Programme CommOCEAN 2026

16:00-17:00                      CommOCEAN 2026 has secured three guided tours as part of the additional and voluntary activities at the conference. All these tours take place Tuesday 1 September at 16:00 and last for about an hour, leaving plenty of time to get to the icebreaker reception.

• Read more on the guided tours and how to book your spot.

18:00-19:30                      Icebreaker reception, Håkonshallen (location)

                                        Welcome by the Mayor of Bergen, Ms. Marit Warncke

08:00-09:00                      Arrivals and registrations, mingling

09:00-09:15                      Welcome and practical information

Welcome statements by:

• Professor Tymon Zieliński, Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences (IO PAN) and Chair for the European Marine Board Communication Panel
• Professor Bjørn Egil Asbjørnslett, Chair of the Norwegian Marine University Consortium and Director at NTNU Ocean and Coast
• Rector and Professor Margareth Hagen, University of Bergen

09:15-10:15                      Opening keynote

• Emmy Award winning TV producer James Honeyborne of Freeborne Media

10:15-11:15                      Plenary session 1: Use of new technologies in ocean science communications

11:15-11:30                      Coffee break, incl poster session

11:30-12:30                      Circus sessions (2 x 30 minutes)

12:30-13:30                      Workshops

13:30-14:15                      Lunch break, incl poster session

14:15-15:00                      Keynote 2: CEO Haakon Vatle of tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl

15:00-16:00                      Plenary session 2: Communication and impact to benefit the ocean and society              

16:00-17:00                      Workshops

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.

08:00-09:00                      Arrivals and mingling

09:00-09:30                      Keynote 3: Senior Research Scientist Dorothy Jane Dankel, SINTEF Ocean

09:30-10:30                      Plenary session 3: Increasing citizen engagement and ocean literacy through communication

10:30-10:45                      Coffee break, incl poster session and moving to workshops

10:45-11:45                      Workshops

11:45-12:45                      Workshops

12:45-13:45                      Lunch break, incl poster session

13:45-14:15                      Keynote 4: Researcher Didrik Hjertaker Grevskott, Institute of Marine Research

14:15-15:15                      Workshops

15:15-15:30                      Coffee break, incl poster session and moving to final plenary session

15:30-16:30                      Plenary session 4: Taking science communication to ocean action

16:30-16:45                      Close of conference: Thank you and goodbye!

Morning and opening keynote Wednesday 2 September:

• Emmy Award winning TV producer James Honeyborne of Freeborne Media, who will open the conference speaking about his work on the Emmy Award winning TV series ‘Blue Planet II’ and ‘Our Great National Parks’ as well as the Netflix series ‘Our Oceans’, in which he collaborated with polar scientists from the University of Bergen.

Afternoon keynote Wednesday 2 September:

• CEO Haakon Vatle of tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl will be speaking on how the tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl has become a floating ambassador for the UN Ocean Decade through its two One Ocean Expeditions, with a 3rd global expedition planned for 2028-2030 to conclude the decade when sailing home to Bergen for One Ocean Week 2030.

Morning keynote Thursday 3 September:

• Senior Research Scientist Dorothy Jane Dankel of SINTEF Ocean will be talking about how the ocean is changing faster than we can understand it and how we as communicators can make sure knowledge doesn't just end up in reports but actually shapes tomorrow's decisions. Prepare for a lesson in how to be successful on the science-policy nexus!

Afternoon keynote Thursday 3 September:

• Researcher Didrik Hjertaker Grevskott from Norway’s Institute of Marine Research (IMR) will present his experience in the national Researcher Grand Prix (Forsker Grand Prix) competition. An experience he describes as both challenging, inspiring, and incredibly rewarding, pushing him to communicate his research on antibiotic resistance in the marine environment in a completely new way. We look forward to an inspiring last keynote of the conference!

Confirmed plenary speakers for the CommOCEAN 2026 conference (in alphabetical order by surname). We will soon update the programme with speakers allocated to the four plenary sessions and more information on the content each speaker will provide.

