OCEANS 2024: A Wave of Innovation in the Maritimes

Written by: Lucija Prelovec

This past September, the largest ocean conference ever to come to the Maritimes was hosted in Halifax, Nova Scotia. came to the Maritimes this past September. With over 100 exhibitors, 400 presentations, and more than 1,500 participants across three days, OCEANS 2024 was a fin-tastic success! Hosted by the Marine Technology Society (MTS) and the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society (OES), this annual event is a gathering for marine technologists, engineers, students, government officials, advocates, and more. The last time it graced Atlantic Canadian waters was in 2014 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador—and Halifax last hosted way back in 1997!

The conference was packed with sessions, panels, and opportunities to network with those in ocean technology. Here’s a closer look at the experience.

With 400 technical presentations condensed into three days, the paper sessions ran like clockwork, drawing engineers, technologists, researchers, and computer scientists eager to share their work and learn from others. The rooms buzzed with conversations on cutting-edge developments in ships, systems & observations, marine robots, deep-water tech, imaging/vision, marine engineering, and underwater acoustics.

Personally, I spent much of my time in the plenary and panel sessions, where topics like robotics, AI, marine policy, Arctic communities, ports and shipping, offshore renewable energy, ocean observations, and climate solutions were discussed.

My favrouite session was the “Oceans Advance National Action Plan” panel, led by Shelly Petten, Executive Director of Oceans Advance, Newfoundland and Labrador’s ocean tech innovation cluster. Funded by Oceans Advance, this national action plan tackles the need for diversity and inclusion in the ocean technology, energy, shipbuilding, maintenance, transportation, and aquaculture sectors. The study, spearheaded by Caron Hawco of the Caron Hawco Group, highlighted the critical need to strengthen DEI initiatives across Canada’s ocean industries. The plan’s Task Force will work to transform recommendations into actionable outcomes, creating an ocean sector that’s interdisciplinary, diverse, and passionate. Witnessing the collaborative energy of participants, including Canada’s Ocean Supercluster and the Association of British Columbia Marine Industries, was inspiring and promising for the future.

When I needed a panel break I would visit the exhibit hall. With displays from across Canada and the U.S., organizations like Ocean Networks Canada, Ocean Frontier Institute, NASA, NOAA, COVE, Kongsberg Discovery, Amazon Web Services, Nortek, and XOCEAN showcased their latest ocean technologies and initiatives.

A true highlight was the Canadian Pavilion, a red, hotspot featuring 25 mini-exhibits from Canadian companies. Here, visitors got a taste of Canada with a DIY poutine bar, mini donairs, and a signature blueberry cocktail, wow-ing attendees.

The fun didn’t stop in there,— the Saltwater Social catered by Taste Nova Scotia, brought in some of the best local restaurants, wineries, and breweries.  Each brought a tasting menu and attendees were taken on a culinary journey across the province. And an East Coast party wouldn’t be complete without a performance by Signal Hill that brought everyone to the dance floor.  

One of the main themes throughout the conference was the dedication to engaging and supporting youth and students in ocean tech. Through their EMERGE program, MTS invited students and Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP) to attend the conference, complete with a dedicated luncheon panel featuring Jovana Kornicer from ECOP Canada’s Steering Committee. The panel discussed the role that professional societies, such as IEEE and MTS, play in fostering and supporting international and interdisciplinary research and development collaborations, aligning with the goals of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Other student-focused events included the Student Poster Competition, a Student Mixer, and a discounted exhibit hall day where IEEE led a Career Networking Exhibition Tour for students exploring job opportunities.

Ocean outreach extended beyond the university level, with Ocean Technology Council of Nova Scotia supporting young, female high school students through Skills NS and Techsploration. These students attended events like IEEE’s Women in Engineering (WIE) Panel Session and Luncheon, featuring speakers from SmartIce, Ocean Startup Project, Marine Thinking, and Ocean Networks Canada. This experience introduced them to ocean tech and showcased inspiring women leaders who are making waves in the industry. The students even got to engage with our friends from the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition (COLC), which introduced them and conference-goers to the Ocean, Freshwater, and Us floor map. This incredible outreach tool engaged attendees in ocean literacy and inspired them with tangible connections to Canada’s water systems. The large map later moved to a public space in downtown Halifax, where locals could experience it, engaging with Canada’s waters in an entirely new way.

OCEANS 2024 didn’t just showcase technology—it fostered community, collaboration, and inspiration. It was a hub for networking, learning, and envisioning an inclusive future for ocean industries. I am honored to of been included on the Local Organizing Committee for this conference and grateful to be able to see it all come together. I hope attendees left armed with new knowledge, valuable connections, and a renewed sense of purpose because I sure did.

Lucija Prelovec has a BSc in Marine and Freshwater Biology from the University of Guelph and a Masters in Science Communication from Laurentian University. Currently based in Halifax, she is the Acting Director of Student Experience at Dalhousie University, developing co-curricular programming for Science students focusing on applied science and career readiness. Her passion for ocean drives her career and has led her to work in ocean conservation, ocean education, and ocean tech. She is on the board of the Canadian Network for Ocean Education and is an active participant in Canada’s ocean sector.