The Ocean Literacy Festival is an innovative event that mobilizes different sectors of society to reflect on their relationship with the ocean and build collaborative solutions for sustainable development, the blue economy, and tackling climate change. Throughout its editions, the Festival has brought together representatives from education, science, tourism, shipping, sports, communication, entrepreneurship, the economy, and governance to promote dialogue, learning, and action.
Ocean literacy is the understanding of how the ocean influences our lives—from the climate to the food we consume—and how our actions impact its health. Promoting ocean literacy means fostering a collective consciousness that values the ocean as a foundation for well-being, economic prosperity, and the sustainability of our planet.
The Festival offers a unique platform for leadership and engagement for various audiences—including educators, youth, researchers, managers, business owners, entrepreneurs, and traditional and coastal communities. In addition to creating connections between transformative initiatives across the country, the event expands access to knowledge and inspires behavioral changes in favor of the ocean.
More than an event, the Ocean Literacy Festival is a movement. It is a space for the collective construction of a more just, resilient, and sustainable future—on land and at sea.
In 2025, the Ocean Literacy Festival was part of the official celebrations of the 200th anniversary of Brazil-France relations, enhancing the event’s international prominence.
The Ocean Literacy Festival is a traveling event that mobilizes participants from Brazil and several other countries.
The updated name, Ocean Literacy Festival, reflects the breadth and diversity of the initiatives involved, ranging from science and education to culture and socio-environmental and corporate sustainability. It consolidates a legacy of landmark events, recognized both nationally and internationally for their innovation, engagement, and impact.
Baixada Santista
Hosted once again in Santos — the first city in the world with ocean literacy legislation — the event featured more than 100 speakers and participants from over 30 countries, with an expected attendance of over 10,000 people from various sectors of society.
Ocean Literacy Festival
2025 saw the consolidation of the Ocean Literacy Festival brand, fostering network-wide mobilization throughout Brazil in partnership with communities, universities, governments, and businesses from various regions.
Particularly in 2025, the Ocean Literacy Festival, themed “in times of climate resilience”, served as a preparatory event for these discussions leading up to COP30.
Network Strengthening and Amazon-Ocean Dialogues
Maintaining its network-based model, the 2024 edition confirmed the national potential for mobilization, with a special focus on the Amazon-Ocean Dialogues in Belém. The activities integrated the themes of ocean literacy, the Amazon, and climate change, bringing together over 20,000 participants and aligning with the road to COP30.
National Ocean Literacy Fairs
Innovation came through a decentralized format—rather than concentrating the event in Santos, hybrid fairs were held across 27 municipalities in 14 Brazilian states. The initiative mobilized over 1,000 presented projects, hundreds of speakers, 22,000 students, and more than 23,000 visitors.
Ocean Literacy Dialogues
This edition stood out as the largest event on the topic ever recorded during the Ocean Decade, bringing together representatives from more than 20 countries, over 80 speakers, and approximately 10,000 participants. A major milestone was the first international debate on Ports and the Ocean Decade, led by the Santos Port Authority.
Santos for the Ocean Festival
In partnership with the City of Santos, this festival marked the launch of the world’s first Ocean Literacy Law, establishing Santos as a benchmark city recognized by UNESCO. It brought together more than 50 national and international speakers and a massive audience for open events and public debates.
Maré de Ciência Festival
Supported by CNPq, FAPESP (Brazilian research funding agencies), and various partners, the event introduced a unique approach — being decentralized in both space and time. From May to September, activities were held in bars, restaurants, museums, and public squares across Santos, integrating science and culture into everyday spaces. The initiative featured over 70 speakers and mobilized thousands of participants around ocean literacy.
