FAQs

The California Ocean Summit takes place December 9-11, 2026 in Santa Barbara. Day one is hosted at UC Santa Barbara's Corwin Pavilion, featuring keynotes and breakout sessions. Day two moves downtown, with programming at 28 Vic and the CEC Environmental Hub on State Street. Day three offers curated field excursions along the coast, including Santa Cruz Island, the Dangermond Preserve, and Arroyo Hondo.

The California Ocean Summit takes place December 9-11, 2026 in Santa Barbara. Day one is hosted at UC Santa Barbara's Corwin Pavilion, featuring keynotes and breakout sessions. Day two moves downtown, with programming at 28 Vic and the CEC Environmental Hub on State Street. Day three offers curated field excursions along the coast, including Santa Cruz Island, the Dangermond Preserve, and Arroyo Hondo.

The Summit convenes leaders working at the intersection of ocean health, policy, innovation, and investment - including scientists, policymakers, nonprofit and philanthropic leaders, tribal representatives, entrepreneurs, and funders committed to building coastal resilience in California.

Yes. Select evening and cultural events are open to the community, including the OCEAN film screening with the Santa Barbara Symphony at the Granada Theatre on Wednesday, December 9, and screenings and talks at the Santa Barbara Public Library's Faulkner Gallery on Thursday, December 10. Summit registrants can add evening events to their pass, and VIP passholders receive access to all evening events. Details and ticket links will be posted as events are confirmed.

Yes! The Working Summit is officially at capacity, and due to strong public interest, we’ve added a free livestream option for main stage programming on December 9–10, making it possible for anyone, anywhere in the world to sit in on the conversations. The livestream will offer a front-row seat to main stage panels and keynotes, featuring a growing lineup of speakers and panelists across ocean science, policy, philanthropy, investment, conservation, and Indigenous stewardship.

Stay tuned for livestream access details.

We welcome speaker suggestions. The Summit's program is curated by our program advisory committee, which reviews all nominations for fit with the conference themes. To nominate yourself or a colleague, email us at info@calocean.org with the speaker's name, affiliation, and a brief note on the topic or session where they'd add value. Due to the volume of suggestions, we may not be able to respond to every submission individually.

Thank you for your interest in supporting the California Ocean Summit! We welcome those interested in volunteering to complete our Volunteer Interest Form. Share a little about yourself and your areas of interest, and our team will follow up with more information about volunteer opportunities in October.

Yes. We are securing preferred hotel accommodations and discounted room blocks for Summit attendees. Hotel recommendations, booking links, and travel information will be published on this page as soon as they become available.