONS of (exciting) updates from UNOC, so I’m going to tread lightly and spread out these updates.
Happy reading!
News
Scientists worldwide are calling for urgent action to protect the Central Arctic Ocean, emphasizing the need for a moratorium on industrial activities and stronger safeguards as warming melts sea ice and opens the region to exploitation.
Volare has secured €26 million to build Volare 01, a new insect‑protein “factory” in Pori, Finland—touted as the world’s most energy‑efficient protein production plant—designed to convert food-industry byproducts into high-value protein for aquaculture, pet food, and fertilizer, and reduce the EU’s reliance on imports.
As the 2025 UN Ocean Conference convened this week, the International Science Council’s new policy brief emphasizes the urgent need for inclusive, transdisciplinary, and co-produced ocean science—integrating Indigenous, local, and Western knowledge systems—to inform equitable governance and resilient policy solutions.
Planetary Technologies has issued the world’s first verified Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) carbon credits—totaling 138 tonnes of CO₂ removed through its Halifax pilot—marking a major milestone in ocean‑based carbon removal now backed by scientific validation and corporate partnerships.
Ghana has committed to banning bottom trawling and all industrial fishing while doubling its inshore exclusion zone, a move announced at UNOC3 that highlights growing support for small-scale fishers and community-led ocean governance.
The Friends of Ocean Action, supported by UNEP, IUCN, and major foundations, launched their “30×30 Ocean Action Plan” at UNOC3 in Nice—outlining a clear roadmap and priority actions to protect 30% of the global ocean by 2030, close financing and governance gaps, and empower local communities with inclusive, science-backed strategies.
The Ocean Opportunity Lab launched their Global 1,000 List of Female Founders in Ocean & New Energy.
Eleven countries—including the Bahamas, Indonesia, and Palau—have joined a WCS-led commitment announced at UNOC3 to prioritize the protection of climate-resilient coral reefs by 2030, integrating them into national biodiversity and climate strategies and supporting science-based, equitable policymaking.
Opportunities
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.
The StartBlue Accelerator at UC San Diego will be accepting applications until July 31st.
The Neptune Awards from Ocean Exchange have a variety of deadlines for their $100,000 USD price depending on your region: the date has passed for Asia & Oceania, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, but the deadline is August 1 for the Americas.
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
Register for OCEANS 2025 Brest, CURRENTLY occurring in Brest, France from June 16-19.
The next monthly Ocean Nexus webinar will be occurring on June 18th at 3PM ET, entitled “Kíttan, Sacred Waters Honoring the Gifts”. Register and learn more here.
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”.
The SF Blue Tech happy hour for the month of June will be occurring on June 26th at 5PM, featuring Bedrock Ocean Exploration.
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 last month’s Seaze podcast episode, entitled “Healthy Oceans, Healthy Futures with Dirigo Sea Farm”.
This captivating mini‑documentary, “Seaweed Stories,” explores through diverse global perspectives—from Indigenous kelp farmers to biotech innovators and circular‑economy startups—how seaweed can address plastic pollution, support cultural sovereignty, and unlock regenerative marine solutions
Companies doing the work
SEA.AI uses machine vision to assess real-time collisions risks in maritime.