The Pacific Community (SPC) through its Pacific Community Centre for Ocean Science (PCCOS), the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) and Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) would like to convene Pacific Ocean stakeholders to the Pacific Islands Ocean Conference to be held in Honiara (Solomon Islands), from 29 Sept – 03 October 2025.
This regional conference, which brings together and builds on the strengths and outcomes of the first Pacific Islands Conference on Ocean Science and Management (PICOSOM, Sept 2023) the first Pacific Regional Ocean Policy and Governance Dialogue (August 2023), reflects a shared commitment to optimise member country and partner engagement and to strengthen the science-policy interface towards sustainable ocean management.
This regional conference is part of the Ocean Decade implementation in the Blue Pacific.
The conference will facilitate the convergence of ocean-relevant stakeholders to:
- Share successes, challenges and gaps in advancing on ocean science and management priorities in the Pacific.
- Provide a platform for Pacific scientists to showcase their research and discuss key scientific findings and questions relevant to the region.
- Provide a platform for Pacific Ocean experts in other cross-cutting fields to share and discuss their work.
- Provide an interactive space for ocean practitioners from cross-cutting fields to dialogue on their experiences of integrated ocean management, the ocean science interface, ocean related early warning capacities, ocean policy implementation, and ocean governance approaches.
- Provide space for sharing of practical experiences and examples of how traditional knowledge is being integrated into marine services, ocean related risk knowledge products, scientific research, projects, monitoring and ocean management initiatives.
- Provide a space to assess recent international and regional Ocean events (UNOC3, Our Ocean Conference, Honiara Summit, etc.).
- Discuss the implementation of key global and regional ocean strategies and initiatives in the Pacific.
This call for abstracts is open to experts from across the Pacific Ocean or working on the Pacific Ocean, including scientists, academia, ocean policy practitioners, civil society, indigenous and local knowledge holders, etc.
Submissions
The agenda will be finalised based on responses to this call for abstracts. We invite the submission of abstracts on the following themes:
Ocean Science:
- Early Warning (Ocean Risk knowledge, Detection and Forecasting)
- Climate and Open Ocean Science,
- Ocean observation and Ocean modelling
- Transformative Marine Pollution research
- Fisheries and aquaculture
- Fisheries and coastal science
- Coral reefs and ocean acidification, rising temperatures, marine heatwaves and deoxygenation
- Blue carbon ecosystems
- Information portals and databases
Ocean Governance and Policy for Integrated Ocean Management:
- Integrated Ocean Management (IOM) and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP)
- Regional and national Ocean Policies and management initiatives
- Marine Transport and connectivity
- Marine conservation
- Nature-based solutions
- Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions (BBNJ)
- Ocean Governance
- Migratory Species
Integrating Traditional Knowledge and Science in Ocean Management:
- Case studies of the successful integration of traditional knowledge and science to inform marine management
- Community-based management of marine resources
- Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), fishing practices and marine conservation
- Marine cultural heritage and archaeology
- Cultural values, indigenous rights and ocean conservation
Cross cutting themes:
- Case studies of the successful integration of traditional knowledge and science to inform marine management
- Community-based management of marine resources
- Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), fishing practices and marine conservation
- Marine cultural heritage and archaeology
- Cultural values, indigenous rights and ocean conservation
Submission of abstract (Max 250 words) must be made via the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/KwRvE1vVxj no later than 22nd May 2025 COB.
Returns on acceptance of abstracts are expected in July.
Contacts
Please send queries to Mr Pablo Chavance ([email protected]) and Dr Katy Soapy ([email protected]).
