Young talent, ocean data and responsible AI. From learning to prototypes for a thriving ocean.
RIO DE JANEIRO / APRIL 2027
We want to bring young people from around the world together in Rio with coastal communities, scientists, designers and technologists to work on ocean challenges. A Climathon to learn across regions and turn ideas rooted in local experience into action.
Local knowledge. Collective intelligence. Ocean action.
At 2811, a Climathon starts by listening to a local challenge. Then comes the shared work: bringing different experiences together, imagining responses and trying them out. The event is part of a process that prepares teams and seeks ways for their ideas to continue.
We welcome students, young professionals, researchers, designers, developers, entrepreneurs and coastal leaders worldwide, including Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Bring what you know: understanding a coastline, asking good questions or telling a story can all help build a solution.
This is how we want to work in Rio, alongside the communities and organisations that join us.
Listen to people who live and work by the sea. Choose a shared challenge and prepare the team with ocean science, data and AI tools.
Gather different experiences around one question. Sketch, discuss and build a first prototype with support from mentors.
Show the prototype to people who might use it. Hear what works, what is missing and what needs to change. Check results against data and local knowledge.
Share what you have learned and propose a field test. Find partners to continue; selected teams could connect with pilots or the Residency.
2 pages · PDF · English, español, português
Planned context: Rio de Janeiro, April 2027, around the Ocean Decade Conference (7-9 April). The Climathon's exact dates, venue, duration, selection criteria, participation costs and any travel support are still to be confirmed. Inclusion in the official conference programme is not confirmed. Expressing interest is not an application or a guaranteed place.
Academy
Build the foundations for AI for Oceans: ocean literacy, data skills and responsible AI. Learn to explore datasets, test models and turn a coastal challenge into a project with mentors from science and industry.
Ocean Hackathon
Young people, coastal communities and ocean professionals turn data into prototypes. Combine applied AI with local knowledge to tackle coastal resilience, marine biodiversity and the blue economy.
From learning to real-world testing
A practical pathway from ocean data to decisions that matter. Learn in the Academy. Build in the Ocean Hackathon. Take selected prototypes further through the Residency.
Explore satellite images and environmental time series to detect coastal change and identify areas that need a closer look.
Explore computer vision to classify habitats or species in imagery, with scientific review and a clear account of uncertainty.
Explore models that flag anomalies in ocean measurements and help communities or organisations interpret environmental information.
Illustrative challenges. Each edition will define its scope according to available data, local priorities and technical mentors.
Build a prototype, compare it with a simple non-AI baseline, document the data and limitations, and propose a test with a real user. We value ocean usefulness, technical quality and a credible path to implementation.
Coastal communities help define the problem and assess the response. Data permissions, transparency, bias and human review are part of the process. You can contribute through science, design, community knowledge or policy, as well as coding.
Companies can define use cases and host pilots. Scientific partners can contribute authorised data and technical mentoring. Foundations and public institutions can support youth leadership, participation and responsible ocean governance.
Residency
Take a promising hackathon prototype into a real setting. Selected teams can work with host organisations to test it with users, assess its impact and plan a pilot. Continuity depends on selection and partner availability.
7–9 April 2027 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Official conference information ↗We are developing a meeting point for young people from Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and across the world around the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference in Rio de Janeiro. A space to exchange knowledge across regions, build solutions and connect with the global ocean community.
Proposed conversations bringing young researchers, entrepreneurs and coastal communities into dialogue with ocean leaders.
Skills, entrepreneurship and pathways to meaningful work in the blue economy.
Island and coastal perspectives on adaptation, biodiversity and locally led solutions.
Data access, transparency and community participation in decisions about the ocean.
A proposed immersive experience for a selected cohort: preparation before Rio, shared learning during the conference and a collaborative roadmap to take home.
We want to bring young people from around the world together in Rio with coastal communities, scientists, designers and technologists to work on ocean challenges. A Climathon to learn across regions and turn ideas rooted in local experience into action.
For students, young researchers, entrepreneurs, creators and community leaders worldwide, including Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and coastal and island communities across all regions.
Propose a challenge, contribute data, mentor a team or host a pilot. Help connect young talent with ocean science, responsible innovation and real users.
These Young Ocean Innovators activities are proposals in development; inclusion in the official conference programme is not confirmed. Dates, format, selection criteria and any travel or accommodation support will be announced once confirmed.
Your next step in the blue economy
Opportunities and resources for Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs). Discover where to learn, connect and put your ideas to work.
Explore jobs, internships and programmes in the ECOP opportunities database.
ECOP Programme ↗Ocean literacyTraining materials, courses and practical tools for learning and sharing ocean knowledge.
IOC–UNESCO ↗Ocean innovationMentorship, connections and investment opportunities for ocean-positive startups. Applications reviewed on a rolling basis.
Sustainable Ocean Alliance ↗2811 / Local to global
Local innovation connects our climate and ocean work. Explore past gatherings and the next opportunity to build together.
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