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What happens after a scientific discovery? Who decides which parts of the ocean need protection, how that protection is funded, and whether the communities closest to it have a voice?
These questions shaped the second day of OceanX Summit 2026 aboard R/V OceanXplorer in Singapore. With new international agreements creating opportunities for ocean conservation, attention turned to the practical realities of turning scientific knowledge into lasting impact.
From previously unexplored deep-sea ecosystems to new approaches to conservation finance, the conversations revealed both the scale of the challenges ahead and the solutions already taking shape.
More than half the ocean lies beyond national boundaries, in waters that remain among the least explored places on Earth. The High Seas Treaty, formally known as the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), creates a new framework for protecting biodiversity in these waters.
For OceanX co-CEO and Chief Science Officer Vincent Pieribone and Professor Peter Ng of the National University of Singapore (NUS), the opportunity begins with understanding what exists beneath the surface.
Their discussion revisited Monsoon Rise, the joint OceanX and NUS expedition that explored a largely uncharted region of the eastern Indian Ocean in 2025. During the 22-day mission, researchers mapped more than 8,300 square kilometres of seafloor and collected approximately 2,000 biological specimens, advancing scientific knowledge of an area previously understood in very limited detail.
The expedition also brought together scientists from across the Asia-Pacific region, strengthening opportunities for shared research and regional scientific capacity.
But discovering new marine life represents only the beginning of the scientific process.
“The first step is discovering the biodiversity, but the second step is ensuring that countries follow up on it, that we help define the regions that deserve protection,” Ng explained.
Identifying newly collected species requires painstaking scientific analysis. Understanding the ecosystems they inhabit is equally important, particularly as countries consider how to establish effective conservation measures in international waters.
Pieribone also addressed the importance of equitable access to knowledge and marine resources, emphasising that the benefits of scientific discovery should extend beyond the institutions and countries with the greatest capacity to explore.
Looking ahead, OceanX is committing a significant share of its 2027 expedition time to high seas research, supporting the scientific understanding needed to inform future conservation efforts.
Some of the most compelling evidence of the value of exploration came from scientists whose work aboard OceanXplorer has revealed new dimensions of Southeast Asia's marine environments.
In Stories from the Deep, moderated by science journalist Claire Turrell, researchers from Indonesia and Malaysia shared discoveries that are already changing how scientists understand the region.
Dr. Marina C. G. Frederik, a marine geosciences researcher at Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), described mapping expeditions that revealed previously uncharted underwater features. Her team's work included identifying seven interconnected seamount features in the Sulawesi Sea, including the newly named Masadada Seamount.
Mapping these underwater landscapes has implications beyond scientific discovery. Understanding seafloor structures and their geological history can contribute to coastal hazard assessments, including tsunami preparedness, while creating opportunities for Indonesian students and researchers to develop specialist expertise.
For Associate Professor Dr. Maizah M. Abdullah of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and her research team, an expedition during the global coral bleaching crisis revealed an unexpected perspective on reef ecosystems.
While shallow reefs were experiencing widespread bleaching, scientists used OceanXplorer's remotely operated vehicle to investigate deeper waters. They documented seven mesophotic reef formations, revealing marine environments that had previously been largely inaccessible to Malaysian research teams.
“The most important thing we brought back from the mission was not even the map, but the capacity that all the marine scientists gained during the expedition,” Abdullah said.
The discoveries expanded scientific understanding while opening new possibilities for future research.
Deep-sea biologist Dr. Diva Amon, founder of SpeSeas, brought a wider perspective on the importance of making these findings visible.
Amon reflected on the vulnerability of deep-sea ecosystems, where some species grow slowly and ecological damage may be difficult to reverse. She also described connecting live from an OceanX submersible to decision-makers at the World Economic Forum in Davos, bringing an otherwise inaccessible environment directly into a global conversation.
“The deep sea does have a PR problem, absolutely, but we can all fix it,” she said.
Together, their experiences demonstrated how exploration creates lasting value through scientific knowledge, local research capacity and greater public understanding of the ocean.
As ocean science advances, an equally important challenge is ensuring that new knowledge reaches the institutions and communities capable of putting it to use.
In Accelerating Ocean Policy and Finance, moderated by Tamara Singh, Managing Director at The Nature Conservancy, speakers examined why progress remains difficult despite growing scientific understanding and international commitments.
