Ocean Revive at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025
Last week, Ocean Revive attended the IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) 2025 – one of the world's largest and most influential gatherings dedicated to nature and sustainability.
What is the Purpose of the IUCN Conservation Congress?
Dr Sebastian Schmidt-Roach (Ocean Revive) presenting at the IUCN WCC 2025 #ForCoral Pavilion alongside Barbara Lang Lenton (Jumeirah), Ryan Paik (HaejooX) and Dr Karim J-P Hagger (IUCN WCPA)
Held every four years, the WCC serves as a global forum where governments, scientists, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples’ organisations and businesses come together to set priorities for conservation and sustainable development. It is both a knowledge sharing platform and a decision-making space as delegates debate pressing environmental challenges, showcase innovative solutions, and shape policies that guide international action on biodiversity, climate and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
This year’s congress held in Abu Dhabi brought together over 10,000 attendees, both in person and online, from across sectors and regions, united by a shared mission: to safeguard ecosystems and strengthen global collaborations working to accelerate the transition to a nature-positive future.
For Ocean Revive, it was an opportunity not only to contribute to this global dialogue but also to highlight how coral restoration can be an exciting economic opportunity for those working within the private sector. We were honoured to contribute to two inspiring panels at the #ForCoral Pavilion, co-organised by the General Organisation for Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea (SHAMS) and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI).
Ocean Revive’s Dr Sebastian Schmidt-Roach with Marie Laure Boulton (Ocean Attitude) and Dr Vanessa Robitzch (SHAMS) at the IUCN WCC 2025 #ForCoral Pavilion
Eco-Tourism & Eco-Entertainment: Protection of Natural Coral Reefs and Nurseries
In this session, our Co-Founder and CEO, Dr Sebastian Schmidt-Roach, joined Marie Laure Boulton, Co-Founder of Ocean Attitude, with moderation by Dr Vanessa Robitzch, Conservation Program Manager at SHAMS.
This discussion centred on how marine recreation activities can be transformed into powerful levers for reef protection and regeneration. The panel explored practical strategies to align eco-tourism and eco-entertainment with conservation outcomes, ensuring that leisure activities not only minimise harm but actively contribute to marine conservation efforts.
View the programme details here.
Panelists Dr Sebastian Schmidt-Roach (Ocean Revive), Barbara Lang Lenton (Jumeirah) and Ryan Paik (HaejooX) at the IUCN WCC 2025 #ForCoral Pavilion in Abu Dhabi, discussing eco-tourism, coral restoration and marine innovation.
Reef Renaissance: Scaling Coral Restoration Through Innovation, Hospitality & Urban Regeneration
Our second panel brought together a diverse group of voices, with Ocean Revive’s CEO, joined by Barbara Lang Lenton, Director of Jumeirah Burj Al Arab Aquariums and the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project, and Ryan Paik, CEO of HaejooX. The session was moderated by Dr Karim J-P Hagger, Senior Advisor for Conservation and Biodiversity at the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA).
This session explored how collaboration and cross-sector partnerships between hospitality, and BlueTech companies can create new pathways for ocean regeneration. The panel also touched on a replicable model for large scale reef restoration at the intersection of technology and tourism.
Check out the programme details for this panel here.
Looking Ahead
The IUCN WCC is a catalyst for global action. By bringing together powerful decision-makers, innovative scientists and key stakeholders and dedicated businesses, it sets the stage for collective decisions that shape international conservation priorities and influence policy frameworks for years to come.
For Ocean Revive, participating in this dialogue reinforced the importance of embedding coral restoration into broader sustainability agendas. Coral reefs are biodiversity hotspots that are also hold immense economic value as they are critical for coastal protection, food security and tourism. Ensuring their survival requires solutions that are efficient, scalable and affordable and that can be integrated into tourism, urban development, and community livelihoods. Our panels at the #ForCoral Pavillion highlighted just that: the power of cross-sector collaboration to transform how society interacts with the ocean.
We return from the Congress inspired and energised, ready to continue advancing our Reef Estate™ model and forging partnerships that make large-scale reef regeneration a reality.
We invite partners, innovators, and ocean advocates to join us in scaling coral restoration — connect with us to explore how we can regenerate reefs together.
