Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr will discuss how science and technology can help Palau, and small island nations, better steward the oceans and safeguard the security of vast EEZs at the 13th World Ocean Summit.
Under the theme “Innovate, Protect, Prosper: Securing Our Ocean Future,” the Summit brings together global leaders, experts, and innovators to shape the future of ocean governance and the blue economy. The Economist is hosting the forum, which will be held from 04 0 05 March 2026, in Montreal, Canada.
President Whipps will share Palau’s vision for an ocean future built on innovation, sustainable management, and international collaboration.
He will emphasise the need for inclusive access to marine technology, stronger science-based protection for deep-sea ecosystems, and a blue economy that prioritizes both conservation and community prosperity.
“As small island nations, we are custodians of vast ocean areas that sustain the planet,” President Whipps said.
“Palau is showing that innovation and stewardship can go hand in hand to secure a future where people and nature thrive together.”
Ahead of Palau’s hosting of the Pacific Islands Forum and ongoing preparations for COP31, President Whipps will also call for stronger partnerships with governments, the private sector, and philanthropic institutions to enhance the Pacific’s leadership on ocean and climate action.
Meanwhile, President Surangel S. Whipps Jr has signed an MOU with Biosphere Dynamics LLC to help strengthen the island nation’s ability to monitor and protect the ocean.
Under the MOU, Palau will work with Biosphere Dynamics and its CEO Peter Houlihan to deploy long-range unmanned aerial systems and integrated analytics to, among other things, detect and document Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing across our approximately 600,000 square kilometre EEZ.
This partnership will enhance Palau’s maritime domain awareness, support enforcement operations, and help ensure that data collected remains under Palau’s sovereign control.
The cooperation also provides for training Palauan personnel, improving evidence collection to support enforcement under national law, and developing a model for sovereign EEZ monitoring that can be shared with other Pacific Islands Forum members as we work together to safeguard our ocean and advance 30×30 and global biodiversity goals.
By investing in smarter monitoring of our EEZ, Palau aims to better protect our marine resources, support sustainable fisheries, and strengthen our national security for generations to come.
Biosphere Dynamics LLC is a frontier technology and innovation company developing advanced biodiversity monitoring systems.
