Govt and OceanX promote scientific knowledge for a Sustainable Blue Future in Timor-Leste
DÍLI, 27 August 2026 (TATOLI) – The Government of Timor-Leste and OceanX, a global nonprofit ocean exploration initiative, will convene the Timor-Leste OceanX Symposium: Science for a Blue Future on Friday, 28 August 2026, at the Dili Convention Centre.
The symposium will bring together government institutions, scientists, researchers and national and international partners to translate new scientific knowledge about Timor-Leste’s marine environment into practical action for sustainable Blue Economy development.
The symposium will focus on the preliminary findings and data from OceanX’s scientific mission to Timor-Leste in November 2025, with discussions centred on marine conservation, fisheries management, sustainable tourism and future marine research.
OceanX’s scientific mission was carried out in partnership with the Government and national and international partners. The mission generated important scientific results, including seafloor mapping, biodiversity observations, specimen collections and other marine datasets, as well as stunning imagery of what lies beneath Timorese waters.
The findings deepen Timor-Leste’s understanding of its marine environment and strengthen the scientific evidence to support national decision-making, including the protection of marine biodiversity and coral reefs, establishment of the Ataúro National Park and marine spatial planning.
At the heart of the symposium is a central question: How can the scientific outputs from the OceanX Timor-Leste 2025 mission support national decision-making, advance the Blue Economy and shape future marine research priorities?
The symposium will help strengthen national capacity to conduct, interpret and apply marine science, while expanding opportunities for Timorese scientists, students and officials to participate in marine research.
OceanX’s mission and this symposium form part of the Government’s broader efforts to place sustainable management of Timor-Leste’s marine resources at the centre of its development agenda. This work supports the Strategic Development Plan 2011–2030 and the Government’s Policy and Action Plan for the Promotion of a Resilient and Sustainable Ocean Economy 2025–2035.
“This symposium will connect science with policy and action, transforming knowledge of the ocean into practical solutions for a healthier marine environment, stronger national research capacity, sustainable economic opportunities and a resilient Blue Economy”, said Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão.
TATOILI
