About This Year’s Conference
Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2018
Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2018
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 national and global stakeholders to address pressing science, conservation, and management issues facing our ocean and Great Lakes.
This year’s conference takes place over two days and includes high-level plenaries from ocean visionaries and breakout sessions for deeper discussions. Conversations will focus on our changing ocean, restoration of our ocean and Great Lakes, and working together for sustainable waters.
The Ocean Awards Gala
The Ocean Awards Gala, hosted by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in conjunction with CHOW, recognizes champions of marine and Great Lakes stewardship. Past honorees include President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush, former First Lady Laura Bush, Members of Congress, leading scientists, philanthropists, explorers, and dedicated community volunteers. Guests enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail reception, post-program dessert reception, and a menu featuring sustainable seafood.
Hill Day
On June 7th, 2018, Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) provides the opportunity to elevate ocean and Great Lakes policy issues with Members of Congress and their staff with the first-ever CHOW Capitol Hill Day. Capitol Hill Day will give attendees the opportunity to meet with their elected officials to discuss critical policy issues affecting conservation, science and technology.
CHOW Capitol Hill Day will feature other unique opportunities for attendees to engage with key decision makers, in addition to Hill meetings:
- A morning coffee panel featuring Congressional staff discussing ocean and Great Lakes legislation;
- A lunchtime briefing exclusively for Congressional staff, featuring current ocean leaders and discussions on ocean issues that need policy action and Member engagement; and
- An evening reception on the Hill to network and connect with Members of Congress, Congressional staff, Administration officials, scientists, business and industry executives, and other ocean leaders.
Sponsorships
The generosity of our sponsors enables the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation to offer “open source” programming. That brings together hundreds of people from diverse backgrounds to engage in the discussion of critical issues and the formulation of new ideas. Click here for sponsorship information and opportunities.
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Schedule
Registration Opens
Opening Remarks
Igniting Ocean Conservation through Media and Art
Location: Auditorium
Visual media can ignite the mind in a way that talk and text don’t, providing opportunity for education, emotional connection, and broader public engagement in marine science and protection. In this session, see how creative minds are using video, photography, and art to put ocean issues in front of new audiences and inspire conservation and sustainable use.
Break for Networking and Exhibits
Location: Lobby
Recovering Coral Reefs
Location: Auditorium
Covering less than 1 percent of the ocean, coral reefs support 25 percent of marine life globally to provide an estimated $1 trillion in value to the world economy, including $300 to $400 million annual in value for food and livelihoods from tourism, fisheries, and medicine. Reefs are integral to the livelihoods and well-being of billions of people. But, we risk losing these valuable ecosystems. Nearly 75 percent of the world’s coral reefs are threatened by overfishing, habitat destruction, water pollution, climate change, and ocean acidification. Efforts to conserve and restore coral reefs are lagging far behind their rate of destruction. To preserve this amazing biodiversity, we must protect these valuable ecosystems and develop new conservation solutions and restoration techniques to protect these invaluable ecosystems.
Adaptive Management for Shifting Populations
Location: Hemisphere A
As the ocean and Great Lakes warms, the geographic ranges of species are shifting. In the fishing industry, some fishermen are having difficulty filling their quota as fish shift out of the area, while others are finding an abundance of fish for which they don’t have permits. In this session, we explore the tools available and the gaps that exist to ensure management is adaptive to ecological shifts yet remains sufficiently protective.
Open Innovation to Drive a Sea Change
Location: Hemisphere B
Open Innovation? Disruptive Thinking? Hackathons? Artificial Intelligence? You’ve heard the terms but what do they mean for marine and Great Lakes conservation? Scientists, technologists, resource managers, and businesses are looking for new tools and transformative ideas to accelerate conservation outcomes. In this session, we explore how open innovation tools like mass collaboration, prizes and hackathons are drawing in leaders from across industries to help solve some of the ocean’s toughest challenges, leading to new public-private partnerships for ocean and Great Lakes conservation and management.
