News
Blue Ocean Business Summit Highlights

The Blue Ocean Business Summit, a first-ever online industry gathering, took place June 2-6, 2014. The new business event invited all stakeholders to the table to discuss the future of the dive industry and the imperative to bring the ocean into their businesses as a full partner.
During the online conference, Summit Host Laurie Wilson took attendees on a 5-day adventure along the path towards sustainability, introducing them to an eclectic cross section of the industry including dive retailers, travel pros, group leaders, resort and live-aboard operators, scientists, academics, community activists, photo-journalists, media representatives, and non-profit organizers. The event also attracted opening keynote Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, author of “Blue Mind”, and closing keynote, Dr. Carl Safina, PBS TV Host of “Saving the Oceans.”
These trailblazers generously shared their challenges, lessons learned and best practices to successfully ride the big waves of change already happening in the industry. They provided a sense of support and community for those experiencing a rocky business environment, characterized by feelings of uncertainty, worry, overwhelm and lack of clear direction.
Big Ocean, Big Picture – The first day, entitled Big Ocean, Big Picture gave participants a powerful grounding in the new business imperative – the sustainable business model that incorporates a triple bottom line approach, recognizes all stakeholders and overcomes competitive conflicts through common ground collaboration.
Lightning Strikes – It was an ‘aha’ moment for some attendees, when the realization hit that the dive industry is actually a member of the marine tourism industry (and not vice versa) since most people learn to dive and buy gear to prepare for travel to dive destinations. One of the world’s largest industries, Tourism is under intense pressure to become sustainable because of the negative impacts it has on the environment and local communities.
Redefining the Dive Resort – The second day delved deep into the resort experience, to find out if tourists even know or care about sustainable tourism, and what successful resorts are doing to redefine themselves in light of the new blue business reality revealing itself right now.
Honest Talk About Marine Conservation – Ocean issues finally got their say, when day 3 dived into the heart of the matter that will make or break the dive industry. Participants learned exactly what is going on in the underwater world and how people, considered ‘lower tier’ stakeholders in the dive industry, are already on board as a powerful part of the solution.
Traveling Towards Sustainability – In Day 4, the discussion turned to underwater experiences, and where the dive industry sits in terms of eco-sensitive education and environmentally-friendly travel. The big key question was: What must we do to protect our businesses and grow the industry? It became clear that the traditional dive business model is grossly inadequate to prepare us for the new business reality. And those who continue to follow it will pay a price.
Change Comes Through Action – Throughout the Summit, there was much talk about what business owners could do. On day 5, Summit participants learned from men and women of true action that talk is not enough. In fact, too much talk is stalling the process, by giving people a false sense of security that talking is actually doing something – when it’s clearly not. We are being called to action, but the good news is, action starts with baby steps. Many baby step options were provided throughout the Summit.
Community of Change-makers – Summit Host Laurie Wilson commented, “With this Summit we are creating a community of change-makers, who are tired and dissatisfied with the traditional ways that aren’t working. They love the underwater world, and they want to make a difference while making a good living. For them, it can no longer be business as usual.”
Wilson explained that successful dive business owners are deeply connected to “Why” they went into business in the first place, and are inspired by the positive impact they can bring to the world by running a financially profitable business. Says Wilson, “These are the makings of a sustainable business model that’s now finding its way into all forward-thinking industries.
“As H.G. Wells so famously said, ‘We must adapt or perish.’ It’s clear from Summit comments, that our online participants understand that sustainability is not an option, nor is eco-lipservice; and having that mindset has them riding on the leading edge in the new business reality.”
About the Summit – The Blue Ocean Business Summit 2014 brought together 21 thought leaders, trailblazers and action-oriented business people from seven countries who generously shared their in-the-trenches stories and hard-won knowledge with attendees during the free 5-day online gathering. Two hundred and sixty-four people participated in the password-protected Summit, while 1425 people followed the daily highlights on the Summit’s FaceBook page. After the Summit, on World Oceans Day June 8, Summit access was opened up all day for attendees to listen to all replays again for free.
