Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW), hosted by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, gathers people together from across the U.S. and around the world to engage in a dialogue on how to sustain the health of our ocean and Great Lakes. This year, the conference will focus on building a more racially equitable and just movement for ocean and Great Lakes conservation. CHOW is open to the public and free to attendees. The Foundation relies on the generous support of sponsors to host CHOW.
Systemic racism impacts laws, policies, and institutions, resulting in inequitable outcomes for communities across this nation which are impossible to ignore. These inequities require each of us to take action. As an organization, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation believes we need to confront these inequities and identify the steps we can take as a community to address racial equity and justice in ocean conservation, science, and policymaking.
The health, well-being and sustainability of our ocean and Great Lakes depend on the actions we take now to ensure transformative and durable effects. Achieving bold, lasting change in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes policy will require the experience, expertise, perspectives and values of the communities most affected by environmental inequities. CHOW 2021 is an opportunity to examine how exclusionary practices and systemic racism negatively impact conservation, science, and policy. And, how strengthening justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion will improve the sustainability of our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes and the communities that depend on them.
The CHOW 2021 program will explore how people and communities vulnerable to climate change are advancing local, regional, and national resiliency efforts and identify potential strategies to address impact. It will examine the intersection of people and the environment and how we ensure that all communities have the same protection from environmental hazards; and equal access to opportunities to maintain a healthy environment to live, learn, and work. The CHOW 2021 program will also look at the intersection of social justice and ocean and Great Lakes resource management and conservation. Ultimately, we believe the conversations from CHOW 2021 will reveal a set of priorities that can emerge as the core of a policy agenda centered on justice and equity; and we believe participants in this event, led by the communities most impacted by these inequities, can lead efforts to shape and advocate for this ocean justice policy agenda in the weeks and months following CHOW 2021.
Sponsorships for Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2021 and the Ocean Awards Gala are available now. Contact carol@marinesanctuary.org with any questions.
Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2021 Sponsors
Capitol Hill Ocean Week and the Ocean Awards Gala would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Be a part of the conversation on the future of our ocean and Great Lakes.
For information on 2021 sponsorship options, click below or contact carol@marinesanctuary.org.
12
SESSIONS
90
SPEAKERS
4,173
REGISTRANTS
9,200,000
SOCIAL MEDIA REACH
Our online platform will be inclusive and accessible to attendees all over the United States and the world.
For more about Capitol Hill Ocean Week, archives of CHOWs past, and other information, visit our CHOW main page.
If you have questions, please contact us at conference@marinesanctuary.org.
For information about sponsoring Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2021 or the Ocean Awards Gala, click here. Contact carol@marinesanctuary.org with any questions.
To be announced soon! Stay tuned.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Protected areas need to represent the full breadth of the American experience and honor co-design and co-management with Indigenous and local communities. This session will explore training the next generation of maritime archaeologists and cultural resource managers, and highlight efforts to make our National Marine Sanctuary System and marine monuments more inclusive of all people. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
60min
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Indigenous knowledge and wisdom strengthens our understanding of the planet and improves decision-making. National and global discussions often fail to consider this knowledge and wisdom.. Indigenous and traditional communities need allies and funders who support their efforts to develop their own organized systems that increase their presence while developing the capacity to respond to the needs of Western science. The panel will highlight examples of how communities and scientists use indigenous and local knowledge and wisdom to address ocean and Great Lakes health and climate impacts.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
60min
11:00
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] “Equal opportunity is the bedrock of American democracy, and our diversity is one of our country’s greatest strengths” (E.O. 13985). A key feature of recent efforts to advance racial equity is data collection. This panel will focus on the importance of gathering data, the critical data to collect, and the benefits of that data collection to drive policy change to improve ocean health, support community resilience, and strengthen climate action.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
1 hr 10 min
11:00am
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) kicks off with welcoming remarks from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and blessings from leaders across the Nation. The health, well-being and sustainability of our ocean and Great Lakes depend on the actions we take now and require the experience, knowledge, perspectives and values of the communities most affected by environmental change. Achieving justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion requires us to expand access to the decision making and power structures, as well as increasing access to the resources, benefits, and opportunities that come from those structures. CHOW’s opening plenary will look at the historical lack of inclusion and the failure to center justice and equity in ocean and coastal conservation, and how strengthening justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in policy making, science, and management will improve the sustainability and well-being of our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. The plenary will discuss how the broader ocean and Great Lakes community can work together toward collective action and equitable outcomes in the future.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
1 hr 10min
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As our seascapes and coastal landscapes experience rapid change, communities are working to define the future of their health and livelihoods. This panel will highlight the voices of individuals on the ground reckoning with this change and consider the need to build a broader power base to sustain our ocean, coasts and Great Lakes; tackle climate change; and improve the quality of life of their communities. Participants will share their experience and perspectives on the changes they are facing and identify strategies to connect grassroots activism with national policy action.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
60min
09:00
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45min
Saloon B
Intermediate
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60min
Saloon C
Expert
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45min
Saloon A
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45min
Saloon B
Expert
15:30
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60min
Saloon A
Beginner
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45min
Saloon A
Beginner
09:00
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60min
Saloon A
Beginner
Phasellus efficitur interdum accumsan. Vestibulum tristique ex quis faucibus viverra. Sed nec hendrerit purus, vel rutrum ex.
45min
Saloon C
Intermediate
Sed facilisis justo vitae risus viverra vulputate. Mauris vel ipsum dignissim diam viverra condimentum. Donec sodales, diam eget mattis condimentum, quam neque tempus purus, dictum viverra risus nisl quis metus.
45min
Saloon B
Intermediate
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45min
Saloon B
Expert
The Foundation is pleased to work with an advisory council, led by a team from the Meridian Institute, to help shape the agenda for Capitol Hill Ocean Week in 2021.
Kacky Andrews
Chief of Strategy
Ocean Conservancy
Kate Cell
Climate Campaign Manager
Union of Concerned Scientists
Raimundo Espinosa
Executive Director
Conservacion ConCencia
Jay Haigler
Lead Instructor and Safety Officer
Diving With a Purpose
Andres Jimenez
Executive Director
Green 2.0
Trisha Kehaulani Watson
Owner and Founder
Honua Consulting
Francisco “Paco” Ollervides
Executive Director
Green Leadership Trust
Queen Quet
Chieftess and Head-of-State
Gullah/Geeche Nation
David Riera
FEF McKnight Doctoral Fellow
Hispanic Access Foundation
Amanda Robinson
Fundraising and Operations Manager
Creation Justice Ministries
Jaylene Wheeler
Justice and Equity Director
Kawerak, Inc.
National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
Ben Charo
Policy Outreach Coordinator
Shannon Colbert
Policy and Conservation Director
Kris Sarri
President and CEO
Meridian Institute
Kevin Bryan
Affiliate
Jeana Holer
Senior Project Coordinator
Meghan Massaua
Senior Mediator and Program Manager
Liana Quiñones
Project Assistant
What started as a small, daylong gathering in 2001 is now Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW), the nation’s premier annual conference examining current marine, coastal and Great Lakes policy issues.
Convened by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation every June, CHOW brings together scientists, policymakers, scholars, businesses and conservation leaders to address pressing conservation, science, and management issues facing our oceans and Great Lakes.
The conference is held in conjunction with the Foundation’s Ocean Awards Gala, which recognizes champions of marine and Great Lakes stewardship with Leadership, Lifetime Achievement, Conservation Innovation, and Sanctuary Wavemaker Awards.
The next Capitol Hill Ocean Week will be June 8-10, 2021 and focus on justice, equity diversity, and inclusion in the ocean and Great Lakes community.