Booths

Booth 1: Marine Research Plymouth and the Ocean Decade

Lead institution: Plymouth Marine Laboratory

Marine Research Plymouth represents the United Kingdom’s largest concentration of marine science researchers and cutting-edge facilities with collaborations in over 100 countries addressing some of the most urgent global challenges facing the health of our seas. The initiative is a partnership of Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the University of Plymouth and the Marine Biological Association. Plymouth’s experts are looking forward to meeting with you at booth 1 where you can find out more about the Ocean Decade Programmes, Projects, Activities and Committees the partnership is involved with. For further details please click here.

Thecla Keizer: tke@pml.ac.uk

Booth 2: Deepening the Decade

Lead institution: The Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI)

Understanding and safeguarding the deep ocean is crucial for addressing each of the Ocean Decade’s 10 Challenges, from managing pollution to unlocking climate change solutions. Our Deepening the Decade booth will serve as a shared platform for Decade Programmes, Projects and Centres focused on the deep ocean to share their achievements, engage new stakeholders and exchange insights on future priorities.

Maria Baker: mcb3@soton.ac.uk

Booth 3: Catalonia... Where sea is culture – Government of Catalonia

Lead institution: Government of Catalonia

Based on the topic "Delivering the science we need for the ocean we want", the central focus of the Government of Catalonia through the Directorate General of Maritime Policy and Sustainable Fishing is to do outreach for our most innovative actions related to marine research, management and policy. During the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, the Government of Catalonia wants to disseminate recommendations and present the pioneering initiatives that are being carried out for the achievement of common strategic objectives across the world’s ocean. This representation aims to exemplify Catalonia's commitment to ocean governance and our willingness to project ourselves internationally on this issue.
Specifically, ocean governance, fisheries co-management, marine technologies, offshore wind energy, the sizing of the blue economy and the transformation of oceanographic data into services for citizens and for our maritime sectors and communities, remain top priority issues for our country. It should be put in context that Catalonia started in 2016 a path towards the implementation of an Integrated Maritime Policy through the Maritime Agenda of Catalonia and the different instruments that compose it. It has been an ambitious project that materialized with the approval and implementation of the Maritime Strategy of Catalonia 2023 and a new and innovative model of participatory governance based on co-management, i.e., the Catalan Council of Maritime Co-management that comprises all parties involved in maritime policy.

María Llarena Reino: mariallarena@gencat.cat

Booth 4: Ocean science for global food security

Lead institution: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)

The FAO booth is a dynamic and interactive showcase of the Blue Transformation's contributions and efforts to science and research aimed at supporting policy development. A video gallery displays our research initiatives and programmes, including FishMIP 2.0, a new FAO collaboration with research centers to forecast the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems and livelihoods; it presents also our efforts to digitize and improve accessibility of fisheries and aquaculture data.
Central to the exhibition is a 3D virtual tour aboard the Dr Fridtjof Nansen research vessel. This immersive experience offers firsthand insights into onboard research activities and cutting-edge technologies, advancing our understanding of marine resources and supporting the implementation of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management. The research vessel is part of the EAF Nansen Programme, a key Decade Action under the Ocean Decade.

Raffaella Rucci: Raffaella.Rucci@fao.org
Joe Zelasney: Joseph.Zelasney@fao.org
Diana Fernandez de la Reguera: Diana.FernandezReguera@fao.org

Booth 5: Spanish Institute of Oceanography: Science for ocean sustainability

Lead institution: Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC)

The Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) is the main research institution dedicated to marine science in Spain, particularly in the context of fisheries management and the marine environment. These areas are essential for the implementation of numerous important European policies and directives, such as the Integrated Maritime Policy, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Maritime Spatial Planning, Common Fisheries Policy and the Natura 2000 marine network. Furthermore, IEO-CSIC provides scientific and technological advice to administrations on oceanographic matters and represents Spain in numerous intergovernmental and international organizations related to oceanography and fisheries.