Break for Lunch
Location: Networking and Exhibits in the Lobby
NOAA's Vision for the Blue Economy
Location: Auditorium
A healthy U.S. economy depends on our ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. The science and management to conserve and sustainably use these resources is at the heart of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) mission. Come hear from RDML Timothy Gallaudet about the Administration’s priorities to support our blue economy.
Break for Networking and Exhibits
Location: Lobby
Restoring Cultural Heritage and the Environment
Location: Hemisphere B
Reducing Risk in Coastal Communities
Location: Hemisphere A
Coastal communities face ever-increasing risks from sea level rise, floods, and more frequent and severe hurricanes. As these threats interact, they amplify natural disasters, increasing property damage and loss of life. Continuing to bail ourselves out after disaster strikes is not an economically sound strategy and cannot make up for American lives lost. Communities must take action to adapt and reduce risk to create a more resilient nation. This session explores the tools available to help citizens and communities assess and reduce their risk and build a more resilient nation.
Offshore Aquaculture: Rewards and Risks of Ocean Farming
Location: Auditorium
The world needs both wild-capture fisheries and aquaculture as part of a sustainable food supply as the population continues to grow. While the U.S. is a leader in sustainable wild-capture fisheries, U.S. aquaculture development lags behind. Increased offshore aquaculture has the promise of increasing food security in the U.S., growing the American economy, reducing the U.S. seafood trade deficit, and offering fishermen an opportunity to diversify their production for greater financial security. In this session we explore current challenges and potential solutions to sustainable offshore aquaculture, including complexities of business operations, financial investments and risk, technological advancements, and the need for environmental monitoring, sustainability standards, and sound management and policy.
Registration Opens
Opening Remarks
The Margaret Davidson Emerging Leaders Roundtable
Location: Auditorium
Margaret Davidson was an ocean visionary dedicated to fostering early-career leaders and tackling challenging ocean and coastal issues with unwavering determination and innovation. In her honor, CHOW 2018 hosts the next generation of leaders who are becoming catalysts of change in conservation and business sustainability to share what sparks their creativity, how they engage others to make ideas reality, and where they hope to direct the path of private sector engagement in the future.
Break for Networking and Exhibits
Location: Lobby
Breakout Session #3
Location: Hemisphere B
Predicting, Detecting, and Preparing for Increasing Acidification
Location: Hemisphere A
The effects of ocean acidification reach throughout the ocean, impacting numerous ecosystems and economies that depend on them. As these impacts radiate through different ecosystems, declines in shellfish and fish threaten fisheries and aquaculture, deteriorated reefs weaken coastal protection, and declining reefs and mammal populations impact tourism. In this session, we explore the lessons learned from states coping with local effects of ocean acidification as we develop better predictions for acidification around the country and as state and federal policymakers draft legislation to mitigate and adapt to ocean acidification.
The Value of Protected Places
Location: Auditorium
Protected areas are places of special significance and great value to society, ecologically, culturally, and economically. These sites provide a place for people to connect with nature in an ever-developing world, they are homes to rare species and nurseries for commercially and recreationally important fish, they preserve historic and cultural resources, and they support a growing outdoor industry. This session explores the value of these places and the benefits of their protection to American communities and future generations.
Break for Lunch
Location: Networking and Exhibits in the Lobby
Restoring and Recovering American Fisheries: The Magnuson-Stevens Act
Location: Auditorium
With the passage of the Magnuson Stevens Act in 1976, the U.S. took control of fishing in our exclusive economic zone, pushing out foreign vessels and establishing measures to prevent overfishing. In 1996 and 2006, amendments to the Act added requirements for rebuilding and science-based catch limits, establishing the U.S. as a world leader in sustainable fisheries. In this session, industry experts discuss the impact of the Magnuson Stevens Act in restoring American fisheries and supporting a sustainable blue economy.