• Isabel Caballero, Communication Officer, JPI Oceans: ‘Navigating the in-between: ocean science, policy, and the art of communicating both’
• Rita Costa Abecasis, Marine biologist & Science Communicator – Head of Ocean Education Unit, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve: ‘From the airport to Ria Formosa: an immersive exhibition as science communication in transit spaces’
• Lolita Couchene, Advocacy Officer / Spokesperson, Nausicaa – National Sea Center: ‘From Data to Plate: Digital Tools for Sustainable Seafood Communication in Mr. Goodfish 3.0’
• Lucky Dlamini, Communications and Stakeholder Relations Manager, NRF-South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB): ‘Blending Indigenous Knowledge and Science: Communication Lessons from the IMIsEE Project’
• Vår Dundas, Researcher, Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NERSC): ‘Float Your Boat: Bringing curiosity and understanding about the Arctic Ocean to young audiences’
• Brian Emurenya Emojong, Geologist, Kenya Water Institute: ‘AI and Spatial Technologies for Impact-Driven Ocean Communication Under the UN Ocean Decade’
• M. Carmen Garcia-Martinez, Researcher, Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC): ‘Strategic Ocean Science Communication, Trust and North–South Knowledge Co Production in Benin’
• Peter Haugan, Policy Director, Institute of Marine Research (IMR): ‘A new kind of more communicative ocean science’
• Chantal Lyons, Senior Research and Innovation Lead, Mindfully Wired: ‘From Conflict to Collaboration: Communicating Bycatch and Coexistence with Marine Mammals’
• Esther Maina, Communications and Knowledge Management Lead, Regional Seas Programme, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): ‘One Voice, 18 Regions: How the Regional Seas Programme coordinates ocean communication’
• Roshin P. Raj, Senior Researcher, Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NERSC): ‘ENgaging Researchers and coastal population In Communicating ocean’s role on human Health (ENRICH)’
• Carlyn Scott, independent: ‘The meme economy: Using social media to improve ocean literacy and engagement’
• Xuefei Shi, Independent Researcher: ‘Ocean Literacy in the Age of AI/S: Reading Maritime Data Critically’
• Sølve Jozeph Westli, Creative Director, Aurora Vortex Studio: ‘The Changing Ocean Immersive Experience’
• Yandeh Sallah, Communications and User Engagement Officer, Mercator Ocean International: ‘Connecting Communities for Ocean Forecasting: Dashboards, Learning Tools, and Capacity Building’
• Lukasz Larsson Warzecha, Managing Director and Chief Storyteller, Öresund Patrol: ‘Seeing the Sound: Visual Storytelling as a Gateway to Citizen Science in Öresund’

At CommOCEAN 2026 there will be a number of free-ranging 60-minute workshops with contributions from across sectors and a diversity of topics. We will soon update with more workshops as further details fall into place. This is a preliminary list of workshops listed in random order:

