Ocean Collaborations

Are you tired of attending yet another high-level environmental summit only to walk away feeling like you just witnessed another round of “blue blue blah blah” ? For those of us working towards blue regenerative societies the gap between ambitious political declarations and real-world execution can be a source of frustration. We know what needs to be done, yet institutional inertia (and non- colla...

Arthur is Executive Director of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and brings more than two decades of experience in marine conservation and marine protected area management. If you work in ocean conservation, marine policy, philanthropy, impact, or the blue economy, you probably know this feeling: there is no shortage of ambition. More targets. More declarations. More co...

Dennis Fritsch from Oceano Azul Foundation talks with host Jan Maisenbacher about the recently launched longterm initiative ‘Re+Valuing Blue Natural Capital’ of the London School of Economics and Oceano Azul Foundation. Because the real systemic challenge is how our world counts value. Our current economic system rewards “extraction” - taking things out of nature until it breaks. A dead fish at a...

The Missing Link: Can We Save the Ocean Without China? We all feel the urgency, but let’s be honest: are we just talking to ourselves? As ocean collaboration change agents, we often treat China like a “blackbox” - too big to ignore, yet too complex to reach. If you’ve feel isolated in your efforts to scale impact this episode is your “energizer”. We’re crossing the bridge to meet Songlin Wang , an...

Join Birgit Liodden and Jan Maisenbacher on an inspiring ocean collaboration ride. 🔥 Why you shouldn’t miss this episode: * A rare insider view (and new moratorium initiative!) on the fight against deep sea mining * Concrete pathways toward regenerative blue economy solutions * A glimpse into how community + technology can unlock system change (like the Female Founder & Owners Initiative , Guardi...

We’re thrilled to launch the very first Ocean Collaborations Reflections Episode - our new quarterly deep dive into ocean truths amid 2026’s chaos! Your hosts: Jan from Switzerland (almost 50, ocean newbie 😊) and Peter Neill (85-year ocean vet from the US 🗽). Peter built the World Ocean Observatory from scratch decades ago, shifting museums from dusty past to urgent ocean future. Jan started his...

🌊🎙️ What does collaboration look like when the ocean itself becomes a frontline? In Episode 27 we are joined by research scientist Alice Guittard . Set against the backdrop of the Black Sea - a region shaped by both ecological richness and geopolitical tension - this episode brings you into the heart of the now-concluded BRIDGE Black Sea project. And what emerges is not just a story of research,...

How can we protect our ocean while also helping our coastal communities? In our latest episode of Ocean Collaborations, Jan Maisenbacher talks with Wietse van der Werf. He is the founder of the Sea Ranger Service , a bold social enterprise that is changing how we think about marine conservation. 🚢 10 (!) years of ocean impact: Sea Ranger Service Wietse believes that to save our seas, we must move...

In this special “premiere collaboration” episode of Ocean Collaborations , Jan Maisenbacher speaks with veteran ocean podcaster and marine conservationist Andrew Lewin (host of How to Protect the Ocean ) . Join us as we reflect on the 13th World Ocean Summit from the Economist with Andrew sharing insights from his experiences having been at the summit. We are exploring ocean conservation, internat...

Our 2nd episode from South America is out! AND: it is a milestone jewel in ocean collaboration… This episode became possible thanks to the media partnership of Podcast Ocean Collaborations at the One Ocean Science Congress in Nice in June 2025 organised from Ifremer & CNRS . From the heart of the Pacific Ocean, a brilliant beacon of hope is shining for all of us: Listen to the magical work of Jorg...

In this episode Nathan Bennett and Jan Maisenbacher discuss the future of the blue economy , marine protected areas , social equity, and the importance of civic engagement in ocean conservation. Learn more about the regenerative blue economy concept and discover how collaboration across sectors can drive sustainable and regenerative ocean practices. Nathan is Global Oceans Lead Scientist at WWF ,...

🌊 Happy 1st Birthday to the Ocean Collaborations Podcast! 🎂 We are so happy to celebrate one year of inspiring ocean collaboration episodes. As a global media & community channel we share authentic ocean collaboration wisdom in times of geopolitical & multilateral crisis - from ocean change makers for ocean change makers to shape blue regenerative futures. 🥳 Here’s our gift episode to our world...

In this episode of Ocean Collaborations, Jan Maisenbacher speaks with Janne van Erten from Ocean Cleanup about the organization’s efforts to combat plastic pollution in the oceans. They discuss the significant impact of the Ocean Cleanup’s initiatives, including the 30 Cities Program aimed at reducing plastic flow from rivers into the ocean. This isn’t just about cleaning one river; it’s a strateg...

In this episode of Ocean Collaborations, host Jan Maisenbacher speaks with Marie-Céline Piednoir, founder of Positive Ripple Consulting, about her journey from the corporate world to ocean conservation. They discuss the importance of personal responsibility in ocean awareness, the challenges of navigating a career in ocean conservation, and the role of women in this field. The conversation also ex...

On 17 January , the BBNJ Agreement (High Seas Treaty) officially enters into force – a historic step for global ocean protection. To mark this milestone, Episode #19 of Ocean Collaborations looks at what this agreement means far beyond coastlines , with youth collaboration and equity at the center. Jan Maisenbacher speaks with Autone Mululuma (20) , a passionate climate justice advocate and one of...

In the #18 episode the Founder and Executive Director of Noventus Foundation , Koen Vriesacker, sails close to the winds of ocean collaboration with Jan Maisenbacher 🌊 . Koen is an belgian-based expert inter-organizational in networks who's spent 16 years mastering the art of wicked collaboration. It is a discussion on the relevance of interorganisational collaboration, and why this is needed to...

In this Ocean Collaborations podcast episode Jan Maisenbachers surfes and dives with Karen Sack , Co‑Founder and Executive Director of the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance . This alliance is celebrating five years and keeps innovating to deliver 50 finance products by 2030 to drive $500M into nature-based solutions. Their Mission: Build the resilience of 250 million climate vulnerable cos...

In this episode of Ocean Collaborations, Jan Maisenbacher speaks with Karine Toumazeau , founder and CEO of Moshun. Earth They exchange around her innovative work where she is flipping corporate foodprints into ocean wins. This episode starts with an honest conversation around Karine’s Mompreneurship journey. It also explores the opportunities of silo-breaking collaboration across sectors to addre...

In this conversation, Kendra MacDonald , CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, discusses the challenges and opportunities in the blue economy moving to a blue regenerative economy. She emphasizes the importance of collaboration and innovation and relates it to her career transition from consulting seven years ago to network and promote technology and investment in the ocean sector. The dialogue also...

In this episode of Ocean Collaborations, Jan Maisenbacher speaks with Alexis Grosskopf , an innovator and impact investor based in Cape Town. Alexis openly shares personal reflections as a new dad and how he balances currently his ocean collaboration work with the caring work for his daughter (and wife). Professionally, Jan and Alexis dive deep on the 1000 Ocean Startups initiative and Ocean Hub A...

In episode of Ocean Collaborations, Jan Maisenbacher speaks with Martin Mohn about the critical role of collaboration and finance in ocean conservation. They discuss Martin’s journey from finance to ocean advocacy, the importance of philanthropy in funding ocean projects, and the innovative Ocean Matcher platform designed to connect ocean science projects with funders. The conversation highlights...

In this episode of the Ocean Collaborations podcast, Jan Maisenbacher speaks with Russell Reichelt who is the sherpa of Australias Prime Minister to the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy. Russell was at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice (June 2025) and spoke at several events, including re the 100% Alliance (which Australia now co-chairs with Chile). Russell shares key...

In this episode of Ocean Collaborations, Jan Maisenbacher speaks with Nicole Loeser about transdisciplinary collaboration and discover how it fuels blue transformation. Nicole Loeser is co-founder of the Institute for Art and Innovation in Berlin and director of the Futuring Alliance . With more than 20 years of experience leading 350+ transdisciplinary projects, Nicole brings a rare synthesis of...

In this episode of Ocean Collaborations, Jan Maisenbacher speaks with Eliesh about the first future experimental lab “5 oceans- 5 colonies” at Mediterranean Institute of Risk, Environment and Sustainable Development (IMREDD) of University of Côte d’Azur. Jan met Eliesh twice at events in Nice in June. They also reflect upon “OcéanoFuturismos - a Science Fiction prototyping future Ocean imaginaries...

In this episode of Ocean Collaborations, Jan Maisenbacher speaks with Thomas Egli about the importance of participatory science and Thomas dedicaded and decade-long impact work. Thomas and Jan share reflections from the One Ocean Science Congress, the Blue Economy and Finance Forum and 3rd UN Ocean Conference with a focus on the impact of the 10 days Ocean Hackathon. They discuss the challenges of...