Pablo Lozano Ordóñez: pablo.lozano@ieo.csic.es

Booth 6: Institut de Ciències del Mar

Lead institution: Institut de Ciènces del Mar (ICM-CSIC)

The Institut de Ciències del Mar, ICM, is the fifth largest research institute within the CSIC and the most multidisciplinary one entirely devoted to marine research. Under the motto 'Marine Research for a Healthy Planet', ICM conducts cutting-edge research with a strong social commitment and a specific attention to knowledge transfer.

Marco Talone: talone@icm.csic.es

Booth 7: ProtectedSeas – Empowering marine conservation through data

Lead institution: ProtectedSeas

ProtectedSeas will be showcasing the Navigator protected area regulations platform and the Marine Monitor vessel monitoring system.

Navigator is an open access resource that details implemented regulations and restrictions on marine life extraction and other human activities for over 22,000 protected and managed areas globally, with a 5 level of fishing protection score assessed for each area based on strength of legal protections. Navigator is available online via a free interactive map, through third party integrations including Global Fishing Watch, and in raw data form by request for research and analysis.

Marine Monitor (M2) is a turn-key, autonomous system for monitoring vessels in near shore environments typical of coastal no take Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and artisanal fisheries. M2 uses off-the-shelf marine radar as its primary sensor, which enables day/night tracking of even small vessels without requiring any equipment be installed on the tracked vessels. Detected vessels are automatically photographed by the system. M2 can generate email and text alerts based on vessel behavior and all data access is via the cloud through web browser or mobile phone. More than 30 M2 systems have been deployed to more than 12 countries and M2 data has been used to support successful prosecutions of illegal fishing in MPAs.

Jennifer Sletten: jennifer@protectedseas.net

Booth 8: UCH – Underwater Cultural Heritage

Lead institutions: The Ocean Foundation (TOF), Ocean Decade Heritage Network (ODHN), Lloyd's Register Foundation (LRF), and ICOMOS International Committee on the Underwater Cultural Heritage

The underwater cultural heritage booth wants to highlight the role that cultural heritage serves in the ocean and the necessity of its inclusion in the UN Ocean Conference. The booth will be a hub for information and discussion about a wide range of topics including underwater archaeology, policy and governance, ocean literacy, potentially polluting wrecks, the impacts of deep seabed mining and more.

Ole Varmer: ovarmer@oceanfdn.org; olevarmer@gmail.com
Charlotte Jarvis: charlotte.jarvis98@gmail.com

Booth 9: The future of ocean prediction to address the Decade Challenges

Lead institutions: Mercator Ocean International (MOi), OceanPrediction Decade Collaborative Center (OceanPrediction DCC)

As the world faces ocean change in the context of climate change, the future of global ocean prediction activities must be federated and designed to address directly and indirectly the ten Decade Challenges to achieve the seven Outcomes to have the ocean “we want.” This booth will directly address Challenge 8 of the Decade on the digital representation of the ocean, and Outcome 4 “a predicted ocean,” while also covering the indirect contributions of ocean prediction activities to an assortment of other Decade Challenges and Outcomes.

This booth will act as a hub for engagement and discussion for the global community, addressed to all actors in the ocean prediction value chain, those involved in the Ocean Decade and to all current and prospective users. Across this chain, a range of topics will be covered: ocean data, science, user services and decision-making. This space will also be a place for interactions on digital twinning activities and the needs in terms of integration, interoperability and standards from the ocean prediction community.

The booth highlights the ocean prediction value chain in the context of the OceanPrediction Decade Collaborative Center, implemented by Mercator Ocean International (which is currently transitioning into an intergovernmental organization) and MOi’s convening role in federating this ocean prediction community. Highlighting synergies within the OceanPrediction DCC ecosystem, the booth will support the message of the programmes related to ocean forecasting.

