OCEAN LOVERS TALKS
SAVING THE OCEAN WITH SCIENCE
WHEN: Saturday 21 March 2026 | 10am - 4pm
& Sunday 22 March 2026 | 10am - 3pm
WHERE: High Tide Room, Bondi Pavilion
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.
New for 2026, the entire Ocean Lovers Talks program will be live-streamed on an Ocean Lovers Talks channel, supported by Inspiring Australia, making the exciting panel talks from scientists, adventurers and ocean experts accessible to audiences nationwide. During the festival, you can watch here.
2026 SATURDAY PROGRAM
Vitamin Sea: Fear, Healing and Finding Calm in the Ocean
10.00am - 11:00am Saturday
FEATURING:
John Ireland (Host), Dr Brianna Le Busque, Anika Craney, Kate Montague, Kal Glanznig
The ocean can calm us and also scare us, overwhelm us and change us forever. In this second edition of Vitamin Sea at Ocean Lovers Talks, our panel brings lived experience, science and storytelling together to explore how the ocean shapes our mental health. From surviving shark encounters and overcoming fear, to ocean swims that boost wellbeing, immersive soundscapes for healing, and the emotional toll of ocean disasters, this conversation dives deeper into the ocean’s complex role in how we heal, cope and connect.
Blue Highways: How Ocean Animals Navigate a Changing Sea
11:00am - 12:00pm Saturday
FEATURING:
Fran Molloy (Host), Prof Culum Brown, Prof David Booth, Dr Vanessa Pirotta, Richard Fitzpatrick
Many species big and small, from whales, dolphins and sharks, to tiny fish larvae, travel vast ocean highways, routes shaped by food, temperature and ancient instinct. But as our ocean is changing, these pathways are shifting. This panel explores what we’re learning about their hidden journeys, how migratory marine species are responding to warming waters and other impacts, and why protecting connected marine pathways is critical to their survival.
True Ocean Lovers: Partnerships That Protect the Sea
12.00pm - 1.00pm Saturday
FEATURING:
Sheree Marris (Host), Valerie Taylor OAM, Angela Curry & Jason Iggledon, Dr James Hunter & Emily Jateff, Harriet Spark & Woody Spark
Meet the couples whose love stories are written in sand and saltwater. True Ocean Lovers brings together couples whose relationships have been shaped by the ocean, and who now champion its protection through science, filmmaking, sailing, campaigning and community engagement. This panel celebrates love, partnership and the powerful ways shared passion for the ocean can ripple out into real-world change.
Secret Conversations: Decoding the Languages of the Ocean
1.00pm - 2.00pm Saturday
FEATURING:
Briony Venn (Host), Hannah Kish, Lucinda Chambers, Dr Vanessa Pirotta, Dr Jodi Edwards
Marine life communicates in complex and distinctive ways. Whales sing, dolphins click, and leopard seals belt out nursery-rhyme-like calls and there’s even the surprising chemical chatter of corals. But what are they actually saying? Join experts deciphering sea “language,” to ask: can we understand the ocean’s secret conversations?
From Shipwrecks to Sea Farts: Secrets and Science of Ocean Discovery
2.00pm - 3.00pm Saturday
FEATURING:
Fran Molloy (Host), Hannah Kish, Laura Clarke, Dr James Hunter, Shaun Wilkinson
Ocean exploration and science are not always what you expect. This panel explores the strange, clever and cutting-edge methods used to uncover life and history beneath the waves - from hunting shipwrecks and probing the deep sea, to identifying biodiversity through DNA in water samples and using coral farts as a health check. Come for curiosity, stay for science.
Ocean, Lights, Action! How Light Shapes and Disrupts Life Below the Waves
3.00pm - 4.00pm Saturday
FEATURING:
Emily Jateff (Host), Dr Emma Camp, A/Prof Mariana Mayer-Pinto, Woody Spark, Dr Greta Gaiani
Light is everything to much underwater life. It shapes what we see, how life survives, and how stories are told. From photographers and filmmakers chasing fleeting shafts of sunlight, to coral scientists studying how light fuels photosynthesis, colour and visibility, this panel explores how light drives life in the ocean’s sunlit “photic zone.” But light isn’t always natural. This panel also dives into how light pollution is changing marine behaviour, from feeding and navigation, to spawning and shelter. Join creatives and scientists as they reveal how marine life depends on light to feed, hide, hunt and communicate. And how humans adapt to capture, interpret and illuminate the world beneath the waves and what happens when the lights never go out.
