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Sustainability leaders from a diverse range of ocean industries will meet at the inaugural World Ocean Council (WOC) conference - the Sustainable Ocean Summit (SOS) - in Belfast, UK, 15-17 June 2010.

The SOS is an unprecedented multi-industry forum on ocean issues that cut across sectoral and national boundaries. SOS panelists include over 100 senior industry representatives from an array of ocean industries.

Speakers and participants include representatives from fisheries, seafood, aquaculture, shipping (container, tanker, bulk), shipbuilding, seafarer education and training, ports, dredging, mining, oil and gas, wind energy, ocean energy, carbon capture, desalination, tourism, insurance, maritime law, ocean engineering and technology, salvage, submarine cable, seabed mining, decommissioning, and habitat restoration.

The WOC is catalyzing private sector action on ocean sustainability. The unique international cross-sectoral nature of the WOC complements industry-specific approaches by addressing shared environmental issues such as climate change, use of the Arctic, ocean policy and governance, marine invasive species, marine debris, ocean noise, vessel impacts on marine mammals, marine spatial planning, etc. Industry collaboration in improving ocean science to better address these challenges will be a major cross-cutting theme of the conference and WOC programs.

At the SOS, participating companies and associations will chart the future of ocean stewardship. SOS outputs will directly drive the development of WOC programs.

Corporate Ocean Responsibility leaders who join the WOC as Founding Members will meet immediately following the SOS to begin developing the programs needed to tackle the priorities identified at the conference.

The conference is organized by the WOC and Golder Associates and is open to the ocean business community and other ocean stakeholders interested in working with the private sector.

To register for the event and for further information, please visit www.oceancouncil.org