Gratianne Quade: gquade@mercator-ocean.fr
Stéphanie Cuven: scuven@mercator-ocean.fr
Enrique Alvarez: ealvarez@mercator-ocean.fr

Booth 10: Ocean Data Sharing Helpdesk

Lead institutions: International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) and Decade Coordination Office (DCO) for Ocean Data Sharing

The data-sharing helpdesk will run throughout the duration of the three-day conference and is open to all Conference participants. Booth staff will provide expert support and advice on tools, processes and resources to find, access, use and share ocean data. Through regularly scheduled live demos at the booth (programme here), we will also showcase existing programmes and developments across multiple disciplines and geographies – from bathymetry to biodiversity and capacity development – and how these are all contributing towards a federated data and information ecosystem for all. Discussions with Conference participants will also help prioritise recurring challenges related to data management and sharing that the Ocean Decade and its partners must address.

Louis Demargne: l.demargne@unesco.org

Booth 11: Barcelona Supercomputing Center

Lead institution: Barcelona Supercomputing Centre - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS)

The Barcelona Supercomputing Centre - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) hosts one of the most advanced supercomputers in Europe and is one of the largest research institutions in Spain. Amongst the cutting-edge research conducted at the BSC, the Earth Sciences Department leads an extensive effort on climate sciences and services, including ocean-oriented research. Our team members play a major role in many large European projects, working, for instance, on Earth and Ocean Digital Twins (Destination Earth, EDITO-Model Lab) and the potential role of ocean-based carbon dioxide removal in future climate mitigation efforts (RESCUE). Other projects in the department study the carbon cycling in the mesopelagic, the benthic ecosystems in the Pacific islands and the biogeochemical interactions between atmospheric aerosols and marine primary production.

The 2024 Ocean Decade Conference is an outstanding opportunity to highlight BSC’s role in international oceanographic research and establish new channels of dialogue across the science-policy-society interface. The booth will be run by researchers involved in ocean-related research projects who will interact with Ocean Decade participants, generate new collaboration networks and describe past and current projects using 1-to-1 interactions, videos, posters and flyers.

Joan Llort: joan.llort@bsc.es
Rosa Rodriguez Gasen: rosa.rodriguez@bsc.es

Booth 12: U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Lead institution: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

The NOAA booth will be a place that international partners can gather to ask questions about NOAA’s mission, the U.S. government’s involvement in the Ocean Decade and information about the U.S. National Decade Committee. Information about all NOAA’s Decade Actions will be available for easy access to conference attendees. Additionally, the booth will have an interactive component that will include a condensed version of the Science on a Sphere Explorer Global Ocean Decade Tour and a spot for us to gather anecdotes from Decade participants about their experiences in the ocean decade via a ring light camera set-up.

Madyson Miller: madyson.miller@noaa.gov
Liz Tirpak: liz.tirpak@noaa.gov

Booth 13: Black in Marine Science

Lead institution: Black in Marine Science

Black in Marine Science highlights the contributions of black marine scientists, offering networking possibilities and advancing mentorship and educational programs. This initiative aims to inspire future generations of black students and researchers to explore careers in marine science. Furthermore, the booth will facilitate collaborative research endeavors, connecting both seasoned and up-and-coming black marine scientists, thereby strengthening community bonds and collaborative spirit within the discipline.

Lynnette Adams: lynnette@bims.org

Booth 14: Discover Orkel: Navigating waste management for island- and remote communities

Lead institution: Orkel AS

Orkel leads the way in sustainable waste solutions, especially for remote communities. By baling waste with our compactors, we streamline packaging and transportation to recycling or waste-to-energy facilities, alleviating waste buildup and safeguarding the environment and local communities.

By choosing Orkel technology, island communities can effectively manage waste on-site, reducing the need for landfill space and mitigating the risk of environmental contamination. Additionally, our baling method ensures that waste is contained and transported safely, reducing the likelihood of littering and pollution. Ultimately, Orkel empowers island communities to take proactive steps towards a cleaner, healthier environment, protecting both their local ecosystems and the broader marine environment.

Orkel is a Norwegian family-owned business, with both development and production taking place in Norway. Our Orkel compactors are distributed to over 60 countries across all continents worldwide.

