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Blue Finance for Restoring Ocean Health

Updated: Jun 11

Greenwich, CT - June 5, 2026


Attendees seated around long tables under waoven pendant lights in an open-air stone loggia, engaged in a breakout discussion at Foundation House.

This blog post reflects discussions held under the Chatham House Rule. While the ideas and information shared are presented here, the identities and affiliations of contributors have been kept confidential to encourage open dialogue.



INTRODUCTION: Blue Finance

On June 5, a diverse community of ocean advocates, funders, entrepreneurs, scientists, and creatives gathered at Foundation House to explore a central question: how can blue finance move at the pace and scale that ocean health demands?


Across fireside chats and a breakout session, participants examined where capital is flowing, where it is stuck, and what it would take to unlock a more regenerative ocean economy. The day wove together stories of community building, emerging financial tools, and practical pathways for deploying capital into real-world solutions. The energy in the room was clear: everyone came ready to act.


IMPACT: Key Takeaways

One theme was reconnection. Meaningful ocean finance starts with people feeling the ocean in their daily lives. Educational experiences, cultural programming, and place-based projects were highlighted as essential ways to rebuild stewardship and make the ocean feel close, not abstract. That personal connection is the on-ramp, and it is one that climate finance needs to leverage more deliberately.


On the finance side, several gaps became clear. There is a growing ecosystem of grants and early-stage venture funding, but a critical missing middle for nature-based and ocean solutions that need commercial capital to scale. Debt instruments and blended finance vehicles were repeatedly identified as underused but essential, particularly for projects in the Global South and community-led initiatives that do not fit conventional venture models. When asked informally in one breakout group, nearly every investor said they would participate in a blended finance structure or an evergreen fund if one were accessible. The appetite is there. The structures are not yet easy enough to find or enter.


Participants pointed to blue bonds and sovereign debt conversions as proof that complex structures can work in practice. Marine carbon removal was cited as a space where science is maturing faster than market appetite, underscoring the need for diversified revenue streams before committing capital. And with an estimated $400 billion sitting in donor-advised funds, even a 1% reallocation toward ocean solutions would be transformative. Peer-to-peer sharing among DAF holders is one of the most underutilized levers available right now.


A final throughline was the need for systemic and collective approaches. Rather than isolated funds, participants argued for shared operating systems for ocean capital that map strategies, clarify where different capital types fit, and allow investors to see themselves as part of a coordinated portfolio. Family offices, foundations, and institutional investors were seen as critical partners if engagement can be made more accessible and peer-driven.



INITIATIVES: Next Steps

The day surfaced specific workstreams already in motion and open for others to join.


Ocean Returns is a living system map of the ocean economy, showing where capital is flowing, where the gaps are, and how investments connect to real ecological outcomes. It is the infrastructure layer that allows the broader community to see the full picture and identify where new funds, facilities, and collaborations should concentrate.


Another workstream is practical investor education. Adaptable materials for family offices, wealth managers, and institutional investors are being developed, with real transaction examples and plain-language explanations of which instruments fit which stages of the ocean economy.


Finally, participants committed to keeping culture and capital aligned, supporting artists, storytellers, and community leaders whose work keeps ocean narratives vivid, paired with concrete opportunities for values-aligned investment.


Stay in the work together.

Attendees are already planning follow-up conversations and working groups. Reach out with your interests and we will ensure you are plugged in for the next round.


This gathering was not the endpoint of a conversation. It was a catalyst for a set of concrete collaborations that can move blue finance from scattered efforts to a more connected, systemic response for ocean health.


Participating speakers and organizations at the Blue Finance Forum:




Stay in the loop on future events like this.






 
 
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