The idea of the “blue economy” is compelling – and contested. On one hand, there is growing enthusiasm for using the oceans’ resources to grow economies and improve livelihoods while maintaining healthy marine ecosystems. On the other hand, the acceleration of ocean-based economic activity threatens to overwhelm increasingly vulnerable environments and communities. This is particularly important for small-scale fishing communities; a global coalition of small-scale fishers recently called on governments to protect them from competing blue economy sectors. One of this century’s most urgent challenges is to reinvent our relationship to the ocean – combining the best science, policy, and innovation to create practical approaches to ocean stewardship. Hosted at Duke University in March 2023, the annual Blue Economy Summit brings together diverse ocean stakeholders from industry, government, non-profits, and academia to identify the most promising opportunities to bring this vision to life.

The Blue Economy Summit will create a collaborative setting where students and professionals can critically reflect on current ocean trends and challenges, facilitate productive conversations, and enable effective ocean stewardship actions. The Summit invites leaders from across sectors and geographies who want to challenge the status quo and explore science-based insights on urgent ocean challenges and opportunities. Attendees will also have the opportunity to connect with young professionals from multiple disciplines at Duke and other leading universities.