Oceans Past Initiative
News
Stay up to date with the latest from the Oceans Past community. In this section, we’ll share updates on upcoming conferences, recent research highlights, opportunities, calls for papers, and other relevant announcements.
Sentinels of Change: What Sea Lions and Fur Seals Can Tell Us About 770 Years of Ocean History
A new study in Marine Ecology Progress Series takes a deep dive into the long-term ecological changes in New Zealand’s marine ecosystems, through the diets of two iconic predators: the New Zealand...
Global Plate, Global Footprint: How the UK’s Seafood Habits Went Worldwide
What do your fish and chips say about global trade, overfishing, and climate impact? A new study published in Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries dives into how the United Kingdom’s appetite for...
New Study Reveals Earliest Evidence of Whale Bone Working in Late Paleolithic Europe
New Study Reveals Earliest Evidence of Whale Bone Working in Late Paleolithic Europe A new paper published in Nature Communications presents groundbreaking evidence of whale bone working in the Bay...
Announcing OPI XI: Vancouver Island, Canada 15-19 June 2026
Oceans Past XI: Coming in 2026Dear Members and Friends of the Oceans Past Initiative, We are delighted to announce the dates for our next conference, which will be hosted at the University of...
Ancient Isotopes Reveal Pre-Lessepsian Invasions and Recent Overfishing in the Levant: Insights from Holocene Fish Remains
Ancient Isotopes Reveal Pre-Lessepsian Invasions and Recent Overfishing in the Levant: Insights from Holocene Fish RemainsIn our latest paper in the journal Mediterranean Marine Science,...
Oceans Past XI: Call for Abstracts and ECR funding award submissions is now open!
Call for Abstracts and ECR funding award submissions is now open!Deadline: 19 December 2025 The Oceans Past Initiative connects scholars and practitioners interested in documenting and understanding...
New research on Europe’s forgotten oyster reefs
A groundbreaking study published in Nature Sustainability has unveiled the extensive historical presence of European oyster reefs, highlighting their significant ecological role and the profound...
Cetaceans presence in Portuguese waters since the Middle Palaeolithic
A recent study published in PLOS ONE sheds light on ancient whaling practices in Portugal, revealing the deep-rooted relationship between humans and cetaceans in the region. By analyzing...
Continuous mitochondrial diversity of Danube sturgeon species over millennia
New Study Reveals Continuous mitochondrial diversity of Danube sturgeon species over millenniaSturgeons, iconic, culturally significant, and ecologically vital fishes, have long shaped human...
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Mission
The ocean is central to life on Earth – it harbours immense biodiversity, regulates the climate, and provides essential services to human societies. Human activities are transforming the ocean at an uncertain pace and scale. Understanding the extent and diversity of these changes requires a historical perspective on human-ocean interactions throughout time.
Mission 1
Advance interdisciplinary research to uncover the history of marine ecosystems and human-ocean relationships.
Mission 2
Connecting researchers, traditional knowledge holders, practitioners, and policymakers.
Mission 3
Generate insights from the past to guide evidence-based actions for healthier oceans and sustainable societies.