2026 SUNDAY PROGRAM
Ancient Currents: Indigenous Ways of Knowing the Ocean
10.00am - 11.00am Sunday
FEATURING:
Dr Mitch Gibbs (Host), Dr Jodi Edwards, Frederick Lefoe (Saltwater Detectives), Gauri Salunkhe
For tens of thousands of years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have cared for Sea Country; the ocean, coasts, islands and waterways that sustain life, culture and community. These living knowledge systems continue to guide how Sea Country is understood, protected and passed on. This segment brings together saltwater Indigenous voices to share perspectives on Sea Country practices, cultural responsibility and deep connection to ocean and coast. Through story, experience and reflection, our speakers explore what caring for Sea Country means today, and what it can teach all of us about respect, reciprocity and living well with the ocean.
Sydney Harbour and Beyond: The Seabirds to Seascapes story
11.00am - 12.00pm Sunday
FEATURING:
Robin Mellon (Host), Ben Pitcher (Taronga), Kate Akkerman (DCCEEW), Dr Paco Martinez-Baena (SIMS)
New South Wales’ marine environment is revealing more about itself than ever before. Through the Seabirds to Seascapes program, scientists are restoring key habitats such as seagrass meadows, kelp forests and urban shorelines. Population surveys and study of little penguins and fur seals are also helping to build a clearer picture of their distribution and behaviour along the coast. Join our panel of experts from the Seabirds to Seascapes program to explore how this long-term research and restoration effort is revealing an amazing picture of life below the surface, from Sydney Harbour and all along the NSW coast.
Clean, Green and Buoyant: Ocean Healthy Boating Innovation
12.00pm - 1.00pm Sunday
FEATURING:
Robin Mellon (Host), Tom Burd (SIMS), Adam Moore (NRMA Marine), Anna van Nieuwland (Hullbot), Lisa Blair OAM
Boats help us explore, work and play on the ocean but they can also leave a heavy footprint. The good news? A wave of smart, planet-friendly innovation is changing how we move on water. From new hull materials that replace harmful fibreglass, to underwater robots that clean boats without spreading invasive species, to moorings designed to protect fragile seagrass meadows, this panel explores how boating and sailing are getting cleaner, smarter and more ocean-friendly. Add in new fuel options, propeller designs and low-impact coatings, and the future of life on water starts to look a lot brighter. Whether you own a boat or just love the sea, join us to discover how small design changes can make a big difference for ocean health.
Secret Sexploits of the Sea: Wild, Weird and Wonderful Ways Ocean Life Reproduces
1.00pm - 2.00pm Sunday
FEATURING:
Sheree Marris (Host), Mitch Brennan, Dr Jennifer Matthews, Richard Fitzpatrick, Sarah Han de Beaux (Spot a Shark)
Forget what you think you know about reproduction, the ocean rewrites the rulebook. From devoted seahorse dads carrying their babies, to the sheer scale of whale anatomy, synchronised mass coral spawning events bringing fireworks to reefs, and shark mating behaviours that are anything but gentle. This panel reveals the surprising, strange and fascinating ways marine life procreate. Equal parts science, storytelling and jaw-dropping facts.
Kelp Magic. The Ocean’s Unsung Wonder.
2.00pm - 3.00pm Sunday
FEATURING:
Aaron Eger (Host), Sophie Raymond, Ashley Hoblyn, Dr Constance Wyndham, Rob Cooley
Coral reefs get the spotlight, but kelp forests quietly hold entire worlds together. This panel dives into the hidden magic of kelp: the animals that depend on it, its global connections across the ocean and cultures and the powerful stories it inspires through art, history and Indigenous knowledge. Join us as we uncover why the understated hero that is kelp deserves far more love, and why its story matters more now than ever.
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