Webinars

Tuesday, June 2, 12 pm US EDT/9 am US PDT/4 pm UTC. Presented by: Wave Moretto of Oregon State University, Yudmila Chunguane of Love the Oceans, and Andrea de Moura Milanelli of The Thünen Institute. Description: Join us to hear from the winners of the 2026 Ocean Innovator Award opportunity, which recognizes and promotes innovative ocean-related research and applied solutions. Early career professionals from around the globe submitted creative presentations about their innovative projects related to coastal, ocean, and estuarine environments. The three winners were selected by a team of expert reviewers across several dimensions of the ocean and coastal career field. Winners include: 1st Place: Wave Moretto, “Fish, Kelp, and Habitat Health: Redefining how we monitor Oregon’s nearshore kelp forests”; 2nd Place: Yudmila Chunguane, “BEAM – Biodiversity Enhancement and Algal Management: Youth lead coral restoration in Jangamo Bay”; and 3rd Place: Andrea de Moura Milanelli, “PearlNet: An innovative gillnet modification to reduce bycatch of toothed whales in set net fisheries”.

Thursday, June 4, at Noon US EDT/9 am US PDT/4 pm UTC. Presented by: Nik Strong-Cvetich and Diego Sancho-Gallegos of the Save The Waves Coalition. Description: Surf ecosystems – the land-to-sea interface that creates the conditions for breaking, rideable waves for surfing, and the flora, fauna, and human communities that depend on them – generate enormous economic and cultural value for coastal communities, yet they remain largely unrecognized as natural assets in coastal policy and planning. This webinar introduces Surfonomics – a methodology that quantifies the economic value derived from surfing in coastal communities – and illustrates how reframing a surf break as a natural asset can support coastal conservation. Drawing on Save The Waves Coalition’s work around the world, presenters will trace the evolution from economic valuation of surf breaks to include climate vulnerability assessments and the design of financial tools that can sustain surf-dependent economies under a changing climate. The featured case study focuses on Oriente Salvaje World Surfing Reserve in El Salvador, where the Save The Waves Coalition and partners are developing a parametric insurance pilot to protect surf ecosystems and the coastal communities that depend on them – the first of its kind. Attendees will come away with an understanding of natural resource valuation and its role in supporting conservation and the livelihoods that rely on the sustainable use of these resources.

Tuesday, June 9, 8 am US EDT/5 am US PDT/Noon UTC/1 pm BST/2 pm CEST/5 pm MVT/5:30 pm IST. Presented by: Helen Klimmek and Heather Bingham of UNEP-WCMC; Aishath Amal and Muhusina Abdul Rahman of the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy, Maldives; Uthpala Karunadipathi of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Sri Lanka; and Jamie Small, Holly Baigent, Beth Flavell, and Hannah Lawson of JNCC. Description: The Protected Planet Initiative plays a central role in tracking global progress towards Target 3 of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The World Database on Protected and Conserved Areas (WDPCA) provides the official global indicator of progress towards the 30% coverage target… but how is the effectiveness of these areas tracked? This session spotlights the Global Database on Protected Area Management Effectiveness (GD-PAME), which is hosted on protectedplanet.net alongside the WDPCA. The webinar will begin with a presentation from UNEP-WCMC summarizing the origins and evolution of the database and its role in collating data from diverse assessment tools and approaches. Then speakers from the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy, Maldives; Department of Wildlife Conservation, Sri Lanka; and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), UK, will share firsthand their experiences of assessing the effectiveness of marine protected areas, including the process of reporting their findings to the global database. The webinar will conclude with a live Q&A session.

Wednesday, July 15, Noon US EDT/9am US PDT/10 am CST/4 pm UTC/5 pm BST/6 pm CEST. Presented by: Sarah Hameed, Jessica MacCarthy, and Leticia de Bonilla of the Marine Conservation Institute; Ratana Chuenpagdee of Memorial University of Newfoundland; Rodolphe Devillers of the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD); and Maylin Mora Arias and Yareth Ledezma of Cahuita National Park. Description: The Blue Park Standard sets a global benchmark for what effective marine protection requires: strategic design, equitable governance, strong protection, evidence-based management, compliance, and capacity. The reality is that most marine protected areas (MPAs) fall short of that bar. Blue Parks is a global initiative working to improve conservation quality alongside quantity, building a representative, connected network of protection that revitalizes ecosystems and recovers wildlife. The Blue Park Awards uses the Standard to encourage decision-makers to raise the bar, while celebrating and elevating successful conservation efforts worldwide. Join Marine Conservation Institute, members of the Blue Parks Science Council, and awarded Blue Park managers for an in-depth discussion of how this initiative is driving meaningful progress toward strategically protecting at least 30% of the ocean.