• Siri Granum Carson, Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU): ‘The Sea is the Walls of my Home’
• Lena Fagerwing, Founder and project lead, OCEANhab and Knit for Wildlife: ‘Expanding ocean literacy through the global knitting community’
• Małgorzata Suś, Artist / Choreographer / Dancer, Rio Neiva: ‘Communication Through Movement – Embodied Ways for Increasing Ocean Literacy’
• James Gill, Lloyd's Register Foundation Digital Manager: Contemporary Maritime, Royal Museums Greenwich: ‘Museum of the Ocean Decade’
• Mari Heggernes Eilertsen, Researcher, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen (UiB): ‘Stories from the Deep: Using Storytelling to Build Deep‑Ocean Literacy’
• Geraint Rhys Whittaker, Artist-Researcher, Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg: ‘What does success in ocean science communication actually look like, and how do we know?’
• Tiago Garcia, Communication Officer, +ATLANTIC CoLAB: ‘Is AI Doing to Science Communication What Botox Did to Faces?’
• Paulo Henrique Reis de Oliveira, Coordinator, Centre for Studies in the Law of the Sea, University of São Paulo (USP): ‘Beyond 2030: Science Communication as a Driver for Human Rights at Sea’
• Melissa Pappas, Science Communicator & Founder, Consultant, Emerging Creatives of Science: ‘Using art & storytelling to preserve the nuance of ocean science while deepening citizen engagement’
• François H. Lallier, Professor, Station biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université: ‘Mission Bougainville & the Curiosity microscope: how to communicate on plankton in remote locations’
• Francesca Santoro, Senior Programme Officer, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO): ‘Designing Ocean Literacy communication for diverse audiences: lessons from a travelling exhibition’
• Cristian Muñoz Mas, Lead AI & Analysis Section, Institute of Marine Research (IMR): ‘Exploring the BlueBiome game-based Communication Tools’
• Harm-Christian Tolden, Communications director, City of Bergen: ‘From Ocean Knowledge to Ocean Engagement How One Ocean Week can reach new audiences’
• Megan Shier, Creative Communications Specialist, Ocean Tracking Network: ‘Beyond documentation: Tips and tricks for visual storytelling and creative practice’
• Morgan Casal-Ribeiro, PhD student, Institute of Marine Sciences – OKEANOS, University of the Azores: ‘Rethinking the static poster: dynamic, creative, and non-conventional approaches to science posters’
• Izabela Kotynska-Zielinska, Ocean Literacy Educator and Communicator, Today We Have: ‘Sense the Sea: Multi-Sensory Maritime Communication Workshop’
• Eunice Sousa, Science Communication Officer, PhD, CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine and Environmental Research: ‘Sem Espinhas: What We Learned About Ocean Literacy Through Podcasting’
• Lana Young, Digital Communications Officer, National Oceanography Centre: ‘Creatively leveraging media moments for lasting impact: lessons and tools’
• Miranda Post, Graduate Student, Simon Fraser University: ‘Skill sharing: lessons and lenses from MCCCW’
• Lara Beckmann, PhD Candidate, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg: ‘Unseen Ocean: Scaling Art-Science Collaboration for Ocean Literacy and Engagement’
• Eeva Nyyssönen, Communication Secretary, HELCOM: ‘Not just fun and games: Ecosfera Baltica and the quest to save the sea’
• Chantal Lyons, Senior Research and Innovation Lead, Mindfully Wired: ‘Talking Towards Common Ground: How to break down barriers and foster collaboration through dialogue’
• Claudia Junge, Principal Researcher, Institute of Marine Research: ‘From Coast to Call: The Shark Hotline Connecting Citizens and Science’
• Mimi E. Lam, Researcher, University of Bergen (UiB): ‘Norwegian Seascapes Contest, Exhibition, and Dialogue’

Workshops that are co-organised to engage broad and inspirational discussions on five selected overarching topics:

>>> Exhibition developer and curator Marte Mjånes Torkildsen from VilVite – Bergen Science Centre with Marine Pilot and VTS Instructor Trainer Burçin Erlevent at the Camadan Foundation, and Communications officer Laure De Montbron from the ISblue project at Université Bretagne Occidentale (Brest): ‘Building ocean connections from childhood to young adulthood’

>>> Head of Communications Tori Pedersen and Director Kikki Kleiven from the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research with Head of Communications Lloyd Gofton from the National Oceanography Centre (UK), and Postdoctoral fellow Frida Hoem from the University of Bergen: ‘AMOC and the uncertainties’ (preliminary title)

>>> Science manager David Barrios Amaya at the Fundación MarViva (Colombia), Francis Kwadwo Donkor from the Africa Ocean Alliance  (Ghana), Head of Fishery Division Masoud Ali at the Zanzibar Fisheries Company – ZAFICO (Tanzania), and Postdoctoral Researcher Ma Suza from the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Research (Germany): ‘Communicating local and indigenous knowledge for the ocean’ (preliminary title)

