Sponsored by the Jon Van Dyke Institute (JVDI) and Korea Institute of Ocean Science (KIOST) and Technology. Professor Sherry Broder, Richardson Law School, University of Hawaii, Adjunct Senior Fellow with the East-West Center, Executive Director of the JVDI and practicing attorney, and Dr. Charity Lee and Dr. Moon-Sang Kwon, Principal Research Scientist with the KIOST were the organizers. The conference was also with collaboration by East-West Center and Williams S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii at Manoa.

The conference worked to promote the small marine research stations in the Pacific and encourage data sharing and collaboration. The participants have been working to create a measurable system with island and offshore waters to study. The intent is to model the future, for which integrating observations from various stations would be a critical boost. The Pacific marine research stations have years of data and high-speed internet connections now and the potential could be transformative. There were marine researchers from Indonesia, Guam, Palau, French Polynesia, KIOST Chuuk field station, South Pacific Regional Environmental Program, Kewalo Basin Marine Laboratory, Sargasso Sea Commission, and the East-West Center. Rear Admiral Robert P. Girrier, USN (Ret.), Pacific Forum gave a keynote address, Finding Opportunity in the South China Sea