Big Blue Ideas is a new series from the Australian National Maritime Museum in partnership with the Minderoo Foundation about the future of our ocean. Forget doom and gloom—these are not your typical climate conversations.
Big Blue Ideas is where action meets imagination. Where science meets hope. We’re not here to preach. We’re here to explore positive ideas, practical solutions.
From AI and conservation tech to cultural storytelling and deep-sea discovery, these talks put you in a room with innovators, scientists, artists, and disruptors.
Topics
Who owns the ocean? – May 15
Plastic – the final straw? – August 14
Is the deep sea a wasteland or wonderland? – October 16
Can AI talk whale? – January 22
Talks will be held at the museum and start at 6.30pm. They will be moderated by Emily Jateff, the museum curator of Ocean Science and Technology.
Join the conversation. Let’s talk about the world we want to have.
For more information visit www.sea.museum/big-blue-ideas
Note: Talk outlines follow….
WHO OWNS THE OCEAN? – May 15
Marine Protected Areas – the national parks of the sea - promise to save our oceans, but do they work?
Are they protecting marine life or just drawing lines on a map? Some say they are our best hope for ocean recovery. Others argue they’re just too difficult to enforce and threaten livelihoods.
What are they, who do they serve and what could they become?
PANELLISTS
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Julia Baird | Journalist and Author
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David Booth | Professor of Marine Ecology at UTS
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Camille Comtat | Manager, Biodiversity and Habitats at Minderoo
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Uncle Robert Cooley | Senior Ranger & Leader of the Gamay Rangers
PLASTIC – THE FINAL STRAW? – August 14
Our oceans are full of it. We eat, drink, and breathe tiny plastic particles every day.
Is this the health crisis of our time, or are we overreacting? This session cuts through the noise with real solutions—no empty promises, just the hard truth about what works.
The problem is inside us—literally—but the solutions might be, too.
Panellists to be announced.
IS THE DEEP SEA A WASTELAND OR WONDERLAND? – October 16
The deep ocean is Earth’s final frontier—vast and largely unseen by humans. So, what’s really down there?
Is it a mysterious ecosystem full of untapped knowledge and creatures of the abyss — or just rock, darkness and mining potential? The deep sea could be our next scientific breakthrough, our next gold rush—or even our next home.
With billionaires, governments and researchers racing to the bottom, the pressure is on: should we explore, exploit, or leave it alone?
Panellists to be announced.
CAN AI TALK WHALE?- January 22
From tracking sharks to scanning the ocean floor, artificial intelligence is already reshaping how we explore, protect and manage the sea—but could it go even further? Like decoding whale language?
This talk gets into the wild world of ocean AI—where neural networks meet coral reefs.
Can it really help us restore ecosystems, outsmart overfishing and clean up pollution, or are we handing too much power to the algorithm?
Panellists to be announced.
ENDS
To attend or for further information please contact:
For the museum
Alex Gonzalez m: 0401 545 778 e: [email protected]
For Minderoo Foundation
Alex Massey m: 0455 351 848 e: [email protected]
