Oceanology International 2026 shares its line-up of speakers

Oceanology International has revealed its line-up of speakers for the conference, held on March 10-12, 2026

The speakers, moderators, and panellists taking to the stage at the event will deliver insights and opinions on the critical themes defining the future of ocean technology and shaping the trajectory of the ocean economy.

Responding to the challenges facing coasts, the new Coast conference track will focus on innovations in several domains, including Coastal Zone Management, Protecting the Environment in Coastal Waters, Coastal Resilience, Ports and Terminals and Coastal Infrastructure Protection.

The full conference programme includes a schedule of technical sessions and keynote presentations at the Ocean Futures Theatre, Coast Theatre, and other locations.

In addition to the coastal focus, key topics include the latest applications and innovations in uncrewed vehicles and vessels, as well as new insights and research into the factors shaping the development of the future ocean economy.

There will be deep dives into other technical topics, including:

• Hydrography
• Geophysics and Geotechnics
• Site Investigation
• Ocean Observation
• Maritime Domain Awareness
• Offshore Energy
• Marine Data
• Analytics and AI
• Underwater Communication and Navigation
• Ocean Exploration

Among the contributors to the 2026 conference programme is Costas Kadis, European Commissioner for Oceans and Fisheries, EU Commission, who will present a keynote speech on ‘The Future of the Blue Economy’ in the Ocean Futures Theatre.

Claire Jolly, lead of the Ocean Economy programme at the OECD, will deliver a keynote presentation at a plenary session to explore the scale and scope of the Ocean Economy and the predicted trajectory of its future development.

Jolly said, “Oi is a special hub where you meet many different stakeholders from industries, academia, public sector, and where innovation is really a keyword. The conference is a perfect place where the OECD’s work on the ocean economy foresight will be of interest. I think this audience will particularly appreciate some of our findings.”

In the Coast Theatre, Dr Jon Rees, principal oceanographer at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture (CEFAS), will present a keynote on ‘The Future of Coastal Marine Conservation and Restoration’; Caroline Douglass, executive director of Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Environment Agency, will address challenges in coastal resilience and flood defence.

In the South Gallery rooms, Mick Cook, SUT UXO Special Interest Group, will present Guidance Notes for Risk Identification and Common Mitigations related to Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) for Offshore Renewable Energy Developments.

Moderators for the sessions include: Zdenka Willis, CEO of Veraison Consulting, and Peer Fietzek, senior business development manager Ocean Science at Kongsberg Discovery (Ocean Observation); Andy Hill, Marine Geohazards Technical Authority, Safety and Operational Risk Division, BP, and Karen Dalton, technical director at Tetra Tech (Site Investigation); Steve Hall, ocean science, policy and technology consultant (Ocean Exploration & Mapping); Ed Steele, Met Office IT Fellow for Data Science (Marine Data, Analytics, & AI).

The Uncrewed Vehicles and Vessels sessions, supported in 2026 by Ocean Robotics Planet Magazine, are moderated by Dan Hook, CEO of RAD Propulsion, and Richard Mills, CCO of Cellula Robotics.

Hook said, “It's been a huge couple of years in the unmanned systems industry across offshore wind, ocean science, oil and gas, increasingly defence, and various other sectors. I am really looking forward to this series of presentations and panels, because I think there's going to be a lot of good work that's been done in the last two years being talked about, and a few people are making announcements and presentations of things that people won't have seen before.”

Jim Bellingham, director at the Centre for Marine Robotics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), will be speaking in a keynote on Charting the Future: AI, Robotics and the Evolution of Uncrewed Ocean Systems.

Mehraj Hassan, Oi26 conference manager, said, “The conference programme is a crucial component of Oi’s commitment to foster learning and connection. This year, our full conference programme will reflect the latest topics impacting future ocean technology and economic needs. It will encompass original content aimed at improving strategies for exploring, protecting, and sustainably operating in the world’s oceans and waterways.”

Register your attendance and stay updated on Oceanology International 2026 at Oceanology International London | 10–12 March 2026