TIDES Conference Centers Ocean and Water Science in the PNW

Sea-Bird Scientific was excited to participate as a principal organizing entity at the 2026 TIDES Conference - where non-profit, government, industry, and academia - including graduate and undergraduate students - came together to discuss the latest in ocean science in the Pacific Northwest. 

Student presenting their poster during the student poster session

Attendees fill up the main conference hall

Alex Gagnon, Co-founder & CEO, Associate Professor, Banyu Carbon, UW Oceanography gives his keynote speech for the Ocean Decarbonization session

Panelists speak during the Sensors & Platforms session. From left to right: Eric King, Director of Marine Infrastructure - Schmidt Ocean Institute, James Joslin, Ph.D. - CEO and Principal Engineer, MarineSitu, Marialena Christopoulou, Ph.D., Customer Support Scientist at Sea-Bird Scientific, Ole Mikkelsen, President of Sequoia Scientific, Tim Acker, President of Biosonics Inc. 

Two attendees during the reception and networking session

The TIDES Conference 2026 marked the inaugural convening of a Pacific Northwest–based community focused on advancing ocean and water solutions through collaboration with 138 attendees from government, academia, industry, including students - both graduate and undergraduate. Sea-Bird Scientific led strategy and execution alongside key regional partners including the University of Washington, Sequoia Scientific, Biosonics, Inc., and the Marine Technology Society (Puget Sound Section). Through keynote presentations, panel discussions, and a student poster session, TIDES created space for meaningful dialogue around shared stewardship of our oceans and waterways. 

Eric Grossman, Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey during his keynote speech for the Ocean Science in the PNW session

Unlike a traditional tradeshow or single-organization event, TIDES was intentionally designed as a community-led conference. The program centered on three core themes - Ocean Science in the PNW, Ocean Decarbonization, and Sensors & Platforms - and became an endorsed UN Ocean Decade Activity, aligning local action with global ocean priorities. 

TIDES 2026 demonstrated the power of cross-sector partnership and place-based engagement to drive progress in water and ocean science. By convening diverse perspectives and centering collaboration, the conference reinforced a shared commitment to innovation, data-driven decision-making, and long-term environmental stewardship. Plans are already underway to build on this momentum and continue growing the TIDES community in the years ahead. 

We look forward to planning the next TIDES event to further ocean science in the Pacific Northwest.  Learn more about TIDES here.

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