>>> Professor Lucia Fanini (University of Salento), Educator Tandrali Baruah (Zoo Outreach Organisation), Science Communicator Marta Correia (CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research), and MSCA PhD candidate in Cultural and Social Anthropology Ludovica Montecchio (University of Milano-Bicocca): ‘Education, experiences, difficulties in the path towards ocean science communication, and where interdisciplinarity can help’

>>> Communications adviser Judith Dalsgård from the Centre for climate and energy transformation CET at the University of Bergen, Senior Research Scientist Ida Beathe Øverjordet from SINTEF Ocean, and Founder, Senior Scientists and oceanographer Lars Golmen from Runde Environmental Centre (Norway): ‘Build Back Better: Communicating coastal communities and sustainable tourism’ (preliminary title)

What is a ‘circus session’? So-called ‘circus sessions’ are short inspirational talks packed with insights where the idea is to dive into a unique and emerging communication topic. The format is 2 x 30 minutes, with the same session repeated twice. We suggest approximately 20 min talk followed by 10 min Q&A. However, the structure and organization of the session is at the discretion of the individual organiser.

• Download the PDF with a summary of each circus session.

We look forward to these seven invigorating and informative sessions across a broad range of ocean communication topics:

• Olivia Bañez, Coral Reef Policy and Communications Coordinator, Guam Coral Reef Initiative, Guam Department of Agriculture: ‘Let’s take a field trip! Promoting place-based learning with virtual field trips in Guam’
• Jessica Bradford, Special Projects Manager, Ocean Tracking Network at Dalhousie University: ‘Apoqnmatulti’k: Sharing Stories of Etuaptmumk-Guided Aquatic Research and Knowledge Sharing’
• Eve Galimany, Researcher, ICATMAR / ICM-CSIC: ‘Addressing the missing connection between sign language and ocean science’
• Germana Barata, science journalist at the University of Campinas (Unicamp) and coordinator of the Ressoa Oceano Network, Brazil: ‘Press releases as a strategy to amplify ocean visibility in the Brazilian media’
• Kirsty Bradley, Fisheries Scientist, Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS): ‘#UNBOXED – a session to help scientist zoom out of their technical focus and think outside the box’
• Jessica-Marie Karlsen, Independent Researcher: ‘Beyond the Trophy: Legitimacy through the Social Barometer in High-Stakes Marine Industries (DSM)’
• Sabine Matallana Surget, Founder & CEO, SciImpact Global Ltd; Director, International Research Hub for Marine Pollutions (CIC); Adjunct Professor, Sorbonne University: ‘When Papers Are Not Enough: A Professor’s Journey to Real Impact through Ocean Communication’

A wide variety of posters on ocean science communication will be presented in the lovely mingling area at UiB Learning Arena for CommOCEAN 2026. We look forward to mingling with you and to discuss the posters both with the posters submitters and the conference delegates. Here is an overview of the poster presenters, in random order:

• Csilla Trungel, IWDG Coordination and Communication Officer. Irish Whale and Dolphin Group: ‘From Sanctuary to Society: Turning a 35-Year Milestone into Public Engagement’
• Christian Nilsson, PhD candidate, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen (UiB): ‘Deep sea on the go!’
• Jacopo Scafura, Founder-Editor, The Ocean Affairs: ‘Five oceans, five power dynamics: a visual series on ocean geopolitics’
• María Fernández Miguez, Postdoctoral researcher, University of Bergen (UiB): ‘Toxic Beauty: Art Inspired by Invisible Ocean Pollutants’
• Jessica Bradford, Project Lead, Independent research initiative in association with Citizens of Surf: ‘Surfboards to Storytelling: A Community Science Approach to Surfer-Led SST Monitoring’
• Kristen Kusek, Director of Communications, Schmidt Ocean Institute: ‘Sea Star Fever in Argentina – Record-breaking engagement’
• Alexis Rossell, Communications Manager, ICATMAR / ICM-CSIC: ‘Finding channels to engage society in marine science: storytelling, education and inclusion’
• Julia Steel, PhD Researcher, Herriot-Watt University: ‘Insights from a youth co-research project on how to engage young people in shaping ocean futures’
• Pablo Lozano, Science Communication and Public Engagement Officer, Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC): ‘Oceánicas: Integrating Ocean Literacy and Gender Equality in the Classroom’
• Iseult Gillespie, Senior Communications Officer and Content Developer, Seascape Belgium: ‘Stories we need for the ocean we want: putting people & places at the heart of science communication’
• François H. Lallier, Professor, Station biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université: ‘What will the ocean be like in ten years? A close encounter between marine scientists and journalism’
• Ana Carolina Sousa, Science Communication Officer, CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research: ‘Scientific expeditions in the age of scrolling: a year of CIIMAR Odysseys’
• Valentina Demarchi, PhD Candidate, International Technologies Institute, IST-ULisboa: ‘The OL-in-One Compass: Towards a Shared and Actionable Visual Vocabulary for Ocean Literacy’
• Vibeke Blich, Communication Adviser, One Ocean Week, City of Bergen: ‘One Ocean Week’
• Yvonne Wiese, Scientific and Technical Officer, Marine Institute: ‘How do Horizon Europe projects tailor communication strategies to different stakeholder groups?’
• Anna Lisa Alessi, Technologist, National Research Council-Institute for the study of Anthropic and Sustainability in marine environment (CNR-IAS): ‘Empowering Ocean Citizens: Innovative Storytelling for Inclusive Ocean Literacy’
• Kirsty Bradley, Fisheries Scientist, Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS): ‘Saints’ Ocean Quest - Board game and engagement materials to maximise impact for local communities’
• Inês Carneiro, Scientific illustrator, Institute of Marine Sciences – Okeanos, University of the Azores: ‘Listening, drawing, connecting: rebuilding fisheries dialogue in the Azores’
• Lukasz Larsson Warzecha, Managing Director and Chief Storyteller, Öresund Patrol: ‘Seeing the Sound: Visual Storytelling as a Gateway to Citizen Science in Öresund’
• Eunice Sousa, Science Communication Officer, PhD, CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine and Environmental Research: ‘Sem Espinhas: What We Learned About Ocean Literacy Through Podcasting’
• Martyna Basalska, Creative specialist, Gdynia Aquarium: ‘Accessibility & Aesthetics in Science Communication’
• Mahé Butel, Project Coordinator, Mercator Ocean International: ‘The 2026 Starfish Barometer: Synthesis of Ocean Health and Its Relationship with Humanity’
• Joanna Mierkiwicz, Communication, Promotion and Social Media Specialist, National Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Gdynia Aquarium: ‘Making Ocean Science Click: Simple Social Media Formats for Ocean Literacy’
• Sandra Kyrkjebø, Master student, Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen: ‘Innovating a new drifter design’
• Federica Orsi, Senior Communication Officer, University of Bologna: ‘Green Tides: The DCC-CR Podcast – A Strategic Tool for Communicating Coastal Resilience’

As part of CommOCEAN 2026 we are proud to present a masterclass with Emmy Award winning director and producer James Honeyborne of Freeborne Media, who is also the main keynote at the conference.

• Further details will be announced in mid- to late-August.

We are currently in dialogue with OCEANhab and its Knit for Wildlife initiative (follow on Instagram) about expanding their workshop contribution with activities throughout CommOCEAN 2026 and possibly also with activities outside of the conference venue.

• Read more on this page.

Updates coming mid-August!

As part of CommOCEAN 2026 there will be three mini exhibitions and a VR-demonstration in the smaller group rooms at the conference venue UiB Learning Arena. These will be open throughout the conference for the delegates to visit. We will get back with more information in the next programme update on 14 August.

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