Miriam Gjonnes Karterud: miriam@orkel.no

Booth 21: Canary Islands: Ocean Decade and 2030 Agenda

Lead institution: Government of the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are a natural laboratory to the Ocean Decade Challenges and 2030 Agenda. In this sense, the public research institutions of the region are dedicated to generating and disseminating knowledge relevant to marine research. The Canary Islands are highlighted as a significant hub for marine research in Spain. The booth intends to foster a vibrant network by demonstrating the advantages of choosing the Canary Islands as a natural laboratory for marine research and innovation. Key topics such as climate change, food production, renewable energy, tourism, biotechnology and ecosystem conservation are highlighted, showcasing the scientific expertise present in the Canary Islands.

Aridane G. González: aridane.gonzalez@ulpgc.es

Booth 22: The voyage of the scalloped hammerhead shark

Lead institution: Mision Tiburon

Immersive experience into the ocean, where you can explore the habitats used by the critically endangered scalloped hammerhead shark, starting in the coastal waters of Golfo Dulce Shark Sanctuary, Costa Rica, and ending in the oceanic waters of Cocos Island, one of the most important marine protected areas of the Eastern Tropical Pacific. This educational book with augmented reality represents an innovative initiative to raise awareness about the Ocean Decade Challenges, and promote an ocean literate society.

Ilena Zanella: ilena.zanella@gmail.com

Booth 23: Clean water for healthier reefs, presented by the Coral Reef Alliance

Lead institution: Coral Reef Alliance

Visit with the Coral Reef Alliance team to learn about their approach to coral reef conservation and a solution to one of the biggest threats to these vital ecosystems. Participate in an interactive "Life is Better in Color" wall coloring and learn about the annual coral bleaching awareness month.

Maria McDonough: mmcdonough@coral.org
Mandy Norman: mnorman@coral.org

Booth 24: Conservation International & INVEMAR Colombia

Lead institutions: Conservation International, INVEMAR Colombia

Conservation International and the Marine and Coastal Research Institute - INVEMAR (Colombia) are joining forces to showcase how the ocean inspires every single project and action aimed at the research and conservation of vital marine and coastal ecosystems crucial for human well-being.

Maria Claudia Diazgranado: mdiazgranados@conservation.org
Isabela Katime Arroyave: isabela.katime@invemar.org.co

Booth 25: NEMO: New Economic Models for the Ocean

Lead institution: Royal College of Art

New Economic Models for the Ocean (NEMO) is a design-led initiative aiming to build a sustainable, safer economic future with the oceans, balancing the needs of people and planet. The booth showcases NEMO work on coastal resilience, data visualization and co-design as well as new ocean innovations by Royal College of Art alumni. Attendees are invited to contribute to an interactive map about knowledge exchange and coastal resilience. The Royal College of Art is an Ocean Decade Implementing Partner.

Elise Hodson: elise.hodson@rca.ac.uk

Booth 26: MISSION ATLANTIC & MARCO-BOLO & All-Atlantic Projects

Lead institution: ERINN Innovation

As a MISSION ATLANTIC initiative, the booth is sponsored by ERINN Innovation Ltd. through All-Atlantic Sister Projects TechOceanS and MISSION ATLANTIC, as well as the linked project MARCO-BOLO, and in collaboration with the NAUTILOS project.

The All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance is a science diplomacy effort between countries along and across the Atlantic Ocean. It builds on the successes of the Galway and Belém Statements, signed respectively in 2013 and 2017 between the European Union and its Atlantic partners. The EU has invested in more than 40 projects with over EUR 250 million to promote cooperation between European and international scientists from around the Atlantic, making itself a major investor and player in Atlantic Ocean research. The results of the projects are fit-for-purpose science that will drive policy in the years to come.

We aim to give visibility to the research outcomes of All-Atlantic Sister- and linked projects and collaborating organisations, to engage with pertinent stakeholders in attendance, such as policy makers. This will enable us to better understand the needs of potential users of the research findings, as well as to showcase developed tools, technologies and other results with potential impact towards the 10 Ocean Decade Challenges. The booth shall provide space for representation, showcasing, discussions and meetings. As such we will maximise resources and ability to showcase how the All-Atlantic Projects contribute to the 10 Ocean Decade Challenges towards the sustainable development of the ocean (with a focus on the Atlantic at the booth), with innovative research outcomes!

