In January 2020, Open Ocean convened a deep-sea strategy workshop to develop a strategic action plan for global deep-sea exploration. Attendees included individuals from the deep sea exploration community and various MIT Media Lab projects to provide lessons learned from those currently working on tackling large-scale industry issues and community building. Over a two-day workshop hosted at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, MA, participants conducted design thinking exercises, brainstorming discussions, and viewed presentations from various MIT Media Lab project leads and Open Ocean pilot project updates.

During a broad-based discussion on the urgency, vision, and mission for deep ocean exploration, participants acknowledged that the current pace of deep sea exploration was too slow to respond to the urgent need presented by climate change. New methods and technologies are needed to accelerate exploration of the deep ocean and involve individuals in all countries worldwide.

Participants focused on clear goals and objectives around three core areas of need for deep sea exploration acceleration: Sensors & Systems, Data Accessibility & Analysis, and Capacity Building.

Key takeaways focused on the need to take an entrepreneurial mindset in the development of these technologies. The discussion also centered around new funding models needed to support an entrepreneurial development timeline to be agile, responsive, and quick to market.

Participants: Allan Adams, MIT Future Oceans Lab; Mariana Avila; Katy Croff Bell, MIT Media Lab; Oceane Boulais, MIT Media Lab; Joaquín Brito, AIR Centre, Azores; Kasey Cantwell, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration & Research; Jenni Chow, MIT Media Lab; Liz De La Torre, MIT Media Lab; Jeff Drazen, University of Hawaii; Aurora Elmore, National Geographic Society; Peter Girguis, Harvard University; Junsu Jang, MIT Media Lab; Kakani Katija, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute; Leah Lovgren, MIT Portugal Program; Rubén Marrero, PLOCAN, Canary Islands; Craig McClain, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium; Devora Najjar, MIT Media Lab; Avery Normandin, MIT Media Lab; Dan Novy, MIT Media Lab; André Oliveira, +ATLANTIC, Portugal; Joe Paradiso, MIT Media Lab; Shirley Pomponi, Florida Atlantic University; Susan Poulton, MIT Media Lab; Max Resnik, Cortico; Randi Rotjan, Boston University; Adam Soule, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Alan Turchik, National Geographic Society.

Funded by: Open Ocean