Beyond 30x30: Re-Imagining Kelp & Ocean Conservation Success

Описание: Join Angelo Villagomez, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and longtime ocean advocate, as he delivers his remarks at the 2026 East Pacific Kelp Congress. In this talk, he reflects on how personal connections to the ocean—especially the “special ocean places” that shape our identities—are often missing from modern conservation efforts. Drawing on memories from his childhood on Saipan and his decades of work at the intersection of science, policy, Indigenous knowledge, and community, Angelo challenges the audience to rethink what counts as conservation success.

In this wide‑ranging and heartfelt presentation, Angelo explores:

1. How our measures of conservation success need to evolve to meaningfully account for access, equity, cultural identity, and quality, not just size or scale.
2. Why Indigenous, place‑based knowledge must play a central role in the next decade of ocean conservation.
3. How kelp forests—despite not being his scientific specialty—offer a powerful lens for understanding shifting conservation goals in a rapidly changing ocean.

Grounded in the Center for American Progress' Nearshore Ocean Progress framework, his remarks connect big‑picture ideas with the lived realities of ocean communities and the ecosystems they depend on. Whether you work in ocean science, conservation, policy, or simply love the sea, this talk offers a thoughtful, human‑centered perspective on the future of ocean stewardship.