The OceanX Summit 2026, held in Singapore, brought together more than 750 participants, including 223 students and educators, to address a central question: how can ocean discovery be translated into lasting change? Over three days, leaders from ocean science, government, exploration, education, and conservation examined the roles of evidence, storytelling, and local leadership in shaping the ocean’s future. The event was announced by Media OutReach Newswire.
Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry, Gan Kim Yong, opened the Summit, while Minister for Education Desmond Lee addressed the role of ocean exploration in student learning. The gathering featured prominent voices such as oceanographer Sylvia Earle, filmmaker and deep-sea explorer James Cameron, and Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society, alongside representatives from academia, philanthropy, and the private sector.
A key theme was the need to make ocean knowledge accessible and actionable. Discussions on artificial intelligence highlighted both its potential to connect fragmented datasets and its reliance on high-quality information from underrepresented regions. Sessions on finance and marine protected areas explored how public policy, private-sector expertise, and philanthropic support can collaborate to meet the needs of coastal communities. Mark Dalio, founder of OceanX, emphasized the importance of immersive education: “The Summit brought the ocean into the room in a way people could experience. Immersive education can turn curiosity into a personal connection, and help students see how their skills can contribute to ocean science and its future.”
The Summit also showcased concrete scientific achievements. The Into the Deep: Monsoon Rise expedition, jointly led by OceanX and the National University of Singapore, mapped over 8,300 square kilometres of seafloor in the eastern Indian Ocean, with approximately 2,000 specimens now contributing to biodiversity research. Vincent Pieribone, OceanX’s chief scientist, noted, “The Summit made clear that there is a need to collect much more ocean data which is necessary to make informed decisions around ocean stewardship.” OceanX has committed a significant share of its 2027 expedition time to high seas research, supporting the implementation of the BBNJ Agreement on marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.
Education and storytelling were central to the programme. Since 2024, Singapore’s partnership with OceanX through the Ministry of Education and Science Centre Board has enabled more than 570 students and educators to visit the research vessel OceanXplorer, with hundreds more joining ship-to-shore livestreams. The Summit featured over 20 immersive installations developed by OceanX Education and its Changemaker community, demonstrating how art, media, and technology can build understanding. A discussion between Mark Dalio and Anderson Tanoto of Tanoto Foundation highlighted education pathways across Southeast Asia, with nine Tanoto Foundation scholars having participated in OceanX’s Young Explorers programme.
Local leadership was another focus, with speakers illustrating how conservation is already being advanced by communities. Titouan Bernicot, founder of Coral Gardeners, described an island-led movement that has grown to 97 full-time employees and planted more than 250,000 corals across French Polynesia, Fiji, and Thailand. Other changemakers presented projects using AI for reef monitoring and immersive media to connect audiences with marine ecosystems. The Summit underscored that local knowledge must shape conservation and that communities need a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their ocean.
For more information about OceanX and its initiatives, visit www.oceanx.org and follow OceanX on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
