IOI-CANADA has been a leading member of the worldwide network of International Ocean Institute (IOI) centres and focal points for over four decades. Our mission is to promote responsible ocean governance and the stewardship and sustainable use of coastal and ocean resources in Canada and around the world. Please explore this website to learn more about upcoming and past activities including:

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY: THE OCEAN AND US IN AN ERA OF CLIMATE CHANGE (7th November 2026) to be offered in French for Universite Sainte-Anne BEd students and regional teachers by IOI-Canada in collaboration with the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership and Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. Contact michael.butler@dal.ca for more information on this in-person event in Church Point, or the earlier ones for local teachers and BEd students at St Francis Xavier University (Apr. 2026), Cape Breton University (Oct. 2025), Acadia University (March 2025) and Mount St Vincent University (October 2024) and for Halifax region teachers (March 2024).

ELISABETH MANN BORGESE OCEAN LECTURE - held in honour of IOI's founder, with the 2026 event featuring a panel discussion on BRINGING THE HIGH SEAS HOME: WHAT DOES THE BIODIVERSITY BEYOND NATIONAL JURISDICTION TREATY MEAN FOR CANADA?. Held 1st October 2026 in conjunction with the ESS Lecture Series and Oceans North. Details available in the EMB Lecture section of this site, together with information on -- and some recordings of -- previous EMB lectures.

In-person course for this year's NF-POGO Scholars on OCEAN GOVERNANCE: LEGAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SECURITY ISSUES, held at Dalhousie between 2nd June and 14th July. See also the Training section of the website for details of last year's programme which ran between 9th June and 10th July 2025.

WORKSHOP ON COASTAL AND OCEAN GOVERNANCE FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (20th - 24th October 2025) held at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre, St. Andrews / Qonaskamkuk, New Brunswick. See the Final report and other details in the Training section of our website. For information on previous workshops in this series, check out the 2022 workshop video and final reports from 2024, 2023 and 2022.

Online course on AN OCEAN IN CRISIS: KEY GOVERNANCE ISSUES (14th April - 29th May 2025). See the Training section of the website for details including schedule and study modes.

Webinar on THE HIGH SEAS TREATY AND CANADA: THE PATH TO IMPLEMENTATION (4th February 2025), in partnership with Oceans North and West Coast Environmental Law. Watch the event recording and check out the advance overview for the agenda and speaker details.

IOI-Canada's interdisciplinary TRAINING PROGRAMME on Ocean Governance: Policy, Law and Management with over 735 alumni since 1981. Check the Training section of the website for details once international in-person courses can be offered again.

The Future of Ocean Governance and Capacity Development - Essays in Honor of Elisabeth Mann Borgese (1918-2002) with a public panel and book launch held at Dalhousie University. Watch a video recording of the event here. Thanks to several generous donors, the book is now freely available through OPEN ACCESS via the Brill website and you can also check out the IOI-Canada Facebook page for links to essays and relevant questions for reflection or discussion.

Download our six-page brochure for more information on IOI-Canada, and the latest issue of the Alumni News.

Last updated: 16th October 2026