A Blueprint for Blue Carbon: From the Shoreline to the Market
Location: Hemisphere B
Mangrove forests, tidal salt marshes, and seagrass beds represent a globally relevant carbon stock. The carbon contained in these ecosystems, known as coastal blue carbon, remains stable for as long as the ecosystem remains in tact, but once the system is degraded or destroyed communities lose many ecosystem services and the carbon that took millennia to sequester can be lost to the atmosphere in less than a decade. Understanding how to calculate, report and verify greenhouse gas reductions from coastal ecosystems is critical to developing markets for credits that can provide long-term funding for protection and restoration efforts. This panel will explore the policy, science and financing frameworks needed to support coastal blue carbon offsets and credits that aid conservation and restoration.
Market Based Solutions and Public-Private Partnerships
Location: Hemisphere A
Public-private partnerships and market-based solutions are time-tested tools for supporting environmental protection and land conservation. What roles can they play in enhancing ocean science, technology, and engagement? in this session, we discuss innovative models for private sector participation in marine and Great Lakes conservation to identify factors that lead to success, challenges to be addressed, and potential for replication and increased conservation outcomes.
Break for Networking and Exhibits
Location: Lobby
Congressional Leadership Roundtable
Location: Auditorium
Worldwide, healthy oceans, coasts and freshwater ecosystems are crucial for economic growth, resilient communities, and food production. This underscores the need for both coastal and inland communities to sustainably use and protect these natural resources. Strong governance and national is necessary to support economic growth while at the same time protecting biodiversity and ensuring the environmental sustainability of ocean, coasts and Great Lakes. In the U.S. ocean and Great Lakes policies have a long-standing history of strong bipartisan support. Building off CHOW 2017’s informative Congressional Roundtable, CHOW 2018 will bring together current and former Members of Congress for an update on the bipartisan efforts in Congress to meet these dual goals.
MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON
MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON
Igniting Ocean Conservation through Media and Art: Auditorium
Visual media can ignite the mind in a way that talk and text don’t, providing opportunity for education, emotional connection, and broader public engagement in marine science and conservation. In this session, learn how creative minds are using video, photography, and art to put ocean issues in front of new audiences and inspire conservation and sustainable use.
NOAA's Vision for the Blue Economy: Auditorium
A healthy U.S. economy depends on our ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. The science and management to conserve and sustainably use these resources is at the heart of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) mission. Come hear from RDML Timothy Gallaudet about the Administration’s priorities to support our blue economy.
Recovering Coral Reefs: Auditorium
Covering less than 1 percent of the ocean, coral reefs support 25 percent of marine life globally to provide an estimated $1 trillion in value to the world economy, including $300 to $400 million annual in value for food and livelihoods from tourism, fisheries, and medicine. Reefs are integral to the livelihoods and well-being of billions of people. But, we risk losing these valuable ecosystems. Nearly 75 percent of the world’s coral reefs are threatened by overfishing, habitat destruction, water pollution, climate change, and ocean acidification. Efforts to conserve and restore coral reefs are lagging far behind their rate of destruction. To preserve this amazing biodiversity, we must protect these valuable ecosystems and develop new conservation solutions and restoration techniques to protect these invaluable ecosystems.
Restoring Cultural Heritage and the Environment: Hemisphere B
Adaptive Management for Shifting Populations: Hemisphere A
As the ocean and Great Lakes warms, the geographic ranges of species are shifting. In the fishing industry, some fishermen are having difficulty filling their quota as fish shift out of the area, while others are finding an abundance of fish for which they don’t have permits. For whales, seals, dolphins and other marine mammals, changes in ocean conditions and food web dynamics have cascading consequences which in turn present challenges for managers, businesses, and rescue efforts. In this session, we explore the tools available and the gaps that exist to ensure management is adaptive to ecological shifts yet remains sufficiently protective.
Reducing Risk in Coastal Communities: Hemisphere A
Coastal communities face ever-increasing risks from sea level rise, floods, and more frequent and severe hurricanes. As these threats interact, they amplify natural disasters, increasing property damage and loss of life. Continuing to bail ourselves out after disaster strikes is not an economically sound strategy and cannot make up for American lives lost. Communities must take action to adapt and reduce risk to create a more resilient nation. This session explores the tools available to help citizens and communities assess and reduce their risk and build a more resilient nation.
