REGISTER NOW: United Nations Ocean Conference 2025 – Understanding the Ocean Below the Seafloor – UNOC3 off-site side event

Taking place at the United Nations Ocean Conference 2025 this important off-site UNOC3 side event highlights the importance of scientific ocean drilling: a global infrastructure linking the past and future of Planet Earth.

The event takes place at the Institut de la Mer de Villefranche (IMEV) Room Auditorium on June 3rd 2025, 18:00-20:00 with a range of keynote speakers, followed by a reception

Participation in the event requires registration, please click on the registration button below.

The role of the seabed is critical to understanding the ocean system and is often underrepresented in the policy-making process and is a marginal component of ocean governance . Scientific ocean drilling is the basis for interdisciplinary research into the interlinked Earth system processes that influence the future of our planet. It provides fundamental tools for managing the energy transition and tackling the growing societal and lifestyle challenges that we face.

Key scientific topics that encompass research questions in the Earth and Life sciences include environmental change, the Earth’s climate system, geohazards, georesources, the deep biosphere and the origin of life, geodynamic processes and the life cycle of tectonic plates. Scientific ocean drilling requires technological innovations that include drilling technology, downhole measurements and observations, big data analysis and data science.

The aim of this event is to demonstrate to the blue ocean scientific community and policy makers the opportunities for future synergies with seabed and sub-seabed observation and exploration on a global scale. This event is aimed at representatives of governments, funding bodies and international organizations that focus their activities on earth and marine sciences.