Join the Oceans Past Initiative (OPI) for our next conference!
Oceans Past XI
June 15-19, 2026, University of Victoria, British Columbia
The Oceans Past Initiative connects scholars and practitioners interested in documenting and understanding changes in marine systems and human-ocean interactions in past decades, centuries and millennia. The 11th Oceans Past Conference will be held at the University of Victoria June 15-19, 2026, with support from the Faculties of Social Science and Humanities, the School of Environmental Studies, the Departments of History and Anthropology, the Oceans Past Initiative, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, and the Scripps Centre for Marine Archaeology. There is still time to register for early bird rates here (closing May 15).
The year, the conference theme is ocean-connected communities. We have exciting talks and posters covering the trajectories of human influences on the seas, indigenous ocean knowledge’s, blue memory, heritage and stewardship, the past and future of marine ecosystems and how we can learn from the past to inform the future. We have world-renowned keynote speakers joining us for the conference, including Daniel Pauly, Anna Guasco, Skye Augustine, Christina Brito and Chelsea Wood. Find the programme and more information on the conference themes, keynote speakers, accommodation and getting around Victoria during the conference on our conference website.
Our exciting programme not only includes five days of fantastic speakers and talks, but we’ll also be holding our General Assembly Meeting (AGM) on Thursday, 18th June, at 9:00 AM PDT (Pacific Daylight Time) in the Indigenous Law Centre, UVic and online. An online link for remote attendance will be circulated to attend in due course. The draft agenda and call for Governing Board nominations can be viewed via our website here. Please note that participation is reserved for members with paid annual dues. We strongly encourage attendees to join the OPI to give their voice to the organization and make an active contribution to its future.
In addition to our AGM, there will be additional excursions and plenty for ECR events to attend; including an ECR policy workshop and a mentoring lunch with keynote speakers. Sign up for the ECR mentoring lunch workshop here and extra excursions can be purchased on the registration page as add-ons here. Early bird rates for the conference will run until May 15. Discounts are available for OPI members, early career researchers and those from lower income countries. Registration fees include four lunches and two dinners during the conference.
We look forward to welcoming you at the conference!
