California Ocean Summit adds free livestream and public events in Santa Barbara

The inaugural California Ocean Summit will open its Dec. 9-10 program in Santa Barbara to a wider audience with a free livestream of main stage sessions and public ocean-focused events. The lineup includes Andrew Zimmern, Jack Johnson bandmembers, Glen Phillips and TIME Trailblazer Erika Woolsey, as organizers aim to broaden participation in California ocean policy and stewardship.

Why it matters: - The California Ocean Summit is trying to widen access to ocean policy and stewardship conversations beyond the working summit room. - Free livestreaming and public programming bring students, families and local residents into discussions that organizers say are meant to shape California's ocean future. - The summit is built around three goals: influencing California ocean policy, supporting the next generation of ocean innovation and advancing a shared Declaration for Ocean Stewardship.

What happened: - Organizers announced free livestreaming of Working Summit main stage sessions for Dec. 9-10, 2026, in Santa Barbara. - The Working Summit reached capacity, prompting the added livestream. - Public programming will run alongside the closed working sessions during the inaugural summit, scheduled for Dec. 9-11, 2026. - The public events are designed for students, families and the broader community.

The details: - The livestream will cover only the Working Summit main stage programming. - In-person public programming includes film screenings, music, storytelling and hands-on experiences. - The lineup includes Summit MC Michelle Li, founder of Clever Carbon and co-founder of Women and Climate. - Keynotes include Dawn Wright, Esri chief scientist and the first Black person to dive to Challenger Deep, and Wade Crowfoot, secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency. - Rosanna Xia, an award-winning author, documentary filmmaker and Los Angeles Times environmental reporter, is also on the program. - Investment and conservation leaders from The Nature Conservancy’s NatureVest, Conservation International Ventures, Cerulean Ventures, Superorganism, Builders Vision and the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council are part of the evolving list. - Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at Granada Theatre: David Attenborough’s OCEAN will be presented with a live score by the Santa Barbara Symphony, in partnership with UCSB Arts & Lectures. - Thursday, Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Santa Barbara Public Library, free programming will include Ocean Stories & Hands-On Activities for All Ages. - Andrew Zimmern will discuss the future of seafood after a preview of Hope in the Water Season 2 and sign The Blue Food Cookbook. - Ocean documentaries on the schedule include Battle of the Blues, Harvest to Heal and Sequoias of the Sea. - Cabrillo High School students will run outdoor touch tanks, local student environmental groups will showcase their work, and children’s story time and book signings will fill out the day. - Thursday, Dec. 10 at 8:30 p.m. at SOhO Restaurant & Music Club, A Night Inside Channel Islands Kelp Forest will feature Zach Gill & Friends. - Gill, from Jack Johnson’s band and ALO, will perform with Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket, Adam Topol of Jack Johnson’s band and surprise guests. - The show will use immersive projections of Channel Islands kelp forests from Erika Woolsey’s The Hydrous project. - Tickets are available through SOhO. - The public programming schedule, tickets and updates are posted at programming updates. - People can join the mailing list for announcements or sign up to volunteer at volunteer information.

Between the lines: - The added livestream is a response to demand, but it also signals an effort to turn a high-level convening into a broader civic event. - The mix of policy leaders, scientists, artists and cultural programming suggests the summit is positioning ocean stewardship as both a governance issue and a public story. - The kelp forest concert and library events are designed to make ocean resilience feel local and accessible, not just technical or policy-driven. - Laura Francis, founder of Sea Forward Fund and a summit steering committee member, said the event is meant to bring together people who normally are not in the same room while inviting the community into the conversation. - California Assemblymember Gregg Hart said the livestream and public cultural programming are intended to give more people a seat at the table.

What's next: - Organizers will continue updating the public programming lineup as the summit approaches. - Sponsorship and partnership opportunities remain available. - The summit will continue through Dec. 11, 2026, in Santa Barbara. - The broader effort will aim to align leadership, funding, innovation and policy around ocean health and coastal resilience.

The bottom line: - The California Ocean Summit is expanding from a capacity-only policy gathering into a public-facing ocean event, with free digital access and community programming meant to widen participation in California's coastal future.