Open Innovation to Drive a Sea Change: Hemisphere B
Open Innovation? Disruptive Thinking? Hackathons? Artificial Intelligence? You’ve heard the terms but what do they mean for marine and Great Lakes conservation? Scientists, technologists, resource managers, and businesses are looking for new tools and transformative ideas to accelerate conservation outcomes. In this session, we explore how open innovation tools like mass collaboration, prizes and hackathons are drawing in leaders from across industries to help solve some of the ocean’s toughest challenges, leading to new public-private partnerships for ocean and Great Lakes conservation and management.
Offshore Aquaculture: The Rewards and Risks of Ocean Farming: Auditorium
The world needs both wild-capture fisheries and aquaculture as part of a sustainable food supply as the population continues to grow. While the U.S. is a leader in sustainable wild-capture fisheries, U.S. aquaculture development lags behind. Increased offshore aquaculture has the promise of increasing food security in the U.S., growing the American economy, reducing the U.S. seafood trade deficit, and offering fishermen an opportunity to diversify their production for greater financial security. In this session we explore current challenges and potential solutions to sustainable offshore aquaculture, including complexities of business operations, financial investments and risk, technological advancements, and the need for environmental monitoring, sustainability standards, and sound management and policy.
Break for Networking and Exhibits: Lobby
Break for Lunch; Networking and Exhibits in the Lobby
Break for Networking and Exhibits: Lobby
The Margaret Davidson Emerging Leaders Roundtable: Auditorium
Margaret Davidson was an ocean visionary dedicated to fostering early-career leaders and tackling challenging ocean and coastal issues with unwavering determination and innovation. In her honor, CHOW 2018 hosts the next generation of leaders who are becoming catalysts of change in marine and Great lakes sustainability, business, and economics to share what sparks their creativity, how they engage others to make ideas reality, and where they hope to direct the path of private sector engagement in the future.
Congressional Leadership Roundtable: Auditorium
Worldwide, healthy oceans, coasts and freshwater ecosystems are crucial for economic growth, resilient communities, and food production. This underscores the need for both coastal and inland communities to sustainably use and protect these natural resources. Strong governance and national is necessary to support economic growth while at the same time protecting biodiversity and ensuring the environmental sustainability of ocean, coasts and Great Lakes. In the U.S. ocean and Great Lakes policies have a long-standing history of strong bipartisan support. Building off CHOW 2017’s informative Congressional Roundtable, CHOW 2018 will bring together current and former Members of Congress for an update on the bipartisan efforts in Congress to meet these dual goals.
Restoring American Fisheries: The Magnuson-Stevens Act: Auditorium
With the passage of the Magnuson Stevens Act in 1976, the U.S. took control of fishing in our exclusive economic zone, pushing out foreign vessels and establishing measures to prevent overfishing. In 1996 and 2006, amendments to the Act added requirements for rebuilding and science-based catch limits, establishing the U.S. as a world leader in sustainable fisheries. In this session, industry experts discuss the impact of the Magnuson Stevens Act in restoring American fisheries and supporting a sustainable blue economy.
Predicting, Detecting, and Preparing for Increasing Acidification: Hemisphere A
The effects of ocean acidification reach throughout the ocean, impacting numerous ecosystems and economies that depend on them. As these impacts radiate through different ecosystems, declines in shellfish and fish threaten fisheries and aquaculture, deteriorated reefs weaken coastal protection, and declining reefs and mammal populations impact tourism. In this session, we explore the lessons learned from states coping with local effects of ocean acidification as we develop better predictions for acidification around the country and as state and federal policymakers draft legislation to mitigate and adapt to ocean acidification.
