28th September – 3rd October 2025, Pride Inn Paradise Resort, Mombasa, Kenya

Kongowea Market, Mombasa. Copyright: Johfbaks Production

Thursday, 2 October

Friday, 3 October

Theme

Session Title

Room

Time



Transboundary

Conservation and

Regional Ocean

Governance

SS002-WIO Ocean Acidification Plan

Black Marlin

14:00 - 17:30

SS003- Introducing MARCOP_ Catalysing Regional Action and Collaboration Toward Target 3 - 30x30 in the Western Indian Ocean

Shimba

14:00 - 17:30

SS004: Conserving

Dugongs and Seagrass

Ecosystems in the WIO

Region

Sailfish

14:00 - 17:30

SS035: WIO-Benth – soft sediment

conservation outcomes

Eco Ballroom

14:00 - 17:30

Ocean-Climate-

Biodiversity

Nexus

SS012: From

Roadmap to Action:

Marine Carbon Dioxide

Removal in Africa

Pelican

14:00 - 17:30

SS014: Inclusion of the

Global South in Earth

Sciences (WCRP

initiatives)

Seagull

14:00 - 17:30

Community-led

Conservation and

Stewardship

SS017: Building a

regional alliance for LMMAs in the WIO

Manta Ray

14:00 - 17:30

SS049-Empowering Community Voices in Marine Conservation

Boni

14:00 - 17:30

SS018: Strengthening

coastal stewardship

Madunguni

14:00 - 17:30

SS021: Fisheries

assessment tools in the WIO

Dodori

14:00 - 17:30

Fisheries and

Aquaculture

SS024: Sustainable

Marine Aquaculture

Pathways

Rastanawi

14:00 - 17:30

SS026: Science for Sustainable Blue Food Futures

Press

Room 1

14:00 - 17:30

Earth Observation

and Ocean

Science

SS038: Ocean

Observations of Marine

Life

Arabuko 2

14:00 - 17:30

SS040-Structuring the scientific community using acoustic telemetry in the Southwest Indian Ocean

Koi 1,

Pride Inn

Flamingo

14:00 - 17:30

Blue Economy

and Sustainable

Development

SS046: Science

support to Ports and Shipping in WIO

Koi 2,

Pride Inn

Flamingo

14:00 - 17:30

SS047: MarCOSIO:

Multi-national Blue

Economy Service

Barracuda

14:00 - 17:30

Marine Pollution

SS028: Tangible actions to tackle pollution

Arabuko 1

14:00 - 17:30

Marine

Ecosystems and

Species

SS029: Coastal Ecosystems at Risk: Red List of Ecosystems in the WIO

Kaya

14:00 - 17:30

Theme

Session Title

Room

Time



Transboundary Conservation and Regional Ocean Governance

SS001 - Bridging borders, building resilience: Transboundary approaches to marine and coastal conservation in the Western Indian Ocean

Arabuko 1

09:00 - 10:30

SS002 - Progress towards improving Regional Ocean Governance in the WIO Region.

Arabuko 1

11:30 - 17:30

SS006: Common sea  between 

island/ridge systems and continents: From global change to regional issues in the Indian Ocean.

Press Room 1

09:00 - 17:30

SS011 - Africa’s 30x30 Marine Leap: Lessons and innovations from the WIO, Benguela, and the Southern Gulf of Guinea

Dodori

09:00 - 12:30

SS005 - Building a regional seagrass strategy and bridging science-policy

Barracuda

14:00 - 17:30

Ocean-Climate-Biodiversity Nexus

SS013- Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) as an approach for supporting communities’ livelihoods and the marine environment

Shimba

09:00 - 12:30

Ocean Planning and High Seas Governance

SS009 - From Ratification to Implementation: A Deep Dive on The BBNJ Agreement

Manta Ray

09:00 - 12:30

SS010 - Implementing the BBNJ Agreement in the Western Indian Ocean: Science, Conservation, and Regional Collaboration

Manta Ray

14:00 - 17:30

Community-led Conservation and Stewardship

SS015 - Call to Action for a Global Network of Regenerative Seascapes

Boni

09:00 - 12:30

SS016 - Community Marine Leaders Hub

Eco Ballroom

09:00 - 17:30

SS019 - Co-designing Effective Methodologies in Mangrove Restoration and Conservation in the East African Coastline through Best Practices

Arabuko 2

09:00 - 12:30

SS020- Mangroves for a Resilient Future in the WIO: Advancing Science, Policy and Regional Collaboration

Pelican, PrideInn Flamingo

14:00 - 17:30

Fisheries and Aquaculture

SS022 - Celebrating 50 Years of Partnership at Sea with the EAF-Nansen Programme in the WIO

Seagull, PrideInn Flamingo

09:00 - 12:30

SS023 - Recreational fisheries management in South Africa and Kenya

Seagull, PrideInn Flamingo

14:00 - 17:30

SS025 - Harnessing the application of technology and open data to manage fisheries in the WIO region

Koi 1, Pride Inn Flamingo

09:00 - 17:30

SS027 - Fisheries Data Harmonisation in the WIO: Building a Regional Data Ecosystem for Resilient SSF

Black Marlin

09:00 - 17:30

Earth Observation and Ocean Science

SS036 - Advancing Sustainable Ocean Management through Ocean Accounting

Dodori

14:00 - 17:30

SS037 - Accessible Technologies and Models

Madunguni

09:00 - 17:30

SS039 - Exploring the role of AI in marine science, potential for research, monitoring, and decision-making

Koi 2, PrideInn Flamingo

09:00 - 17:30

UN Ocean Decade and ECOPs Engagement

SS041 - The UN Decade of Ocean Science in Africa: Milestones and Gaps in Bridging the Science–Policy–Society Interface in Africa

Sailfish

09:00 - 11:00

SS043 - Breaking the Silos: Coastal Futures in a Rising Sea – Insights from ECOPs in the WIO

Sailfish

11:00 - 12:30

SS042 - Shaping Africa’s Ocean Future: ECOPs’ Voices for Policy Action

Sailfish

14:00 - 17:30

Blue Economy and Sustainable Development

SS045 - Unlocking Financial Pathways for a Thriving Blue Economy

Pelican, PrideInn Flamingo

09:00 - 17:30

SS033 - Blue Values: Unlocking full potential of marine ecosystem services in the WIO

Shimba

14:00 - 17:30

SS050 - Pathways to Sustainable Blue Tourism in the Western Indian Ocean

Arabuko 2

14:30 - 17:30

Marine Ecosystems and Species

SS030 - IndoCet meeting: promoting collaboration among Cetacean researchers in the South-WIO

Kaya

09:00 - 17:30

SS031 - Bridging Science and Policy for Coral Reef Conservation in the Western Indian Ocean

Rastanawi

09:00 - 12:30

SS013 - Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) for supporting communities’ livelihoods and marine environment

Shimba Room

09:00 - 12:30

SS032 - Beyond patches: Scaling up coral reef restoration efforts in the WIO region

Rastanawi

14:00 - 17:30

SS048 - Scaling Up Seagrass Science and Stewardship for Socio-Ecological Resilience and a Regenerative Blue Economy

Barracuda

09:00 - 12:30