Barkha Mossaë, Regenerative Blue Economy Manager at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), highlighted the increasingly complex environment in which ocean conservation operates, with geopolitical pressures and funding constraints affecting efforts to implement international agreements.
She emphasised the importance of connecting scientific evidence with the policy processes that determine how marine environments are managed. Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, could help improve monitoring and support more informed decisions, provided that these tools remain accessible to countries and communities with differing resources.
Karen Sack, Executive Director of the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA), brought the conversation to the financing challenges faced by coastal communities.
Many promising local initiatives struggle to attract funding once they move beyond their initial grants. They may be too developed for traditional philanthropy but lack the scale or financial structures required by commercial investors.
Sack emphasised the need for collaboration and financial approaches that recognise the circumstances of communities most exposed to ocean-related risks.
“We are not walking alone. We are doing this together,” she said.
Professor Michael Bunce of the Minderoo Foundation examined how scientific information can better support conservation decisions.
Advances in environmental DNA and other monitoring technologies are generating increasingly detailed pictures of marine biodiversity. Yet the usefulness of that information depends on whether it can be interpreted and applied by the people making decisions.
Bunce described efforts to turn complex genetic information into accessible visual tools, including work with OceanX, helping communities understand environmental changes and make better-informed choices.
“Every single sample that someone takes can discover biodiversity, and that biodiversity can make a difference,” he said.
The discussion reinforced a common challenge across ocean conservation: better scientific information creates opportunities, but meaningful progress also requires trusted institutions, appropriate financing and the involvement of the communities closest to the ocean.
Scientific discoveries can identify what needs protecting. Sustaining that protection requires effective governance, accessible information and financial resources that reach the communities responsible for managing marine environments.
The challenges were particularly evident in discussions about marine protected areas (MPAs), which remain chronically underfunded despite growing international commitments to ocean conservation.
In Making MPAs Investable, moderated by Pieribone, Kartika Listriana, Director General of Marine Spatial Planning at Indonesia's Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, outlined Indonesia's ambition to protect 30% of its waters by 2045.
Achieving that target requires more than establishing protected boundaries. It demands long-term resources to support monitoring, enforcement and local livelihoods.
“We are facing limited funding,” Listriana acknowledged, emphasising the importance of collaboration with a wider range of stakeholders.
Aki Baihaki, Ocean Innovation Challenge Advisor at The Nature Conservancy, explained that Indonesia's public funding currently covers less than 10% of estimated MPA management costs.
He highlighted emerging financing approaches, including recoverable grants designed to help community enterprises develop sustainable businesses and eventually attract further investment.
Dr. Lizzie McLeod, Global Ocean Director at The Nature Conservancy, challenged the assumption that marine protected areas cannot generate economic value.
Healthy, effectively managed MPAs can contribute to fisheries productivity and tourism revenue, providing tangible benefits to neighbouring communities. McLeod also emphasised the importance of local stewardship, drawing on traditional resource management practices in Indonesia.
The discussion pointed towards a more practical approach to ocean protection: combining public funding with philanthropic and private capital while ensuring that coastal communities share in the benefits.
Technology could also help reduce the cost of monitoring marine ecosystems, making conservation management more financially sustainable over time.
The wider question of financing brought together leaders from philanthropy and investment to examine why funding for the ocean continues to fall short of what is needed.
Moderated by Christopher Gorell Barnes, Founding Partner at Ocean 14 Capital, The Capital Behind the Commitment explored the different roles that philanthropy and private investment can play in supporting long-term ocean health.
Ng Boon Heong, Executive Director and CEO of Temasek Foundation, described the importance of catalytic philanthropy, where early funding helps promising solutions develop and attract larger sources of capital.
Simon Baldwin, Senior Vice President, APAC, at SecondMuse Capital, challenged conventional investment models, arguing that ocean challenges require approaches capable of supporting entire systems rather than individual businesses alone.
“The ocean is a system. It's not a market,” Baldwin said.
Dr. Ruth A. Shapiro, Co-founder and Chief Executive of the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS), brought insights into the region's philanthropic landscape, explaining how family businesses and local priorities shape funding decisions.
She highlighted the importance of creating stronger links between conservation initiatives and the economic interests of the communities and businesses that support them.
May Liew, CEO of OCTAVE Capital, added perspectives from private investment, contributing to a discussion about the financial structures needed to help ocean-focused solutions grow.