Pamela Cardillo: pamela@erinn.eu
Caecilia Manago: Caecilia@erinn.eu

Booth 27: Erasmus Mundus International Master in Marine Biological Resources – IMBRSea

Lead institution: Ghent University (main coordinator of IMBRSea consortium)

The IMBRSea booth aims to provide a glimpse of the IMBRSea consortium, further expand our already global network and outreach, and focus on our common goals/synchrony with the Ocean Decade! Come to our booth for a closer look into the programme structure, including its unique join elements (e.g. Professional Practice, Joint Summer School, Annual Symposium) and to meet some of our staff!

IMBRSea is a joint Master program supported by Erasmus Mundus, organised by 11 leading European universities in the field of marine sciences, preparing students for the rapidly evolving demands of the blue bio-economy as well as research on the sustainable use of marine biological resources.

Luana Monteiro: Luana.DaCostaMonteiro@UGent.be

Booth 28: Federated & open research ecosystem for oceans, seas, coastal & in-land waters

Lead institution: Blue-Cloud initiative

Data collection, analysis and application are key enablers for ocean data innovation. Data integration/interoperability is needed. With input by EMODnet, Copernicus Marine and leading marine research Infrastructures, Blue-Cloud is contributing to the open science transformation by an easier discovery and access of blue data, open to all to implement open science and AI.

Sara Pittonet Gaiarin: s.pittonet@trust-itservices.com

Booth 33: MDPI – Academic open access publishing since 1996

Lead institution: MDPI

MDPI is a publisher of fully peer-reviewed, open access journals with a focus on robust and rapid editorial processes. Our aim is to ensure that high-quality research is verified and made available to the research community as quickly as possible. Today, MDPI is a leader in open access publishing with more than 430 journals across all research disciplines. Every article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

Hobart Mu: hobart.mu@mdpi.com

Booth 34: Satlink: Technology as a key driver to gain deeper knowledge of the ocean environment and ensure its sustainability

Lead institution: Satlink

In 2022, Satlink was awarded by the United Nations Global Compact for the contribution of its technology to ocean sustainability (SDG 14). And that has always been our mission: to develop technological solutions that support ocean conservation and a sustainable management of its resources.

Technology and innovation are key to tackle the challenges raised by the Ocean Decade and by the UN in its SDG 14: gaining deeper knowledge on the ocean environment is vital to guarantee the long-term sustainability of the ocean and its resources. Our technology solutions are used by over 30 governments to achieve a more sustainable and efficient management of their fishing resources; we help prevent and fight IUU fishing, and our solutions enable selective fishing, thus minimizing the capture of endangered and protected species. Due to all our worldwide deployed devices transmitting in real-time, we have one of the largest oceanographic databases, which helps us understand not only species biology, but also the ocean environment as a whole.

Camila Pan de Soraluce: cps@satlink.es

Booth 35: Galapagos: Evolving together for marine conservation

Lead institution: Jocotoco Conservation Foundation

The Galapagos booth showcases the collaborative efforts of various organizations dedicated to conserving the unique marine ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands. It will offer visitors the opportunity to learn about the diverse marine life of the Galapagos, the threats it faces and the collaborative initiatives being implemented to ensure its protection for future generations and contribute to addressing the Ocean Decade Challenges. Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with representatives from the Galapagos National Park Directorate, Jocotoco Conservation Foundation, WildAid, Charles Darwin Station and Universidad San Francisco de Quito, gaining firsthand knowledge of the innovative approaches being employed to evolve together for marine conservation in the Galapagos.

Paola Sangolquí: paola.sangolqui@jocotoco.org.ec; psangolqui@gmail.com

Booth 36: Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology

Lead institution: Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST)

The IMarEST is a registered charity and learned society for all marine professionals – the first institute to bring together those working across marine engineering, science and technology into one international professional body.

Victoria Mentor: victoria.mentor@imarest.org
Jo Lewis: jo.lewis@imarest.org