​🛰️ From Space to Sea 🌊

​Scaling the global fight against Ocean Pollution and charting the course to UNOC 2025

​The 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) will be held in Nice, France, from 9 – 13 June 2025, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica.

​The overarching theme of the Conference is “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean”. A key priority will be accelerating global action to reduce plastic and microplastic pollution.

​As the world’s fifth largest economy with the third longest coastline of any U.S. state, California has a crucial role to play to advance the fight against plastic pollution.

​The Consulate General of France in San Francisco and Plastic Odyssey Fund host a joint event during the SF Climate Week to discuss how to foster cooperation and accelerate action in this field. 

​Experts from the blue economy, blue tech startups, nonprofits, and government organizations will share and explore innovative solutions for ocean protection. Join us for two impactful discussions on how we can leverage cutting-edge satellite technology and collaborative strategies to turn the tide on plastic, oil and other ocean pollution.

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🕕 Agenda

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4:30 pm – Welcome & Check-in

​5:00 pm – Opening remarks

• ​Alex Greenberg, Co-Founder and COO, Loft Orbital

• ​Florian Cardinaux, Consul General of France

​5:10 pm – Panel 1 – From Space to Sea: how satellite imaging is transforming ocean conservation 

• ​Commander G. Mark Miller, NOAA (ret.), Chair and CEO, GMSO Co-Founder and Board Chair, Greenwater Foundation

• ​Mitchelle De Leon, Chief Impact Officer, SkyTruth

• ​Moderated by Fabien Lamaison, U.S. Director, Plastic Odyssey Fund

​5:40 pm – Panel 2 – Full Sail to UN Ocean Conference 2025 in Nice, France:

• ​Lance Morgan, President & CEO, Marine Conservation Institute

• ​Eric Vaughan, ClimateSF Program Manager, City and County of San Francisco

• ​Camila Vega, Blue Economy and Ocean Innovation Strategist

• ​Moderated by Paul Salvaire, Deputy Consul General of France, former climate and environment negotiator

​6:10 pm – Networking

​8:00 pm – Program ends

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​🎙️ Speakers

​Mitchelle De Leon is the chief impact officer at SkyTruth, a conservation technology nonprofit that uses satellite imagery and AI to expose environmental threats. He leads global initiatives and partnerships to advance data-driven climate action and biodiversity protection. Previously, he was a senior associate at CEA Consulting’s Environmental Policy & Advocacy group, where he consulted for environmental nonprofit organizations and sustainability-oriented businesses for over five years on dam removal and river restoration, climate change mitigation, and other topics.

​Commander G. Mark Miller, a 20-year veteran of distinguished service for NOAA commanding, managing, and operating small and large research vessels as a uniformed officer in NOAA Corps. Through his prominent role in the marine science research community, Commander Miller has a broad and growing professional network of mariners, marine scientists, and ocean explorers. He holds an Unlimited Master Mariner (captain) USCG license, a degree in marine geology from Long Island University, a Master Diver certification, is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Republic of Congo), and a member of The Explorers Club.

Dr. Lance Morgan is a marine biologist and president of Marine Conservation Institute. Lance has explored the ocean as a SCUBA diver, submersible pilot, and aquanaut, participating in missions at the Aquarius underwater habitat in the Florida Keys. His doctoral research explored marine invertebrate population dynamics in California’s kelp forests and received his PhD in Ecology from the University of California-Davis. In additional to overseeing the major initiatives of Marine Conservation Institute: Blue Parks and Marine Protection Atlas, he serves as Board Chairman for the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition. He is a member of the High Seas Alliance steering committee, serves on The MPA Guide executive team and is a member of Mission Blue’s Hope Spot Science Council.

​Eric Vaughan serves as the ClimateSF Program Manager, which joins together key City agencies to take collective action through planning, policy, and guidance. Eric leads and supports interagency climate resilience initiative that seek to streamline City efforts and promote an equitable, safe, and healthy city for generations to come. Prior to this role, Eric supported climate action and adaptation initiatives for cities, counties, and special districts across California and internationally where his primary interest was seeking solutions to complex challenges through more effective collaborations and partnerships. Eric holds a BS from UC San Diego in Mechanical Engineering and MS from Tufts University in Water Resources Engineering.

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Camila Vega is a sustainability leader with experience scaling ocean and climate solutions globally. Most recently, she managed a portfolio of ocean-focused startups at Sustainable Ocean Alliance and built strategic partnerships to accelerate marine innovation. Her background includes growing international mentor networks, facilitating entrepreneurial connections, and creating programs to support entrepreneurs in underserved communities. Camila has served as a board member for an edtech startup and co-founded a social enterprise bringing educational resources to remote regions. She holds a B.A. from UC Merced, is pursuing an MBA in Sustainable Solutions, and is a Climatebase Fellow.

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​🥗 Food & Beverage

​Light refreshments, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages will be served during the event and networking reception. Come enjoy a convivial atmosphere while connecting with fellow ocean advocates, innovators, and climate leaders.

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​🎫 Tickets

• ​Minimum: $15

• ​Suggested: $15 (Ticket) + $10 Donation to Plastic Odyssey Fund (*)

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​🤝 Sponsors

​Thank you to our U.S. Partners that make this event possible:
Consulate General of France, Loft Orbital Solutions, Massat Group, MerciSF, MP Law, Open Water

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​💖 Support our organizations

​About Greenwater Foundation: Greenwater Foundation's mission is to connect scientists with the research vessels and ocean science assets they need for their work. As an organization dedicated to advancing marine research and conservation, we facilitate access to critical resources that enable groundbreaking scientific discoveries and ocean sustainability efforts.Greenwater Foundation’s current initiatives focus on three key areas: (1) providing funding to get scientists aboard our new research vessel, (2) expanding our coastal mapping project using satellite-derived bathymetry, and (3) developing an innovative app to connect scientists with research vessels all over the world. Support our work at www.greenwaterfoundation.org.

​About Marine Conservation Institute: For 30 years, Marine Conservation Institute has been leading conservation efforts to save our ocean. Growing awareness of threats to our ocean has led to significant expansion of protections, but the environmental challenges facing our blue planet are enormous. To address these Marine Conservation Institute uses the latest science to identify important marine ecosystems, advocate for their protection, and measure progress toward effective conservation. Our priority is creating an urgently-needed worldwide system of Blue Parks, highly protected areas that will ensure the future diversity and abundance of marine life and the benefits they provide to humankind. To encourage measure progress and accurately reflect the current state of ocean protection, we manage the world’s most detailed online marine protected area database, the Marine Protection Atlas.

​About SkyTruth: SkyTruth is a conservation technology nonprofit that utilizes satellite imagery, machine learning, and big data to make hidden environmental problems visible, measurable, and actionable. SkyTruth envisions a world where everyone enjoys a healthy environment and sustainable livelihood because transparency is the norm: polluters know they will be seen and caught, industries have cleaned up their practices, and governments are vigorously enforcing environmental protection. Learn more at www.skytruth.org.

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About Plastic Odyssey: Plastic Odyssey has set out to help solve - and raise global awareness around - the devastating human and environmental impacts of plastic pollution.  Through a unique and multifaceted approach, we are:
(1) Advancing innovative, affordable solutions to recycle and transform plastic waste into valuable materials;
(2) Supporting local communities, economies and entrepreneurs worldwide where resource recovery is in high demand; and
(3) Working to restore biodiverse ecosystems. 

Our goal is to create a global network of recycling initiatives that help support local economies and lead to lasting change.

About Plastic Odyssey Fund: Plastic Odyssey Fund is a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation headquartered in San Francisco. The fund was created with the mission to combat plastic pollution by engaging U.S. philanthropies, corporations, governments, and individual donors and joining them with the projects undertaken by Plastic Odyssey through its entities Plastic Odyssey Foundation, Plastic Odyssey Expedition and Plastic Odyssey Community. Through this initiative, Plastic Odyssey Fund will help scale innovative solutions, protect ocean ecosystems, and raise awareness in the blue economy. Plastic Odyssey Fund is also part of the 9Zero climate community. For more information or to donate, visit www.plasticodyssey.fund.

(*) Important Disclaimer: Plastic Odyssey Fund is a nonprofit organization (Tax-ID / EIN: 99-4899981) that has applied for recognition of tax-exempt status in the U.S. under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. While our application is pending with the IRS, donations are not guaranteed to be tax-deductible. If our application is approved, tax-exempt status will be retroactive to the date of our incorporation on July 22, 2024, potentially making your donation tax-deductible. Please consult your tax advisor regarding the tax implications of your contribution.


SF Climate Week
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