APRIL 28TH – 30TH | HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA

2026 Annual Convening

We are excited to bring our 2026 Annual Convening to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Canada is a fast-growing hub for ocean-climate research, and we’re looking forward to bringing together both local and global partners to create new opportunities for knowledge-sharing and collaboration.

Please mark your calendars for April 28 – 30 and bookmark this page for future updates. We will post more information here as it becomes available.

For any event-related questions, please reach out to info@carbontosea.org.

General Event Information

The conference will take place at the The Westin, Nova Scotian at 1181 Hollis St. in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

 

Registration will take place on the second floor of the Westin Nova Scotian on Tuesday, April 28th from 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM and on Wednesday, April 29th from 7:30 AM – 2:30 PM.

Please be advised that photographs and/or video footage may be taken at the event for use by Carbon to Sea Initiative publicly on our website, social media, and in the press.

THE WESTIN NOVA SCOTIAN

1181 Hollis St. in Halifax, NS, Canada

Agenda

The 2026 Annual Convening will take place at the Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax from April 28 through April 30.

This year’s core agenda includes a welcome reception for all attendees on Tuesday, April 28 at 6:00 PM, followed by core programming all day Wednesday and Thursday. Core programming will conclude with a closing reception on Thursday evening. Please find a detailed tentative agenda, below.

Additional optional, space-limited site visits will be held during the day on April 28.

  • 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM – Optional, space-limited site visits to Dalhousie University’s OAE and ocean-climate labs, and Planetary’s OAE operations at Nova Scotia Power
  • 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM – Registration at second floor of Westin Nova Scotian
  • 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Welcome Reception
    • Halifax Train Station, 1161 Hollis St.
  • 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM – Registration Continues and Breakfast
  • 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM – Welcome and Land Acknowledgment
  • 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – OAE Frontier Research, Knowledge Gaps & Field Tools
    • This session will highlight high-priority updates of OAE research related to its efficacy, environmental impacts and field research developments. Scheduled coffee breaks will occur during this session.
  • 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM – Lunch
  • 2:00 PM – 2:20 PM – Keynote Address
  • 2:20 PM – 5:00 PM – Governing oCDR: National Signals and International Frameworks
    • This session will examine the policy environment at multiple levels shaping research. Practitioners will share policy case studies and provide an expert deep dive into the international governance frameworks for mCDR, highlighting developments across LC/LP, UNFCCC, and BBNJ. Scheduled coffee breaks will occur during this session.
  • 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Poster Session Reception
    • Refreshments & heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served.
  • 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Breakfast
  • 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM – Exploring Markets and OAE’s Place
    • This session will provide an overview of the state of “the market” for OAE and explore diverse perspectives on the private sector’s role and commercial activity in carrying out OAE research.
  • 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM – Coffee Break
  • 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM – Concurrent Workshops: Session A
    • Workshops will include the following topics:
      • Indigenous Science
      • Sectoral Integrations
      • MRV Observations & Modeling
  • 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM – Lunch
  • 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM – Concurrent Workshops: Session B
    • Workshops will include the following topics:
      • Research and Development Roadmapping
      • Biological & Environmental Impacts
      • Community & Public Engagement
  • 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM – Coffee Break
  • 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Closing Remarks
  • 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Closing Reception
    • Refreshments & heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Watch the 2025 Annual Convening Highlights Video