Ocean Lovers Talks: Saving the Ocean with Science

Volvo Ocean Lovers Festival 2024 - Daniel Kukec Photography

The Ocean Lovers Talks are a feature event of the Ocean Lovers Festival which dive into solutions for the ocean and how we can all play a part in protecting it. Enjoy free inspirational talks by leaders and luminaries, scientists, innovators, adventurers and ocean advocates.  Festival-goers can literally turn up in their swimmers to hear from change-makers and future-proofers sharing hopeful, practical, and inspiring ideas for a better blue future.

From the hidden languages of whales to the “magic” of kelp forests and the curious science of “coral farts,” the Ocean Lovers Talks return 2026. As a headline feature of the Ocean Lovers Festival, these two days of free, inspirational programming will bring together scientists, innovators, and adventurers to share hopeful and practical ideas for a “better blue future”.

And in a major new offer in 2026 the entire program will be live streamed on the Ocean Lovers Festival YouTube channel with the support of Inspiring Australia NSW.

Ocean Lovers Talks 2026

Saturday 21 March: 10am – 4pm

  • 10:00am: Vitamin Sea: Fear, Healing and Finding Calm in the Ocean
  • 11:00am: Blue Highways: How Ocean Animals Navigate a Changing Sea
  • 12:00pm: True Ocean Lovers: Partnerships That Protect the Sea
  • 1:00pm: Secret Conversations: Decoding the Languages of the Ocean
  • 2:00pm: From Shipwrecks to Sea Farts: Secrets and Science of Ocean Discovery
  • 3:00pm: Ocean, Lights, Action! How Light Shapes and Disrupts Life Below the Waves

Sunday 22 March: 10am – 3pm

  • 10:00am: Ancient Currents: Indigenous Ways of Knowing the Ocean
  • 11:00am: Sydney Harbour and Beyond: The Seabirds to Seascapes story
  • 12:00pm: Clean, Green and Buoyant: Ocean Healthy Boating Innovation
  • 1:00pm: Secret Sexploits of the Sea: Wild, Weird and Wonderful Ways Ocean Life Reproduces
  • 2:00pm: Kelp Magic: The Ocean’s Unsung Wonder

Ocean Lovers Talks proudly supported by Inspiring Australia NSW. The 2026 program brings together leading marine biologists, climate innovators, and Indigenous knowledge holders to share solutions for a healthy ocean.


Feature Image: Volvo Ocean Lovers Festival 2024 @Daniel Kukec Photography

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