Director's Welcome: A New Chapter for the Blue Carbon Hub

Welcome to the Blue Carbon Hub!

Our oceans and coasts are powerful allies in our efforts to solve some of the most intractable societal and environmental problems of our time: food security, climate change, biodiversity loss. At the Blue Carbon Hub (BCH), based at the University of Western Australia in Perth on the shores of the beautiful Indian Ocean, our mission is to use science to harness this power.

Science can only make a difference when it becomes knowledge that is accessible to those who need it. We work closely with decision makers in government and industry, practitioners on the ground, financiers and investors, and civil society to ensure research is translated into decisions and actions that make a difference.

How we work:

Our way of working recognises a simple fact: different regions and cultures share similar challenges, but can have different approaches to resolving them, and different capacities to do so. We have three core activities that address this:

·       Early Career Ocean Professional (ECOP) program: we offer aspiring leaders an opportunity for an extended visit to Perth. Here, they work with me and selected experts on a self-designed project, developing new skills and building networks. (Calls for applications to the 2026 round are open now!)

·       Regional knowledge exchange events: we also recognise that it is important for individuals at all career stages to get together and exchange ideas, to build a mutual understanding of not only the challenges, but also the potential solutions. In this context we convene regular ‘think tank’ events, in which we delve deeply into a selected subject. At these events, we bring invited experts from around the world together with decision makers from the region to transcend boundaries and brainstorm solutions.

·       Operational impact: lasting change doesn’t happen in the meeting room or in the pages of a scientific journal — we need to implement solutions as well. We collaborate to develop and apply science and technology solutions, with a view to building operational systems that can be applied by government, industry and civil society.

Looking ahead:

I am pleased to announce that we have received generous support from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs to work with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) for the next two years. We look forward to working with the 23 Member States and 12 Dialogue Partners of IORA.

Whatever your role—researcher, policymaker or practitioner—we invite you to join us.

Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest calls for applications, regional activities and Blue Carbon Hub news, and follow us on social media to stay connected with our community and our work across the region.

Mat Vanderklift

Director, Blue Carbon Hub