Category: News

Call for Entries! The Photo Competition 2026: Guardians of the Coral Reef

Call for Entries! Deadline: 18 April 2026 The IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC), together with Chulalongkorn University, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) of Thailand, Valeura… Continue reading Call for Entries! The Photo Competition 2026: Guardians of the Coral Reef

Call for Project Proposals on Coastal Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration

In collaboration with the Blue Partnership Action Fund (BPAF), the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) invites project proposals to support efforts in marine biodiversity conservation and coastal ecosystem… Continue reading Call for Project Proposals on Coastal Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration

Restoring the Coastline’s Defenders: A Renewed Push for Mangroves in the Western Pacific

From 6 to 8 November 2025, the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC), in partnership with the Third Institute of Oceanography of China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, the SEE… Continue reading Restoring the Coastline’s Defenders: A Renewed Push for Mangroves in the Western Pacific

WESTPAC Convenes Experts to Accelerate Seagrass Research, Conservation, and Restoration

Seagrass_Field Trip_2025

Seagrass meadows play a vital role in keeping our coasts healthy. They support rich marine life, sustain fisheries and food security, store large amounts of blue carbon, protect coastlines, and… Continue reading WESTPAC Convenes Experts to Accelerate Seagrass Research, Conservation, and Restoration

Countries and Partners Unite to Advance the Regional Action Framework for Marine Spatial Planning (2025-2030)

Chonburi, Thailand, 14-16 October 2025Representatives from ten Member States and regional partners convened in Chonburi, Thailand, to advance the implementation of the Regional Action Framework for Marine Spatial Planning (2025–2030).… Continue reading Countries and Partners Unite to Advance the Regional Action Framework for Marine Spatial Planning (2025-2030)

From Understanding to Action: Fostering an Ocean-literate Society in the Western Pacific

“In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” -Baba Dioum, Senegalese poet and… Continue reading From Understanding to Action: Fostering an Ocean-literate Society in the Western Pacific

Advancing Collaborative Research and Adaptive Governance for Small-Island Sustainability in the Western Pacific

Thirty-five researchers, policymakers, and conservation experts from across the Western Pacific gathered in Malang, Indonesia, for the Second International Workshop on Small Island Research and Development (SIRaD). Hosted by the… Continue reading Advancing Collaborative Research and Adaptive Governance for Small-Island Sustainability in the Western Pacific

Call for Ocean Literacy Experts

In light of the decision made at the Fifteenth Intergovernmental Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC-XV, 11-13 March 2025, Tokyo, Japan), the Sub-Commission has established the… Continue reading Call for Ocean Literacy Experts

A Milestone for Marine Spatial Planning in the Western Pacific

On 12 March 2025, a major step forward in sustainable ocean management was taken as Member States across the Western Pacific adopted the Regional Action Framework for Marine Spatial Planning… Continue reading A Milestone for Marine Spatial Planning in the Western Pacific

Western Pacific Nations Unite to Champion Ocean Science and Sustainability

From March 11-13, 2025, nearly 100 delegates from 13 nations across the Western Pacific convened in Tokyo for the Fifteenth Intergovernmental Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific… Continue reading Western Pacific Nations Unite to Champion Ocean Science and Sustainability