Anchoring Change: Blue Water EduFest 2024 Returns for its Third Edition with Dr Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer & Explorer, Time Magazine’s First Hero for the Planet

Back for its third edition, the Blue Water EduFest organised by ONE°15 Marina will be held in Singapore from 7 – 9 November 2024.

The event will feature a purpose-driven ocean conservation conference, Blue Eco Summit, in partnership with Ocean Geographic, featuring keynote speaker Dr Sylvia Earle.

Over the course of three days, the event will present an array of activities, including an ocean conservation conference, a prestigious awards dinner and a meaningful marina and beach clean-up.

Singapore, 7 June – ONE°15 Marina, a subsidiary of SUTL Enterprise Limited, proudly announces the return of the esteemed Blue Water EduFest, slated to be held from 7th to 9th November 2024 at ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove. Now in its third edition, Blue Water EduFest 2024 underscores a renewed commitment to ocean and coastal preservation in alignment with the SG Green Plan. This non-profit event aims to convene influential figures, industry leaders, and passionate eco-champions to push the boundaries of ocean and coastal conservation in Southeast Asia.

This year, Blue Water EduFest will feature a new conference partner, Ocean Geographic, with a refreshed theme, a panel of renowned speakers and engaging topics. In addition to the main event, it will launch a series of activation programmes aimed at involving the community and immersing participants in hands-on experiences to understand the challenges posed by marine pollution and declining ecosystems. Through guided intertidal tours and mangrove, marina and beach clean-up activities, participants will be empowered to take proactive steps towards conservation.

“We are thrilled to bring together leading voices in marine conservation to ignite meaningful dialogue and action,” expressed Arthur Tay, Chairman & CEO of SUTL Group. “This year, we’re excited to collaborate with Ocean Geographic to bring you a dynamic conference offering. Alongside the main event, we’re introducing a series of immersive activation programmes, allowing the Blue Water community to directly engage with our marine ecosystem through hands-on tours and cleanup activities.”

In partnership with Ocean Geographic, the event will feature a purpose-driven conference, Blue Eco Summit, anchored by keynote speaker Dr. Sylvia Earle, affectionately referred to in the industry as “Her Deepness”. Dr Sylvia Earle (left picture) is the Founder of Mission Blue, Time Magazine’s first Hero of the Planet and Chair of the Ocean Geographic Honorary Board of Honorary of Editors and Photographers and holds the record for the deepest walk on the sea floor and is a world-renowned expert on marine science.   Themed “Blue Space”, the summit will explore the surface to the depths of the ocean’s ecosystem featuring an international lineup of speakers including Dr Peter Harrison who pioneered a revolutionary mass coral spawning technique known as ‘coral IVF’ that resulted in the establishment of new breeding corals on damaged reefs.

“Ocean Geographic will leverage all its resources to create the most inspiring and impactful summit, fostering a deep love and commitment to conserving the blue lungs of our planet.” said Michael AW, Founder of Ocean Geographic and Asian Geographic.

Blue Water EduFest 2024 will comprise three pillars:

1. The Blue Eco Summit: The conference will tackle key issues affecting the entire ocean column, focusing on three critical topics: the High Seas Treaty, Blue Carbon, and the impacts of Deep-Sea Mining. To emphasise the ocean’s vital role in mitigating climate change, the summit will feature the Blue Carbon Video and Picture Portfolio competition, along with a Blue Carbon Children’s Painting competition. Participants can showcase the ocean’s climate regulation role in the Blue Carbon category of the Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year (OGPICOTY), which includes two prestigious awards: the Blue Carbon Portfolio (Picture) and Blue Carbon Vision (Video). Winners of these awards will be included in the selection of the 2024 OGPICOTY MASTER OF COMPETITION Award, to win an expedition to the Arctic onboard MV Sylvia Earle, the expedition ship.
2. Blue Water Heroes Awards Dinner: Recognising outstanding contributions to ocean conservation, the Awards Dinner will showcase finalists and their impactful projects from across Southeast Asia. The top three winners will be announced during the ceremony, sharing a total prize money of S$50,000.
3. Marina and Beach Clean-Up: A community-driven initiative, the Marina and Beach Clean-Up underscores the collective effort in preserving marine environments.

Blue Water EduFest 2024 seeks to create a comprehensive and impactful experience that fosters awareness, celebrates achievements, and drives tangible action towards ocean conservation.

For more information on Blue Water EduFest 2024, please visit – https://bluewateredufest.com/