A Blueprint for Blue Carbon: From the Shoreline to the Market: Hemisphere B
The Value of Protected Places: Auditorium
Protected areas are places of special significance and great value to society, ecologically, culturally, and economically. These sites provide a place for people to connect with nature in an ever-developing world, they are homes to rare species and nurseries for commercially and recreationally important fish, they preserve historic and cultural resources, and they support a growing outdoor industry. This session explores the value of these places and the benefits of their protection to American communities and future generations.
Market Based Solutions and Public-Private Partnerships: Hemisphere A
Public-private partnerships and market-based solutions are time-tested tools for supporting environmental protection and land conservation. What roles can they play in enhancing ocean science, technology, and engagement? in this session, we discuss innovative models for private sector participation in marine and Great Lakes conservation to identify factors that lead to success, challenges to be addressed, and potential for replication and increased conservation outcomes.
Break for Networking and Exhibits: Lobby
Break for Lunch; Networking and Exhibits: Lobby
Break for Networking and Exhibits: Lobby
Partner Events
Effects of Climate Change on the World’s Oceans: 4th International Symposium
Location: The Washington Hilton
Description: The 4th International Symposium will bring together experts from around the world to better understand climate impacts on ocean ecosystems – and how to respond.
Website: meetings.pices.int/meetings/international/2018/climate-change/Background
BlueTech Expo 2018
Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Foyer
Description: Join IOSTIA and Sea Technology Magazine to promote ocean “blue” technology and innovation. The BlueTech Expo will feature an exhibition of ocean innovators demonstrating and discussing their products, services and customer success stories with key decision-makers, members of Congress and their staff. The exhibition will be followed by an innovative B2G networking social.
Website: bluetechexpo.org
Ocean Plastics Lab
Location: National Mall
Description: The Ocean Plastics Lab is an exciting exhibition about science: It showcases the contribution of science to understand and combat the problem of plastics in the ocean. The Lab will travel to various locations worldwide, inviting the public to engage with scientific work being done right now around the world. In the context of current discussions about science in society the Lab demonstrates science’s fundamental role in tackling societal challenges and highlights that society is an integral part of science The Ocean Plastics Lab willbe on display in the nation’s capital in June 2018
Website: oceanplasticslab.net/en/opl_exhibition_washington.php
Effects of Climate Change on the World’s Oceans: 4th International Symposium
Location: The Washington Hilton
Description: The 4th International Symposium will bring together experts from around the world to better understand climate impacts on ocean ecosystems – and how to respond.
Website: meetings.pices.int/meetings/international/2018/climate-change/Background
Ocean Plastics Lab
Location: National Mall
Description: The Ocean Plastics Lab is an exciting exhibition about science: It showcases the contribution of science to understand and combat the problem of plastics in the ocean. The Lab will travel to various locations worldwide, inviting the public to engage with scientific work being done right now around the world. In the context of current discussions about science in society the Lab demonstrates science’s fundamental role in tackling societal challenges and highlights that society is an integral part of science The Ocean Plastics Lab willbe on display in the nation’s capital in June 2018
Website: oceanplasticslab.net/en/opl_exhibition_washington.php
Effects of Climate Change on the World’s Oceans: 4th International Symposium
Location: The Washington Hilton
Description: The 4th International Symposium will bring together experts from around the world to better understand climate impacts on ocean ecosystems – and how to respond.
Website: meetings.pices.int/meetings/international/2018/climate-change/Background
NOAA Fish Fry
Location: Department of Commerce, Courtyard
Description: The NOAA Fish Fry provides an opportunity for 16-20 different seafood chefs and vendors to display their seafood and bring awareness to their local fisheries. The guest chefs come from locations around the United States from as far as Alaska and Hawaii to as close as the Chesapeake Bay. Both wild caught and aquaculture raised fish and shellfish are served. Tickets go on sale in early May and are only available through BrownPaperTickets.com.
