Ocean Collaborations

I grew up in a small german village, deeply rooted in the rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. For around ten years in my childhood the church wasn’t just a building; it was the heartbeat of our community - a place where faith translated into collective action and a shared moral compass.
Fast forward to my first major ocean conference in Nice in June 2025. Amidst the sterile policy halls and the data-heavy slides, I stumbled upon a movement that connected those childhood roots to my current mission: the campaign Faiths for Oceans and their multifaith declaration on ocean protection. It was a “lightbulb” moment. I realized that if we are to save 70% of our planet, we can’t just rely on cold data and multilateralism; we need a theory of change that touches the human heart and soul.
In this week’s episode of Ocean Collaborations, I sit down with a man who has lived this intersection for over five decades: Arthur Dahl.
At 84, Arthur is a living bridge between the scientific and the spiritual. A marine biologist who dove the world’s most pristine reefs in the 1970s, he became a titan of UN environmental governance, contributing to every major summit from Stockholm (1972) to Rio (1992). But Arthur isn’t here to talk about the “good old days.”
He is here to tell us why the UN, in its current form, is failing the ocean.
A radical “Second UN Charter” to avoid institutional breakdown
Arthur knows the UN system inside out, and his diagnosis is bold. He argues we are stuck in a “Sovereignty Trap.” The UN is built on national borders, but the ocean knows none. While politicians remain trapped in economic frameworks that prioritize short-term GDP, the biological foundations of our world - like the coral reefs Arthur spent his life studying - are collapsing.
His solution? A radical “Second UN Charter” that moves beyond voluntary agreements toward true global accountability.
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Faith as a Theory of Change for Ocean Collaboration
Arthur’s secret to resilience is what he calls the harmony of science and religion. As President of the International Environment Forum and a member of the Baha’i faith, he views the ocean as a system reflecting a higher human purpose. He shares profound stories from the Pacific, where indigenous wisdom and spiritual logic created “perfect fisheries management” long before global policy existed.
If you are a professional frustrated by institutional inertia, this episode is your antidote. We explore how faith can be the “connecting pin” between science, politics, and the bold, courageous collaborations required for ocean regeneration.
Listen to the full episode to hear why Arthur believes the “cries of the ocean” will finally force our institutions to transform - and how you can be part of that shift.
Learn more about his amazing ocean life in this article he wrote in the news magazine of the International Coral Reef Society: From Reef Science to Reef Actionhttps://coralreefs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/REEF-ENCOUNTER-APRIL-2026-FINAL_lores.pdf

Arthur Dahl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurdahl
International Environment Forum: https://iefworld.org/
Faiths for the Oceans campaign: https://www.oceans.faith/
Get in touch with Jan Maisenbacher to heart/brain/soulstorm how Faith as a theory of change could become a practice of change for ocean collaborations. Book your slot with Jan on calendly here: https://www.calendly.com/janmaisenbacher



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Are you tired of attending yet another high-level environmental summit only to walk away feeling like you just witnessed another round of “blue blue blah blah”? For those of us working towards blue regenerative societies the gap between ambitious political declarations and real-world execution can be a source of frustration. We know what needs to be done, yet institutional inertia (and non- collaborative dialogue) continue to slow our progress.
In episode #33 host and experienced conference designer Jan Maisenbacher sits down with Meaghan Cuddy, manager of the Our Ocean Conference secretariat at the World Resources Institute.
Together, they pull back the curtain on how to design a high-stakes global forum for actual impact, rather than empty rhetoric. Having organized conferences himself, Jan brings a unique conference-design lens to the conversation, questioning why commitments are not more deeply integrated into the actual panel setups and session agendas to break the passive “panel talk” bubble.
Unlike standard UN processes, the Our Ocean Conference is an invite-only platform designed without diplomatic negotiations. Its sole objective is mobilising and tracking concrete conservation pledges.
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This brings us to the core impact piece: what happens after the applause fades? Meaghan shares the rigorous “detective work” her small team conducts year-round to track every single commitment. Listeners will discover the surprising data behind these pledges, including the reality of the eighty percent that are completed or in progress, and the systemic challenges behind the twenty percent that fail to launch.
From Kenya’s historic one-billion-dollar commitment to transboundary marine protection, to the grassroots power of the Mombasa Declaration on fisheries transparency, this episode is a blueprint for impactful change.
If you are ready to explore how strategic meeting design can bridge the gap between policy and execution, while learning how to build resilient leadership that avoids burnout, this conversation is for you. Tune in to discover how we can break our sector’s echo chamber, engage critical decision-makers in finance and trade, and turn empty talk into measurable ocean action.

Connect with Meaghan Cuddy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meaghancuddy/
Links:Our Ocean Conference (OOC) Kenya: https://ouroceankenya.com/
OOC Commitment Tracker: https://commitments.ouroceanconference.org/login/World Ressources Institute Ocean Program:https://www.wri.org/ocean
Learn how Jan Maisenbacher can help to make your conference more impactful, collaborative and regenerative : https://janmaisenbacher.com/en/magicprojects/



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Arthur is Executive Director of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and brings more than two decades of experience in marine conservation and marine protected area management. If you work in ocean conservation, marine policy, philanthropy, impact, or the blue economy, you probably know this feeling: there is no shortage of ambition. More targets. More declarations. More conferences. More language about transformation.
And yet the hardest questions remain:
* Who is actually managing marine protected areas?
* How do we move from protection on paper to protection in practice?
* And what kind of leadership does this moment really require?
These are exactly the questions that make this Ocean Collaborations episode with Arthur Tuda worth your time.
What makes this conversation so compelling is that it is not abstract. It is rooted in the reality of governing ocean systems in a region where collaboration is essential, resources are stretched, and communities depend directly on the sea.
One of the clearest insights from the episode is this: declaring protected areas is the easy part. Managing them well is the hard part.
That distinction matters. A marine protected area (MPA) is not successful because it exists on a map. It matters when it is funded, staffed, enforced, understood locally, and supported by institutions that can hold the work over time. Otherwise, it risks becoming what many practitioners know too well: a paper park.
Arthur also brings a refreshingly honest view on innovation. Yes, technology helps. Better data, AI, and surveillance tools can improve efficiency. But technology does not build trust with fishing communities, mentor young practitioners, or translate science into policy through human relationships. In his words, ocean protection still depends on people.
That is where Blue Leadership comes in.
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In this episode, leadership is not about status or title. It is about building the capacity to work between science and policy, communities and institutions, ambition and implementation. It is about training people, retaining them, and reforming the organizations they work in.
One especially powerful idea that emerges in the conversation is the vision for a future ‘Blue Academy’ in the Western Indian Ocean: a place where practitioners could learn in and from real marine protected areas, exchange knowledge across countries, and strengthen the leadership needed to make conservation actually work.
That idea alone should make you curious.
Because this episode is not just about the challenges of Blue Leadership. It is about a bigger possibility: what if ocean collaboration had a real home where people could practice it, not just talk about it?
If you are frustrated by slow change, interested in marine protected areas beyond the headlines, or looking for grounded and inspiring examples of collaborative ocean governance, this conversation is for you.
Listen for the hard truths.Listen for the leadership challenge.And listen for the ‘Blue Academy’ idea that could shape what comes next.
See you at the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa soon!
Are you there and want to talk further ideas? Drop me an email and let’s talk to co-create ocean collaboration (like the Blue Academy) together: info@janmaisenbacher.com I am in Kenya from 12 to 27 June. Don’t hesitate to join the subscriber chat here on Substack where Jan shares his insights and learnings from his first trip to Africa (or ping Jan to follow the live posts on Telegram). And of course don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Substack, Spotify or Apple Podcast.
Arthur Tuda on LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-tuda-435544b/
Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA): https://www.wiomsa.org/
11th Our Ocean Conference in Kenya: https://ouroceankenya.com/



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Dennis Fritsch from Oceano Azul Foundation talks with host Jan Maisenbacher about the recently launched longterm initiative ‘Re+Valuing Blue Natural Capital’ of the London School of Economics and Oceano Azul Foundation.
Because the real systemic challenge is how our world counts value. Our current economic system rewards “extraction” - taking things out of nature until it breaks. A dead fish at a market has a price, but a living fish keeping the sea healthy is worth zero in our books. This makes protecting the ocean look like a “cost” instead of the most important investment we could ever make.
To fix this, the new ‘Re+Valuing Blue Natural Capital’ initiative is a bold team-up between the London School of Economics and the Oceano Azul Foundation. Listen in to learn more how they are collaborating together to:
* Create a roadmap to make the ocean’s health visible in the laws and financial rules that run our world.
* Launch a two-year “intellectual compass” that will start “speedboat” projects to show how these new ideas work in the real world.
Dennis also shared his honest take on the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco he will be visiting again soon for the second edition. While he was glad to see world leaders attending, he is worried about the “elephant in the room”.
Listen to the episode and learn more about their “elephant and speedboat” reflections.
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This episode is for impatient ocean change-makers who want learn to move past simple awareness and start finding examples of real, actionable solutions for ocean regeneration. This talk is an invitation to join a diverse community of ‘experts’.
‘Experts of all shades’ who aren’t afraid of big questions and visionary longterm transformation dreams. To maybe crack the toughest nut of ocean collaboration for the next generation: our economic paradigm.
Dennis Fritsch on LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-dennis-fritsch-52909511bOceano Azul Foundation:
* Web: https://oceanoazulfoundation.org/
* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oceano-azul-foundation
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oceanoazulfoundation/
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oceanoazulfoundation
* Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCojAEyOe5duzVXrprx8_vWw



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The Missing Link: Can We Save the Ocean Without China?
We all feel the urgency, but let’s be honest: are we just talking to ourselves? As ocean collaboration change agents, we often treat China like a “blackbox” - too big to ignore, yet too complex to reach. If you’ve feel isolated in your efforts to scale impact this episode is your “energizer”. We’re crossing the bridge to meet Songlin Wang, an “ocean-dadpreneur” who has spent 20 years building trust where others only saw walls.
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Songlin’s story is a masterclass in why “how” we collaborate matters more than “what” we fund. He shares the raw reality of starting the Qingdao Marine Conservation Society while raising a toddler, proving that true change starts with personal courage. Here is what we discovered:
* The Bird that Stopped the Bulldozers: How do you stop a superpower from reclaiming 60% of its wetlands? Songlin reveals how his team used tiny migratory birds as “indicators” to speak a language the government couldn’t ignore, leading to a historic national ban in 2018.

* Beyond the Blame Game: We keep hearing about the “fishing dilemma,” but what if the industry and NGOs actually shared a mission? Songlin explains why blaming one fleet fails and how building a “mycelium” of trust between scientists and fishers is the only way to tackle illegal fishing.
* The Dadpreneur’s Secret: From commuting between Qingdao and Hong Kong to dreaming of a family trip to the Galapagos, Songlin shows us that balancing professional ambition with family life is the ultimate training for a change agent.
Are you ready to move past the geopolitical noise and see the real people driving the blue economy from the inside?
This isn’t just another interview; it’s a rare look at the hidden networks of collaboration already woven into the water. Let’s stop talking about “different” oceans and start working for the one that connects us all. Listen now to hear how we can build a regenerative ocean future, together.
You like this episode? You know other ‘ocean collaboration bubble breakers’ that move the needle beyond blue-blue-bla-bla and dare to go in the edgy inbetween spaces? Don’t hesitate to message info@janmaisenbacher.com to get in touch if!
王松林 Songlin Wang on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/%E6%9D%BE%E6%9E%97-%E7%8E%8B-360ab1a8/
Linklist
Stories for coastal wetland conservation:
https://www.paulsoninstitute.org/conservation/wetlands-conservation/blueprint-of-coastal-wetland-conservation-and-management-in-china/
https://dialogue.earth/en/ocean/12251-tiaozini-wetlands-world-heritage-site-conservation/
Here are some of Qingdao Marine Conservation Society projects and our thinkings:
https://www.oceanoutcomes.org/news/national-fisheries-institute-O2-CAPPMA-O2-launch-crab-seafood-project-china/
https://www.oceanoutcomes.org/news/conservation-china-eelgrass-pew-yellow-sea-small-scale-fishing/
https://impact.economist.com/ocean/biodiversity-ecosystems-and-resources/boosting-global-food-security-with-blue-food
Links about regional collaboration:
https://times.seafoodlegacy.com/en/wang_songlin_1/
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/seafoodlegacy_sakura-activity-7444884986786373633-3UTj/


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit janmaisenbacher.substack.com