“Protecting Oceans Is No Longer Optional”: Experts urge Marine Conservation
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With marine ecosystems facing increasing threats from pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss, experts and conservationists at Shiv Nadar School’s STEAM Conclave 2026 called for urgent collective action and greater youth participation in ocean conservation. The conclave, themed “Underwater Lives Matter” and aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water, brought together students, scientists, educators, and sustainability advocates to discuss marine biodiversity, ocean sustainability, and climate resilience.
Dr. Anant Pande, Head of Oceans & Coasts Conservation at WWF-India, said: “The oceans are global commons, and protecting them requires shared responsibility across nations, communities, and generations. Conversations like these help young learners understand that sustainability is not a distant issue, it is deeply connected to our everyday choices.”
“Young people have an extraordinary role to play in conservation today. Whether through awareness, research, technology, or community action, students can become powerful voices for protecting marine ecosystems and biodiversity,” he added.
Dr. Deepak Apte, Managing Director, Srushti Conservation Foundation, highlighted: “The ocean is not separate from our lives, it regulates climate, supports biodiversity, and shapes the future of humanity. Understanding and protecting it is no longer optional; it is essential.”
“We are becoming increasingly disconnected from nature, and that disconnect is at the heart of many environmental challenges. Young people must reconnect with nature to truly understand sustainability and conservation.”
Through expert-led sessions, interdisciplinary learning experiences, debates, quizzes, research engagements, and project-based explorations, students from Grades 6 onwards engaged deeply with real-world environmental challenges affecting underwater life.
Over the course of the conclave, students also interacted with renowned experts including Muralidharan Manoharakrishnan, Wildlife Biologist and Marine Conservationist; Divya Panicker, Oceanographer and Marine Mammal Researcher; Dr. Isha Bopardikar, Marine Biologist and Bioacoustician and Youth Environmentalist Abhiir Bhalla.
Students from Grades 9 to 12 also presented innovative projects aligned with the conclave theme, addressing challenges related to marine biodiversity, pollution, sustainable fisheries, ocean conservation, and climate resilience. While students from Grades 6 and 7 had the opportunity to witness these inspiring ideas firsthand. Among the standout projects, Aqua Sentinel by Shiv Nadar School Faridabad was awarded the First Prize for its innovative and impactful approach towards marine sustainability and ocean conservation.
Speaking on the occasion, Vinita Sharat, Head of STEAM, Shiv Nadar School, said: “At Shiv Nadar School, we believe scientific inquiry and exploration must extend beyond textbooks and classrooms. Through STEAM Conclave 2026, students engaged with marine ecosystems, sustainability, and real-world environmental challenges in deeply immersive and interdisciplinary ways, encouraging them to explore science with curiosity, empathy, and purpose.”
Through STEAM Conclave 2026, Shiv Nadar School reinforced its commitment to experiential learning, interdisciplinary education, and nurturing socially conscious learners equipped to address global challenges with empathy, creativity, and innovation.
