Healthy oceans are essential for a habitable planet, and support the livelihoods of billions of people. However, our oceans are under increasing pressure, from extraction of resources, pollution and climate change. Finding solutions depends on creative leadership that is globally distributed, works across sectors, and with awareness of social, cultural, economic and environmental contexts.
Our mission :
To have a lasting impact on the health of our marine environments by accelerating the leadership, influence and reach of exceptional early mid-career professionals working on solutions for the oceans and society.
Programme Ethos
The ethos of the programme is to support the Ocean Leaders in situ, wherever they live and work around the world. We provide bespoke leadership coaching, mentoring and cohort meetings primarily delivered remotely. Additionally, we have in-person events including an annual meeting in Edinburgh, a cohort field trip and participation at high-level conferences.
Programme Overview
Edinburgh Ocean Leaders (EOL) launched in 2020 and is hosted by the University of Edinburgh, and is supported by the University, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Baille Gifford, the Castansa Trust and other organisations and individuals.
EOL is designed to accelerate the leadership, creativity and influence of exceptional ocean professionals working together to make a significant positive impact on the health of the ocean. Our underlying ‘theory of change’ is that distributed, creative and enabled leadership is a prerequisite to achieving this urgent and transformational positive change.
This rationale informs the goals and design of the programme, in particular, support for the Ocean Leaders to enhance their: transformative leadership capabilities; complex problem solving abilities; and international reach and influence through collaborative action.
The overall goal of EOL is to create and sustain a life-long network of ocean change-makers. Towards this, the programme supports leadership training, mentoring, professional development and online networking opportunities. This typically includes: a series of remote and face-to-face coaching dialogues; annual induction event and meeting; a field mission; and engagement with international ocean initiatives to help shape tangible pathways into action.
Edinburgh Ocean Leaders (EOL) launched in 2020 and is hosted by the University of Edinburgh, and is supported by the University, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Baille Gifford, the Castansa Trust and other organisations and individuals.
Each year, nominated ocean professionals are invited to apply to this unique programme, specifically designed to accelerate their leadership, creativity, and influence as they collaborate to make a significant, positive impact on ocean health. Our guiding ‘theory of change’ is that that distributed, creative, and empowered leadership is essential to achieving this urgent and transformative positive change.
This rationale informs the goals and design of the programme, in particular, support for the Ocean Leaders to enhance their: transformative leadership capabilities; complex problem solving abilities; and international reach and influence through collaborative action.
The overall goal of EOL is to create and sustain a life-long network of ocean change-makers. Towards this, the programme supports leadership training, mentoring, professional development and online networking opportunities. This typically includes: a series of remote and face-to-face coaching dialogues; annual induction event and meeting; a field mission; and engagement with international ocean initiatives to help shape tangible pathways into action.
Discover the Ocean Leader Network
Latest Updates
Annual Meeting 2025
From March 31st to April 4th, we hosted our 4th Edinburgh Ocean Leaders Annual Meeting — a key event that brings our global network together in Edinburgh for a week
Visioning Workshop: A Call to Imagine the Future of Ocean Sustainability
In March, Edinburgh Ocean Leaders took part in a workshop hosted by the Ocean & Climate Platform as part of a global “visioning” exercise to imagine a sustainable future for
Five Years of Ocean Leadership: Edinburgh Ocean Leaders 2025 Impact Report
We are pleased to share the 2025 Edinburgh Ocean Leaders Impact Report, released five years after the launch of the programme. The report captures how this growing global community is
Field Mission Diaries: Reflections from Madeira with the Edinburgh Ocean Leaders
Written by the 2024 Ocean Leaders In October 2024, we, a group of eight Ocean Leaders from around the world, gathered in Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, for the