Summit-To-Go – For those who missed the event or want to take a deeper dive, the Summit offers a downloadable Summit Resource Guide that contains valuable tools, checklists, background and reference material that can be referred to again and again. Access to audio replays of all 21 speakers is included in the purchase of the Summit Resource Guide, along with written highlights of each of the 20 sessions. A portion of Resource Guide sales will support Mission Blue, Dr. Sylvia Earle’s TED Prize project to create a system of marine protected areas around the world. The Blue Ocean Business Summit Resource Guide and audio replays will be available for US$79.99 at BlueOceanBusinessSummit.com.
First-Ever for the Industry – Creator of the Summit, Laurie Wilson commented, “There’s a reason why this was the first-ever online event for the dive industry. It was a huge undertaking with many moving parts, a smorgasbord of technological requirements, time zone considerations, internet issues and the ability to track down and engage an assortment of brilliant and busy people, many of whom are often on boats. And then we had to bring everyone up the online learning curve since very few people were familiar with the workings of an online Summit.
Wilson admits, “It turned into a bit of an octopus. There was intense research, multiple team collaborations, bringing on techno whizzes, changing platforms, long days, late nights, a large financial investment, a lot of faith, a lot of skype calls – and even more coffee. But now that we know how to do this, we’ll do it again. Perhaps via video, or maybe even a live in-person event. We’re looking at all the options. This is clearly an idea whose time has come. People are ready.”
For Summit details and downloadable Resource Guide visit BlueOceanBusinessSummit.com.
Marine Life & Conservation
IUCN Spotlights Green Fins at Bali Ocean Days 2025, Calling for Stronger Business Model in Marine Conservation

IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Global Ocean Director, Minna Epps, has spotlighted Green Fins Indonesia along with a call for stronger business models that sustain marine conservation. Speaking at the inaugural session of Bali Ocean Days 2025 held on 7-8 February, Epps emphasised the need for sustainable financing to support and scale marine conservation initiatives such as Green Fins.
Activities earlier in the week with the Coral Triangle Center in Sanur and Ceningan Divers in the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area shaped the IUCN Ocean Director’s message at the conference and showcase, aligning with the theme of the blue economy and impact finance to sustain marine ecosystems.
“Tourism has such a big impact on marine biodiversity, and we need it to adhere to a certain code of conduct,” Epps said. “That is why through our funding facilities, we worked with The Reef-World Foundation advancing Green Fins so dive operators can become certified with standards. But this kind of initiative has been around for a long time and it’s also a tool used to improve [MPA management], but it needs to come with a business model. I also believe in market-based instruments to evolve this programme.”
IUCN’s visit is part of their Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility (BNCFF), which supports at least 21 projects around the world, building the business case for investing in the future of our ocean.
In Indonesia, the project supported by IUCN was developed in partnership with The Reef-World Foundation, the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) and the Coral Triangle Center, which serves as the local implementing organisation for Green Fins. The initiative engages marine tourism businesses through voluntary sustainability certification based on the only internationally recognised environmental standards for diving and snorkelling operations. Green Fins’ activities aim to reduce negative environmental impacts associated with marine tourism activities as well as improve the management of marine protected areas.
IUCN’s promotion of Green Fins in Bali Ocean Days signals the need for greater private sector engagement in marine conservation across Indonesia and beyond.
Investors, donors, marine tourism operators and stakeholders looking to support scalable marine conservation solutions are encouraged to explore opportunities with The Reef-World Foundation, the international coordinator of the Green Fins initiative. To learn more about sustainable marine tourism and how to get involved, visit www.reef-world.org.
About Reef-World
The Reef-World Foundation is a registered UK charity which delivers practical solutions for marine conservation around the world. The charity promotes the wise use of natural resources – particularly coral reefs and related ecosystems – for the benefit of local communities, visitors and future generations. It is dedicated to supporting, inspiring and empowering governments, businesses, communities and individuals around the world to act in conserving and sustainably developing coastal resources.
