Organised by the European Marine Board Communications Panel (EMBCP) in collaboration with, and hosted by, the University of Bergen and the Norwegian Marine University Consortium, CommOCEAN 2026 focuses on the theme ‘Communication for and within the UN Ocean Decade: Setting Sails for 2030’. The conference is endorsed as an activity of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UN Ocean Decade).
As the UN Ocean Decade moves towards 2030, effective communication is increasingly important to ensure that Ocean knowledge reaches different audiences and can contribute to informed decisions and action. CommOCEAN conferences provide a space to exchange experiences, discuss new approaches and reflect on how Ocean science communication can better connect science, society and policy.
The 2026 edition places particular emphasis on international participation. Financial support from the Research Council of Norway has enabled the organisers to invite speakers and delegates from outside Europe, helping to make the programme more diverse and inclusive.
A programme combining inspiration and practical exchange
The conference programme is structured around four main themes: communication and impact to benefit the Ocean and society; the use of new technologies in Ocean science communication; increasing citizen engagement and Ocean literacy through communication; and taking science communication to Ocean action.
These themes reflect some of the key opportunities and challenges currently facing Ocean science communicators. New technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), are changing how scientific information can be produced and shared. At the same time, strengthening Ocean literacy and engaging citizens remain important for building greater understanding of the importance of the Ocean in people’s lives and supporting action for the Ocean. The final plenary session focuses specifically on how communication can help move from knowledge to action. This session is moderated by Ángel Muñiz Piniella, Science Officer from the European Marine Board.
CommOCEAN 2026 combines keynote presentations, plenary sessions, workshops, circus sessions and poster presentations, providing opportunities for both inspiration and practical exchange. The conference began with an icebreaker reception on 1 September at Håkonshallen, hosted by the City of Bergen, followed by two days of conference activities at the University of Bergen.
The conference opened with a keynote by Emmy Award-winning TV producer James Honeyborne, known for his work on Blue Planet II, Our Great National Parks and the Netflix series Our Oceans. Other keynote speakers include Haakon Vatle, CEO of the tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl and passionate shanty singer; Dorothy Jane Dankel from SINTEF Ocean, expert in Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and transdisciplinarity in marine science; Didrik Hjertaker Grevskott from the Institute of Marine Research and finalist of the national Researcher Grand Prix (Forsker Grand Prix) competition; and Karuna Tuli and Rachel Rhodes from the nonprofit ocean exploration initiative OceanX. Their contributions cover topics ranging from Ocean storytelling and the science-policy nexus to Ocean expeditions and new approaches to connecting Ocean science and communication.
The workshops provides participants with opportunities to discuss and explore practical approaches to communication, including Ocean connections across different stages of life, communicating scientific uncertainty for AMOC and the deep sea, local and Indigenous knowledge, and communicating to coastal communities.
For the European Marine Board, the conference also reflects the importance of strengthening communication between marine science and wider society. Through the EMB Communications Panel, we support exchange and collaboration on effective approaches to communicating marine science and its relevance to policy and society.
Follow the conference on LinkedIn and social media using #CommOCEAN and #CommOCEAN2026. The full programme is available on the CommOCEAN 2026 website.