The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation co-organized the Blue Economy Forum aboard Peace Boat’s MV Pacific World in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in partnership with Peace Boat US, as part of the vessel’s 120th Global Voyage. The forum brought together youth leaders, government agencies, scientists, community organizations, Indigenous representatives, and private-sector innovators to explore how sustainable ocean economies can support both environmental protection and resilient coastal communities.

A central focus of the forum was mangrove conservation as critical coastal infrastructure. KSLOF co-organized a panel with the Jamaican Forestry Department’s Mangroves Plus Project, supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), featuring experts from the University of the West Indies Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory (UWI DBML), the Forestry Department of Jamaica, and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA). Panelists examined how science, policy, and community engagement can work together to strengthen mangrove protection and restoration.

KSLOF also highlighted its long-standing J.A.M.I.N. (Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature) program, with Jamaican educators and former students sharing how hands-on, place-based learning builds lasting environmental stewardship. Additional sessions addressed cultural knowledge, sustainable shipping, climate-smart development, clean energy solutions, and deep-sea ecosystem protection.

The forum demonstrated the power of cross-sector collaboration to advance ocean health, climate resilience, and youth leadership through integrated, community-driven solutions.