Reef-World leads the global implementation of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative, which focuses on driving environmentally friendly scuba diving and snorkelling practices across the industry globally. As such, the charity provides low-cost and practical solutions to local and industry-wide environmental challenges associated with the marine tourism industry. It provides education and capacity-building assistance to empower environmental champions (within the diving industry, local communities, authorities and governments) to implement proven coastal resource management approaches.
Visit www.reef-world.org to learn more or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and X.
About Green Fins
Green Fins is a proven conservation management approach – spearheaded by The Reef-World Foundation in partnership with the UN Environment Programme – which leads to a measurable reduction in the negative environmental impacts associated with the marine tourism industry. The initiative aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines that promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry. It provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for the diving and snorkelling industry and has a robust assessment system to measure compliance.
Green Fins encourages and empowers members of the diving industry to act to reduce the pressures on coral reefs by offering dive and snorkel companies practical, low-cost alternatives to harmful practices – such as anchoring, fish feeding and chemical pollution – as well as providing strategic training, support and resources. By reducing the local direct and indirect pressures tourism puts on coral reefs, it helps make corals healthier and more resilient to other stresses such as the effects of climate change. Look for the Green Fins logo when booking your next dive trip.Visit www.greenfins.net to learn more or follow the initiative on Facebook, Instagram and X.
News
Filming 360 in The Bahamas

In December 2024, the Shark Trust had a very special opportunity to film sharks and rays in The Bahamas. Frogfish Photography are the Bahamas Dive Ambassadors for the UK. And Caroline, Deputy Editor at Scubaverse, is the Marketing Manager at the Shark Trust. So, when the need arose to film footage of several species of shark and ray for a new Shark Trust project, The Bahamas seemed the perfect fit. A huge thank you is needed here to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. As they stepped in to fully support the trip both financially and practically. Ensuring that the filming expedition ran smoothly, and that we got as much time as possible in the water with sharks and rays, during the 10 day, 3 island trip.
The Bahamas is famous for its sharks and rays. Divers flock there to experience getting up close to a range of species. Our itinerary saw us visit Nassau, Bimini and Grand Bahama. It packed in as many in-water experiences as possible and had us dive, snorkel, and even take a submarine to experience them in a variety of different habitats and to capture them on film. We saw 148 sharks and rays from 8 different species (all of which have been logged on the Shark Trust Shark Log!).
But why were we there? The expedition was designed to fulfil the needs of two new projects being launched by the Shark Trust in 2025. The filming done underwater on this trip was the start of creating OneOcean360: A Shark Story. A new 360 immersive experience designed primarily for immersive domes and planetariums. The film will be the nearest experience to getting in the water with sharks and rays without getting wet! It will bring the world of sharks to an audience that may never get the chance to experience it first-hand. A Shark Story aims to deepen people’s understanding of sharks, uncovering and illustrating why they are so wonderful as well as being vital to marine ecosystems.
The film is being made in collaboration with Real Immersive. Also based in Plymouth, they have an immersive dome and are providing the technical expertise behind creating this unique experience. Reviewing the footage in the dome has been an invaluable part of the process. Both inspiring the team and allow us to refine the filming techniques to suit this immersive theatre.
You might imagine that we are using expensive cameras and even more expensive housings. But this is not the case. The entire project is being filmed using Insta360 X4 cameras. With only a few simple additions to the standard dive setup. The INON weight plate allowed us to attach this camera to a dive weight, set it down on sand or wreck, and then swim away and let the sharks be the stars. And the results are very exciting. The film will be ready this autumn. It will be accompanied by an educational pack for teachers to take away after school trips to see the film. Encouraging all those that see it to continue learning about these incredible animals.
You can support the creation of OneOcean360: A Shark Story by heading to the crowdfunder page and donating or selecting a reward.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/a-shark-story
Read about the shark and ray dives we did on Nassau, Bimini and Grand Bahama in our next blog post coming soon on Scubaverse.
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