The Foundation launches the SCAR program (Starfish Control and Removal) to expand scientific understanding of COTS, mitigate damage through large-scale COTS removal efforts, and educate local communities, dive operators, resource management agencies and tourists in affected countries on the ecology of these starfish and techniques to control outbreaks. The program pilots in Aitutaki, Cook Islands to mitigate the impacts of a large-scale COTS outbreak there.

From Dialogue to Action: Ocean Foundations Gather in Stockholm
What can philanthropy accomplish when foundations working across ocean science, conservation, and sustainable development come together around a shared purpose?
That question was at the heart of the 6th UN Ocean Decade Foundations Dialogue, held September 7–9 in Stockholm, Sweden. The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation joined philanthropic organizations from around the world for three days of discussion, collaboration, and planning focused on accelerating progress during the second half of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Facilitated by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the UN Ocean Decade Foundations Dialogue is a growing network of more than 30 philanthropic organizations committed to advancing ocean science, collaboration, and action. Since its creation within the framework of the Ocean Decade, the Dialogue has provided foundations with a space to exchange ideas, develop partnerships, and explore how philanthropy can help advance a healthy and resilient ocean.
Hosted by the Voice of the Ocean Foundation (VOTO), this year’s gathering began with From Depth to Action, an Opening Forum that brought nearly 100 leaders from the Swedish and international ocean community together at…