Ocean Plastics Lab
Location: National Mall
Description: The Ocean Plastics Lab is an exciting exhibition about science: It showcases the contribution of science to understand and combat the problem of plastics in the ocean. The Lab will travel to various locations worldwide, inviting the public to engage with scientific work being done right now around the world. In the context of current discussions about science in society the Lab demonstrates science’s fundamental role in tackling societal challenges and highlights that society is an integral part of science The Ocean Plastics Lab willbe on display in the nation’s capital in June 2018
Website: oceanplasticslab.net/en/opl_exhibition_washington.php
Effects of Climate Change on the World’s Oceans: 4th International Symposium
Location: The Washington Hilton
Description: The 4th International Symposium will bring together experts from around the world to better understand climate impacts on ocean ecosystems – and how to respond.
Website: meetings.pices.int/meetings/international/2018/climate-change/Background
Ocean Plastics Lab
Location: National Mall
Description: The Ocean Plastics Lab is an exciting exhibition about science: It showcases the contribution of science to understand and combat the problem of plastics in the ocean. The Lab will travel to various locations worldwide, inviting the public to engage with scientific work being done right now around the world. In the context of current discussions about science in society the Lab demonstrates science’s fundamental role in tackling societal challenges and highlights that society is an integral part of science The Ocean Plastics Lab willbe on display in the nation’s capital in June 2018
Website: oceanplasticslab.net/en/opl_exhibition_washington.php
Effects of Climate Change on the World’s Oceans: 4th International Symposium
Location: The Washington Hilton
Description: The 4th International Symposium will bring together experts from around the world to better understand climate impacts on ocean ecosystems – and how to respond.
Website: meetings.pices.int/meetings/international/2018/climate-change/Background
World Oceans Day
On World Oceans Day, people around our blue planet celebrate and honor the ocean, which connects us all. Get together with your family, friends, community, and the planet to start creating a better future. Working together, we can and will protect our shared ocean. Join this growing global celebration on 8 June!
Find local events near you at worldoceansday.org
Ocean Plastics Lab
Location: National Mall
Description: The Ocean Plastics Lab is an exciting exhibition about science: It showcases the contribution of science to understand and combat the problem of plastics in the ocean. The Lab will travel to various locations worldwide, inviting the public to engage with scientific work being done right now around the world. In the context of current discussions about science in society the Lab demonstrates science’s fundamental role in tackling societal challenges and highlights that society is an integral part of science The Ocean Plastics Lab willbe on display in the nation’s capital in June 2018
Website: oceanplasticslab.net/en/opl_exhibition_washington.php
March for the Ocean
Location: National Mall
Description: On June 9, 2018, the March for the Ocean (M4O) campaign will organize mass events including flotillas, marches, and rallies in our nation’s capital and around the country in order to protect our human and wild communities and restore the blue in our red, white and blue. Blue Frontier Campaign and 70+ partners will mobilize an inclusive and diverse constituency to ensure we have a healthy ocean and clean water for future generations.
Website: marchfortheocean.org
Ocean Plastics Lab
Location: National Mall
Description: The Ocean Plastics Lab is an exciting exhibition about science: It showcases the contribution of science to understand and combat the problem of plastics in the ocean. The Lab will travel to various locations worldwide, inviting the public to engage with scientific work being done right now around the world. In the context of current discussions about science in society the Lab demonstrates science’s fundamental role in tackling societal challenges and highlights that society is an integral part of science The Ocean Plastics Lab willbe on display in the nation’s capital in June 2018
Website: oceanplasticslab.net/en/opl_exhibition_washington.php
Event Registration
Ocean Awards Gala
- Pre-dinner cocktail reception
- Dinner featuring sustainable seafood options
- Post-program dessert reception
CHOW 2018
- Access to all conference sessions
- Snacks and beverages throughout the day
- Free Wi-Fi in conference areas
- The opportunity to network with leaders in ocean and Great Lakes conservation
Capitol Hill Day
- Breakfast panel featuring Congressional staff
- Lunchtime briefing featuring ocean leaders
- Evening networking reception
Presenting Sponsors
these awesome companies support us
Supporting Sponsors
Location
- 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004
- info@marinesanctuary.org
- 301.608.3040
- 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM