A Safe Ocean
5 – 7 April 2022
A safe ocean where people are protected from ocean hazards.

Wojciech Wrzesien / Adobe Stock
Wojciech Wrzesien / Adobe Stock
The ocean is immensely powerful. It is capable of devastating coastal communities, ocean users, ecosystems and economies. To mitigate the ocean’s hazards, make it safer and enhance community resilience, evenly distributed higher-density ocean data and reliable forecasting systems are urgently needed.
Coastal communities and ocean users, ocean ecosystems and blue economies are exposed to devastating, unsustainable impacts on land and at sea. The frequency and intensity of weather- and climate-related hazards are changing, which makes their impact even more extreme. Tools and processes for evaluating and mitigating priority risks, and formulating adaptive responses are needed. Higher-density ocean data and improved forecasting with data on sea level, marine weather, climate, etc. are needed on a scale from real time to decades in order to maximize safety on the coast and at sea and minimize risk. Linking this data feed to education, outreach and communication will inform policy and decision-making and mainstream resilience.
The fifth Ocean Decade Laboratory “A Safe Ocean” brought together participants from 116 countries across the world. The Core Event on 5 April 2022 introduced two eyewitnesses of one of the most ferocious natural events in recent history: the outbreak of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano in the southern Pacific Ocean. The discussions at this panel involved experts on disaster preparedness, geologists and many other stakeholders and offered unique insights and ideas on how to save lives and create a safe ocean for all.
In the short documentation below, you can see a summary of the Core Event.
The Core Event and the Wrap-up of the fifth Ocean Decade Laboratory “A Safe Ocean” can be watched in their entirety here : Core Event and Wrap-up.
Learn how an envisioned planetary observing array based on sharing the global submarine telecom network with environmental sensing can be used for earthquake and tsunami warning and climate and ocean monitoring.
This Activity proposes a multidisciplinary international panel of experts to study the oceanic solution to the ecological & socio-economic impacts of climate-related changes in the ocean, which includes blue carbon & the Chilean Blue BOAT Initiative.
This online activity will bring scientists and disaster managers together to further our knowledge on deadly tsunamis generated by non-seismic and complex sources. It will build a pathway to also detect and warn coastal communities of these tsunamis.
Safety at sea is paramount to all ocean stakeholders, especially artisanal fishers in West Africa who lack early-warning information. This Activity provides fishermen with forecasts on ocean conditions prior to their fishing expeditions.
This interactive session explores visualization tools used to help communities identify their risks to sea level rise and the increased frequency and severity of high-tide flooding.
Join this activity to learn about the development of the first Blue Line in the Caribbean and how its methodology using GIS tools can integrate multiple coastal hazards in the Tropical Americas and the Caribbean.
Acquire tips for routine weather & science communication on social media, as well as on disasters like Hurricane Maria, earthquakes and the climate crisis, from Ada Monzón, meteorologist, broadcaster, founder & CEO of EcoExploratorio Science Museum.
This webinar will discuss how data science integrated with technology such as sensors can improve public policies for a safer ocean, showing the case of the Rio de Janeiro City Hall Operations Center.
Monika Jones, International TV and Conference Host, Germany
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “A Safe Ocean”
Burkard Baschek, Director, German Ocean Museum, Stralsund, Germany
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “A Safe Ocean”
Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade, Deputy Director, International Tsunami Information Center, Caribbean Office, Puerto Rico, USA
— Anne Parge, Policy Officer, Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
— Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, France
Local eyewitnesses will share their impressions of the Tonga volcano eruption and tsunami as an ongoing example of a disaster, with its co-occurring and cascading events and devastating impacts on life and livelihoods. The situation highlights how ocean hazards affect the sustainability of nations, communities, and the environment.
— Iliesa Tora, Consultant, Nuku'alofa Times Media, Tonga
— Ofa Fa’anunu, Director of Metereology, Tonga Meteorological and Coast Radio Services, Tonga
How do we prepare for the unexpected? Discussion on social perception and new approaches and opportunities for international cooperation and coordination for monitoring submarine and island volcanoes and forecasting all tsunamis.
Co-moderation
— Silvia Chacon-Barrantes, Coordinator, National Tsunami Monitoring System (SINAMOT) and Professor, National University of Costa Rica
Panelists
— Monitoring submarine and island volcanoes
Geoff Kilgour, Senior Volcanologist, GNS Science, New Zealand
— Detecting tsunamis from all sources
Esline Garaebiti Bule, Director General of the Ministry of Climate Change, Vanuatu
— Disaster Risk Communication
Irina Rafliana, Researcher, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN) Indonesia & German Development Institute (DIE), University of Bonn, Germany
Panel Discussion
The integration of coastal hazard early warning systems and services in the Caribbean will be key for addressing the increase in frequency, intensity and duration of weather, water and climate events. Core elements of risk knowledge, warning, communication and response capability will be addressed.
