Programme CommOCEAN 2026
The 7th CommOCEAN conference takes place in Bergen, Norway on 2-3 September with an icebreaker on the evening of 1 September. Registration is now open! Early bird: 1 July.
Main content
- REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! (Early bird deadline: 1 July)
Welcome to CommOCEAN 2026, the seventh in the series, taking place 2-3 September in the coastal city of Bergen, Norway, with an ‘icebreaker’ in the evening of 1 September. The programme will be packed with exciting keynotes, plenary sessions, workshops, ‘circus’ sessions, and posters on ocean science communications.
- For enquiries about the conference, send an email to the CommOCEAN organising committee.
The conference 2-3 September takes place at UiB Learning Arena, Nygårdsgaten 5 (NG5), 5015 Bergen (location), except for the Icebreaker Reception on 1 September, which is at the Medieval castle Håkonshallen (location), in close proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage site Bryggen.
PROGRAMME (preliminary)
TUESDAY 1 SEPTEMBER
18:00-19:30 Icebreaker reception, Håkonshallen (location)
Welcome by the Mayor of Bergen, Ms. Marit Warncke
WEDNESDAY 2 SEPTEMBER
08:00-09:00 Arrivals and registrations, mingling
09:00-09:15 Welcome and practical information
09:15-10:15 Opening keynote TBC, followed by Q&A
10:15-11:00 Plenary session 1
11:00-11:30 Coffee break, incl poster session
11:30-12:30 Circus sessions (2 x 30 minutes)
12:30-12:35 Moving between rooms
12:35-13:35 Workshops
13:35-14:25 Lunch break, incl poster session
14:25-15:25 Workshops
15:25-15:30 Moving from breakout rooms to plenary room
15:30-16:30 Plenary session 2
16:30-17:00 Keynote 2 TBC
17:00-19:30 Break
19:30-22:00 Conference dinner at Bien Litteraturhuset, Østre Skostredet 5-7, Bergen (location)
- Bien Litteraturhuset, located in one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods, serves classic Norwegian food and drinks. For the conference dinner the local specialty ‘persetorsk’ (cod) will be served as the main dish (with a vegetarian alternative for non-fish eaters) as well as a starter and a dessert based on local traditions.
THURSDAY 3 SEPTEMBER
08:00-09:00 Arrivals and mingling
09:00-10:00 Keynote 3: CEO Haakon Vatle of tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl, followed by Q&A
10:00-11:00 Plenary session 3
11:00-11:30 Coffee break, incl poster session and moving to parallel sessions
11:30-12:30 Workshops
12:30-13:30 Lunch break, incl poster session
13:30-14:00 Keynote 4 TBC, followed by Q&A
14:00-14:05 Moving from plenary room to breakout rooms
14:05-15:05 Workshops
15:05-15:25 Short break and moving to plenary room
15:25-16:25 Plenary session 4
16:25-16:30 Close of conference: Thank you and goodbye!
FACTS
CommOCEAN
- CommOCEAN is a biannual conference on ocean science communications.
- The conference is organised by the European Marine Board’s Communication Panel (EMBCP).
- In 2026 the CommOCEAN conference takes place in Bergen, Norway 2-3 September, with a so-called icebreaker in the evening of 1 September.
- This is the seventh edition of the CommOCEAN conference, which last took place in Malaga, Spain in 2024.
- Main CommOCEAN webpage.
- Follow CommOCEAN on LinkedIn.
Overarching theme and main topics
For this edition of CommOCEAN the overarching theme is ‘Communication for and within the UN Ocean Decade: Setting Sails for 2030’. Under this theme there will be three main topics and one open session:
- Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and new technologies in ocean science communications – opportunities, risks and ethical considerations.
- Security-related and geopolitical dimensions of ocean and science communication in a time of crisis and disruption – including misinformation, trust and strategic communication.
- Increasing Citizen Engagement and Ocean Literacy through communication – how to reach different audiences and foster understanding of ocean–climate interactions.
- Open topic session – emerging topics, case studies and experimental formats.
