ReefScuba at the 2022 UN Ocean Conference

The UN Ocean Conference, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, is taking place from June 27 to July 1 this year in Lisbon, Portugal. Thousands of delegates from around the world will come together to address the multifaceted challenges that face our ocean, share knowledge, and seek solutions. The official theme of the Conference, “Scaling up ocean action based on science and innovation for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: stocktaking, partnerships, and solutions” highlights the importance of conservation and marine resources in sustainable development. 

As ReefScuba, we are thrilled to be reporting live from Lisbon! We will be attending as many sessions and events as possible, working to share science, solutions, and ocean excitement with the public. Along with official plenary sessions on fisheries, climate action, marine protected areas, sustainable livelihoods, marine pollution, research capacity, and much more, we will also cover the fascinating side events taking place throughout the week. 

In particular, the Youth and Innovation Forum, which brings together participants from around the world to engage young leaders as key drivers for change, supports youth participants in contributing to the UN political process, and features youth-led solutions for a healthy and productive ocean. We will also attend coral reef focused events and workshops hosted by the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, which aim to accelerate imperative action to restore and protect these beloved ecosystems. 

In this blog, we plan to post interesting yet easily-digestible updates on what we learn throughout this incredible conference, so stay tuned for everything ocean related! If you’d like to hear our audio content, don’t forget to follow the ReefRoundup Podcast, where we will be publishing more in-depth interviews with some of the many inspiring people we connect with at the conference. It’s going to be an exciting week!