OceanX Summit 2026 convened in Singapore for three days of discussions on how ocean discovery translates into lasting change, with leaders from science, government, exploration, education, and conservation examining how evidence can inform protection, how immersive learning can engage the next generation, and how local leadership can shape solutions. The implications reach beyond the region: as countries implement the BBNJ Agreement on marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, the summit underscored that ocean knowledge has its greatest value when it can be shared, understood, and used. The event was announced via Media OutReach Newswire.
Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry (Trade) Gan Kim Yong opened the summit, and Minister for Education Desmond Lee later addressed the role of ocean exploration in student learning. The programme included oceanographer Sylvia Earle; filmmaker and deep-sea explorer James Cameron; Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society; Takashi Kudo of teamLab; Benoît Dageville of Snowflake; Rizza Sacra-Dejucos of the High Seas Alliance; Professor Peter Ng of NUS; and conservation leaders Titouan Bernicot of Coral Gardeners and Rili Joani-Mohamed of the Coral Triangle Centre.
A clear message emerged that data gaps remain a critical constraint. Discussions on artificial intelligence highlighted both its potential to connect fragmented datasets and its dependence on high-quality information from underrepresented regions. Sessions on finance and marine protected areas explored how public policy, private-sector expertise, and philanthropic support can work together with coastal communities in view. "The Summit made clear that there is a need to collect much more ocean data which is necessary to make informed decisions around ocean stewardship," said Vincent Pieribone, adding that science must work in collaboration with all stakeholders if knowledge is to support lasting ocean protection.
The programme connected scientific discovery with international conservation efforts. The Into the Deep: Monsoon Rise expedition, jointly led by OceanX and NUS, mapped more than 8,300 square kilometres of seafloor in the eastern Indian Ocean, with scientists from Southeast Asia and the Pacific working alongside Singapore researchers and approximately 2,000 specimens now contributing to continuing biodiversity research. OceanX has committed a significant share of its 2027 expedition time to high seas research.
Education featured prominently. Singapore's partnership with OceanX through the Ministry of Education and Science Centre Board has enabled more than 570 students and educators to visit OceanXplorer since 2024, while hundreds more joined ship-to-shore expedition livestreams. Mark Dalio said immersive education can turn curiosity into personal connection and help students see how their skills contribute to ocean science. The summit featured more than 20 immersive installations developed by OceanX Education and its Changemaker community, and nine Tanoto Foundation scholars have participated in OceanX's Young Explorers programme.
Local leadership emerged as a practical driver of protection. Coral Gardeners founder Titouan Bernicot described an island-led movement that has grown to 97 full-time employees and planted more than 250,000 corals across French Polynesia, Fiji, and Thailand, while other changemakers presented projects using AI for reef monitoring. The summit drew more than 750 participants, including 223 students and educators. For businesses and policymakers, the gathering signals that ocean stewardship increasingly depends on accessible, cross-disciplinary data, blended finance, and community-led execution. More information is available at www.oceanx.org, and updates are shared on Instagram and X.