Co-moderation
— Christa G. von Hillebrandt-Andrade, Deputy Director, International Tsunami Information Center, Caribbean Office, Puerto Rico, USA
Panelists
— Key Initiatives for Multi-hazard Early Warning in the tropical Americas and Caribbean
Raul Salazar, Chief, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, Panama
— Risk Knowledge
Albert Martis, Director, Meteorological Department Curaçao, Second Vice President of WMO, Curaçao
— Monitoring and warning (including co-occurring and cascading impacts)
Arlene Laing, Coordinating Director, Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO), Headquarters Unit, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
— Warning dissemination and communication
Jacqueline Rivera, Impact Forecast Specialist, Coordinator, Salvadorean Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), El Salvador
Panel Discussion
A Safe Ocean for everybody – today and tomorrow: Integrating traditional knowledge, gender and generational considerations to ensure equal and fair access to warning systems, information and disaster relief, while weighing societal resilience against political and economic priorities.
Co-moderation
— Debra Lekanoff, Washington State Representative (Position 1, 40th Legislative District), Skagit Valley, USA
Panelists
— Equal and fair access to warnings
Ria Sen, Lead Preparedness Officer, Global Emergency Telecommunications Cluster, World Food Programme, Italy
— Traditional knowledge
Claudia C. Baron-Aguilar, Ph.D. student, University of South Florida (USF) & Member of the Wayuu indigenous community, Colombia
— Gender and generational considerations
Shulqwilum, Co-Chair, First Nations Summit & Member, Chemainus First Nation, Vancouver Island, USA
Summary/Closing and outlook on Satellite Activities and Networking Table
— Christa G. von Hillebrandt-Andrade, Deputy Director, International Tsunami Information Center, Caribbean Office, Puerto Rico, USA
— Burkard Baschek, Director, German Ocean Museum, Stralsund, Germany
Throughout the common program items of the Wrap-up, insights of the southern pacific islands will be presented by different stakeholders, including local islanders as well as research professionals.
Monika Jones, International TV and Conference Host, Germany
Mere Nailatikau, Communication Consultant, Storyteller and Development Professional, Fiji
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “A Safe Ocean”
Burkard Baschek, Director, German Ocean Museum, Stralsund, Germany
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “A Safe Ocean”
Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade, Deputy Director, International Tsunami Information Center, Caribbean Office, Puerto Rico, USA
Co-moderation
— Mere Nailatikau, Communication Consultant, Storyteller and Development Professional, Fiji
Panelists
— Co-moderator of Panel 1 of the Core Event
Silvia Chacon-Barrantes, Coordinator, National Tsunami Monitoring System (SINAMOT) & Professor, National University of Costa Rica
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “A Safe Ocean”/Co-moderator of Panel 2 of the Core Event
Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade, Deputy Director, International Tsunami Information Center, Caribbean Office, Puerto Rico, USA
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “A Safe Ocean”
Burkard Baschek, Director, German Ocean Museum, Stralsund, Germany
— Vaka Moana: A Sustainable & Safe Blue Pacific Ocean
Jerome Aucan, Head of the Pacific Community Center for Ocean Science, The Pacific Community (SPC), Fiji/New Caledonia
— Safety for Fishers
Bennet Atsu Foli, Oceanographer, University of Ghana, Regional Marine Center, Ghana
— Importance of Multi-annual Tsunami Exercises for a Safe Ocean
Silvia Chacon-Barrantes, Coordinator, National Tsunami Monitoring System (SINAMOT) & Professor, National University of Costa Rica
— Rio de Janeiro: Smart City for a Safe Ocean
Simone Pennafirme, Manager, Marine Life Center, Secretariat for Environment of the City Hall of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
— “SMART Subsea Cables for Monitoring the Earth and Ocean, Mitigating Environmental Hazards and Supporting the Blue Economy”
Bruce Howe, Research Professor, Joint Task Force for SMART Cables, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii, USA
— Booth: The Girl and The Tsunami: An Animated Documentary
Emiliano Rodriguez Nuesch, Director, Pacífico Risk Communications Agency & Consultant, Risk Communications and Behavioral Science, Argentina
— Inspiring speech about a safe ocean
Amelia Rigsby, TV Producer and Host, FBC TV, Fiji
— Closing remarks of the Wrap-up
Cameron Diver, Deputy Director General, The Pacific Community (SPC), New Caledonia
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “A Safe Ocean”
Burkard Baschek, Director, German Ocean Museum, Stralsund, Germany
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “A Safe Ocean”
Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade, Deputy Director, International Tsunami Information Center, Caribbean Office, Puerto Rico, USA
Upcoming Lab “An Accessible Ocean”, 10–12 May
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “An Accessible Ocean”
Sebastian Unger, Head of Ocean Governance Research Group, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studie (IASS), Germany
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “An Accessible Ocean”
Anna-Katharina Hornidge, Director, German Delevopment Institute (GDI), Germany
Deputy Director, International Tsunami Information Center, Caribbean Office, Puerto Rico
Head of the Pacific Community Center for Ocean Science, The Pacific Community (SPC), Fiji/New Caledonia
Coordinator, National Tsunami Monitoring System (SINAMOT)
Professor, National University of Costa Rica
Chief of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Secretariat for the Americas, Panama
Lead Preparedness Officer, Global Emergency Telecommunications Cluster, World Food Programme
An inspiring and engaging ocean where society understands and values the ocean.
A predicted ocean where society has the capacity to understand current and future ocean conditions.
A healthy and resilient ocean where marine ecosystems are mapped and protected.
An accessible ocean with good governance, open access to data, information and technologies.
A sustainably harvested and productive ocean ensuring the provision of food supply.