TMA and Southern Californian BlueTech Leaders Head to UNOC 2025

Written By Carrie Phair

Key Regional Players to Showcase Regional Innovation, Global Collaboration, and the Future of the Ocean Economy on a Global Stage

TMA BlueTech is proud to help coordinate and highlight a powerhouse delegation of ocean innovators, scientists, entrepreneurs, and public sector leaders heading to the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France. From June 8–13, the world’s ocean community will converge to advance global collaboration on sustainable ocean development—and Southern California will be there in force.

With over 30 delegates representing our region’s academic, government, philanthropic, and private sector communities, this year’s UNOC marks a pivotal moment for SoCal’s voice on the global stage. TMA has taken the initiative to help convene this group—some longtime collaborators, others forging new paths—under a shared commitment to shaping the future of the Blue Economy.

Why This Matters

Southern California is quickly emerging as a global model for maritime innovation—blending science, entrepreneurship, policy, and strategic investment to tackle the most pressing ocean challenges of our time. At UNOC 2025, that model will be on full display.

Whether you're attending the conference or following from afar, we invite you to connect with our network, attend our event, and join the movement toward a more secure, sustainable, and innovation-driven ocean future.

Going to UNOC? Join Us On June 12th!

Discover San Diego’s Blue Innovation Ecosystem: Where Climate Tech, Resilience, and Real-World Impact Converge

TMA BlueTech is proud to co-host an interactive session in the UNOC Green Zone to spotlight one of the world’s most dynamic blue economy and climate innovation ecosystems: San Diego.

This session will offer a practical and engaging look into how Southern California is driving ocean innovation with global impact—from smart ports and cleantech to aquaculture, maritime security, and research commercialization.

Featured Speakers

  • Matt Classen, Executive Director, TMA BlueTech

  • Vanessa Scott, Director of Industry Relations, Innovation & StartBlue, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

  • Jason Giffen, Chief Sustainability & Innovation Officer, Port of San Diego

  • Paula Sylvia, Director of Aquaculture & Blue Technology, Port of San Diego

  • Michel Boudrias, Professor, Environmental and Ocean Sciences, University of San Diego

What to Expect

  • A brief panel discussion with regional leaders

  • Audience Q&A and real dialogue

  • Open networking with the SoCal delegation

  • Opportunities to explore pilot projects, investment prospects, and partnership pathways across the Pacific Rim, North Atlantic, and beyond

This is a must-attend for startups, investors, researchers, policymakers, port authorities, and ocean-focused organizations looking to connect with a thriving innovation region that blends strategy with action.

  • Thursday, June 12

  • 16:15–17:00

  • Startup Reef @ La Baleine – UNOC Green Zone

Click the following URL to register:

https://forms.office.com/r/4KiWy8LaqU

TMA Executive Director Matt Classen to Speak and Moderate at Nice Ocean Business Forum

In addition to coordinating the delegation, TMA Executive Director Matt Classen will participate in two high-level sessions at the Nice Ocean Business Forum:

  • Panelist: International Market Analysis and Insights: Key Growth Sectors of the Blue Economy

  • Moderator: Investing in the Blue Economy

These sessions will explore where public and private investment is flowing, which technologies are scaling globally, and how maritime innovation ecosystems like Southern California’s are helping lead the way.

Meet the SoCal Delegation to UNOC 2025

Scripps Institution of Oceanography (La Jolla, CA)

  • Margaret Leinen, Director

  • Vanessa Scott, Director of Industry Relations, Innovation & StartBlue

  • Rob Monroe, Associate Director of Communications

  • Octavio Aburto, Professor, Biological Oceanography

  • Fabio Favoretto, Postdoc and Data Scientist

  • Isabel Rivera-Collazo, Full Professor

  • Lisa Levin, Emeritus, Biological Oceanography

  • Angela Solanilla, Lead Economist on Blue Economy

Port of San Diego

  • Danielle Moore, Chair, Board of Port Commissioners

  • Frank Urtasun, Board of Port Commissioners

  • Gilanthony Ungab, Board of Port Commissioners

  • Jason Giffen, Vice President, Planning & Environment

  • Paula Sylvia, Program Director – Aquaculture & Blue Technology

Builders Vision

  • Peter Bryant, Program Director, Oceans

  • Laura Rodriguez, Senior Program Officer

  • Jelani Odlum, Program Officer

University of San Diego

  • Michel Boudrias, Associate Professor, Environmental and Ocean Sciences

  • Darbi Berry, Director of Climate & Environmental Programs, The Nonprofit Institute

Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS)

  • Clarissa Anderson, Director

Foundations & Entrepreneurs

  • Mary Monk, President, Walter Monk Foundation

  • Mary Ann Beyster, Managing Director, Beyster Foundation for Enterprise Development

  • Alex Ferre, Alma Life Sciences

  • Daniel Wangpraseurt, Founder, Hybrid Reef Solutions

  • Jenny Krusoe, EVP/COO, AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles

  • Jade Clemons, Director, Economic & Workforce Development, AltaSea

  • Lola Vars, Head of Product, Sperra

  • Eladio Arvelo, Founder, Eclectic Aspirations

TMA Members Attending from Outside Southern California

  • Shelby Thomas, CEO & Founder, Ocean Rescue Alliance (FL, USA)

  • Nathaniel Banks, CEO & Co-Founder, PolyGone Systems (NJ, USA)

  • Ariel Fuchs, Maritime Strategy Officer, Centre National d'études Spatiales (France)

  • Alexandre Stegener, CEO, Amphitrite (France)

  • Amos Barkai, CEO, OLSPS (South Africa)

TMA Cluster Partners Also Present at UNOC

  • Pôle Mer Méditerranée – Marseille, France

  • Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique – Bretagne, France

  • Forum Oceano – Lisbon, Portugal

  • Irish Maritime Development Office – Dublin, Ireland

  • MSE International – Southampton, UK

  • Oceans Advance – St. John’s, Canada

  • Canada’s Ocean Supercluster – St. John’s, Canada

  • Marine Open Innovation Institute – Shizuoka, Japan

Looking Ahead

As the world gathers in Nice for UNOC 2025, TMA BlueTech and its partners are proud to represent the innovation, resilience, and collaborative spirit that define Southern California’s role in the global ocean community.

Whether you're a policymaker exploring climate solutions, a startup seeking scale, an investor looking for meaningful impact, or a researcher advancing the frontiers of science—we invite you to connect with us in Nice, join the conversation at our June 12 Green Zone event, and be part of a shared movement to build a smarter, more secure, and sustainable maritime future.

Because the future of the ocean is not something we wait for—it's something we build together.

Carrie Phair
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