The Blue Wave Conference: Youth Empowerment for Ocean Science and Action was successfully held on October 30-31, 2025, in Shenzhen, China, marking a milestone event for youth-driven marine stewardship and international cooperation in support of the United Nations Ocean Decade goals.
This conference was co-organised by a consortium of leading institutions, including the China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association (COMRA), the Advanced Institute for Ocean Research (AIOR, SUSTech) /Shenzhen Ocean University Preparatory Office, the Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University (SIGOU), the Global Ocean Capital Promotion Council of Shenzhen, the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), and the Early Career Ocean Professionals Programme (ECOP Programme).
Co-chaired by Shenghui Li (Guangdong Ocean University, ECOP-China), Evgeniia Kostianaia (ECOP Programme), Yiming Luo (SUSTech), and Lin Cui (Marine Technology Innovation Center–Yangtze Delta), the conference highlighted inclusive leadership and cross-sector youth collaboration for ocean sustainability. Bringing together over 200 registered participants from 15 countries across Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America, the conference offered an essential international platform for young ocean scientists, entrepreneurs, and marine practitioners. Attendees exchanged insights, forged new partnerships, and contributed practical solutions to advance global marine sustainability goals.
The event commenced with a series of opening remarks from leading experts and ECOP champions. These included Zhanhai Zhang, President of the China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association, Jian Lin, Chair Professor at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and Member of Academia Europaea, Yishan Lu, Vice-President of Guangdong Ocean University, and Aimee Gonzales, Executive Director of the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA). Following the opening session, the crucial role of ECOPs was highlighted in a keynote speech titled “ECOP Programme and Its Role in Promoting Ocean Literacy Around the World”, delivered by Evgeniia Kostianaia of UNESCO-IOC.
Across two intensive days, the agenda combined cutting-edge science, policy dialogue, technology innovation, and community-based action, with ECOPs at the core of both content and facilitation. Themed sessions included “Youth Breakthrough in Addressing the Challenges of the UN Ocean Decade”, “Youth Empowerment Transformations in Ocean Science”, and “Youth Empowerment for Ocean Actions”, offering ECOPs opportunities to present their work, join expert roundtables, and connect with senior scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders. Parallel sessions such as the PEMSEA Network of Young Leaders (PNYL) Workshop, the Indian Ocean Young Scientist Association (IOYSA) seminar, and the “Youth Engagement in Blue Citizen Initiatives” track elevated regional youth-led initiatives on marine litter, coastal resilience, and ocean literacy.
The conference also showcased youth and ECOP-led innovation and public engagement through a Model United Nations Ocean Consultation, the Global Youth Marine Art Exhibition, a youth flash-mob session of lightning talks, and the “Deep Blue Exploration” Youth Ocean Conservation Innovation Roadshow”, where young innovators pitched solutions on topics from mangrove restoration and coral conservation to blue entrepreneurship and community-based education. These formats enabled ECOPs to translate science into real-world action, engage non-scientific audiences, and build bridges between research, policy, business, and coastal communities.
A distinctive feature of the conference was its strong emphasis on cross-sector dialogue. A dedicated “Cross-Sector Dialogue: Youth Topics on Science, Policy and Society” session brought together representatives from universities, technology companies, venture philanthropy networks, engineering firms, and civil society to explore how ECOPs can connect scientific research, innovation, and policy processes. This dialogue enabled young professionals to interact directly with decision-makers and industry leaders, identify collaboration opportunities, and discuss pathways for scaling up youth-led solutions in the blue economy.
Ocean literacy was another major pillar of the program. The Promoting Ocean Literacy Workshop, co-convened by Shenghui Li and Evgeniia Kostianaia, focused on ECOP-led initiatives under the Ocean Literacy Hub Asia, bringing together educators, ECOP-led organisations and community groups. Through presentations and roundtable exchanges, participants shared best practices on building blue school networks, co-developing teaching resources with primary and secondary schools, and using citizen science and youth field surveys to strengthen public understanding of the ocean.
A significant outcome of the conference was the launch of the “2025 Blue Wave Shenzhen Initiative”, designed to empower ECOPs and catalyse innovative, cross-boundary ocean action. Responding directly to the UN Ocean Decade, the Initiative calls for the establishment of a “Global Partnership for Youth Empowerment in Ocean Science and Action”, which will coordinate ten key actions focused on ocean literacy, nature-based solutions, blue innovation, and inclusive governance, with the long-term aim of forming a Global Ocean Youth Council to strengthen co-decision-making and collaborative leadership. Through this Initiative, the Blue Wave Conference has laid the groundwork for an enduring global network of ECOPs committed to advancing a sustainable and equitable ocean future.