The conversation revealed a significant opportunity to rethink how ocean projects are financed, particularly in Southeast Asia, where conservation needs intersect with livelihoods and growing interest in sustainable economic development.
The practical realities of implementing global ocean commitments extended beyond financing.
In Shared Ocean, Shared Solutions, moderated by journalist Robin Hicks, speakers examined what it takes to move international agreements into national policies and community action.
Rizza Sacra-Dejucos, Asia Regional Coordinator at the High Seas Alliance, highlighted the importance of making scientific information relevant to policymakers.
Discovering a new species or identifying an important marine ecosystem provides valuable evidence. Translating that evidence into a clear explanation of why protection matters is essential to informing decisions.
“It's important to speak the language,” she said, referring to the need to communicate scientific findings in ways that decision-makers can understand and use.
Suaad Al Harthi, Executive Director of the Environment Society of Oman, brought the conversation closer to coastal communities, describing how long-term scientific monitoring and local participation can strengthen conservation outcomes.
She shared examples of working with communities to protect sea turtles, illustrating how locally developed solutions can achieve more durable results than measures introduced without community involvement.
Antoinette Taus, Founder and Executive Director of CORA, emphasised the role of public participation in ensuring that international commitments result in meaningful change.
“The public really brings that accountability,” she said.
Her work in the Philippines has demonstrated how public education and grassroots engagement can help build support for marine conservation and international ocean agreements.
These perspectives reinforced the importance of connecting international ambition with the institutions and communities responsible for implementing change.
The question of how scientific knowledge reaches the people who need it returned in Designed for Impact: How Ocean Science Changes Decisions.
Moderated by Jessica Cheam, Founder and CEO of Eco-Business, the discussion explored how research can be designed to influence real-world outcomes from the outset.
Dr. Iain Kerr, CEO of Ocean Alliance, described SnotBot, a drone-based system that collects biological samples from whales without disturbing them.
Developed using accessible technologies, including 3D printing, the system demonstrates how innovative scientific tools can be adapted and used by researchers in different parts of the world.
Kerr also highlighted the power of compelling visual evidence to help decision-makers understand scientific research.
Rebecca Stubbs, Head of Research Impact at Global Fishing Watch, explored how publicly accessible data can support transparency and more informed management of human activity at sea.
Global Fishing Watch combines satellite information and other datasets to provide insights into vessel movements, helping researchers and authorities better understand activities taking place across the ocean.
Stubbs emphasised the importance of maintaining reliable datasets, particularly as artificial intelligence creates new opportunities to analyse information collected over time.
Andy Ridley, CEO of Citizens of the Reef, offered a different approach to expanding scientific capacity through public participation.
The Great Reef Census mobilises boats, divers and volunteers to collect reef imagery, with citizen scientists contributing to the analysis of coral reef conditions.
For Ridley, providing people with meaningful ways to participate is essential to building long-term engagement.
“You've got to be able to go, 'I'm going to do something. I'm going to know I've done it,'” he said.
The discussion demonstrated how scientific tools, open data and citizen participation can make research more accessible while helping it reach the people responsible for protecting marine ecosystems.
A central message emerged throughout Day 2: understanding the ocean is essential, but the value of scientific knowledge depends on how it is applied.
From researchers mapping previously unexplored seamounts to communities managing marine protected areas, progress requires approaches that connect discovery with practical needs.
The day's closing remarks from Indonesia's Vice Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Irwan Meilano, reinforced that responsibility from the perspective of a scientist entering public office.
“We cannot manage what we do not observe. We cannot protect what we do not understand,” he said.
His remarks underscored the relationship between scientific evidence and the decisions needed to support sustainable ocean management.
Across the day's conversations, one conclusion became clear: ocean protection requires sustained investment in scientific research, effective institutions and the people whose lives are connected to the sea.
As OceanX Summit 2026 moved towards its final day, attention would turn to the leaders, educators and communities shaping what comes next.
Day 3 closes the Summit: from Sylvia Earle’s call to protect 30% of the ocean to local leaders turning hope into results, the work happens together.
The event kicked off on October 7 opening with convergence, bringing together perspectives to speed up solutions that advance the ocean agenda.
OceanX's Roo Rise Expedition uncovered rich Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems, its importance, and its cost if left unprotected.
