July 6-12, 2026
Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla Univerity
Background:
APPA has the regular symposium called Asian Pacific Phycological Forum (APPF) in every 3 years. We had 2024 APPF in Sapporo, Japan and the next 2027 APPF scheduled in HoChiMin City, Vietnam. With 30th anniversary of APPA, we are planning a new challenge of co-hosting the satellite or regional symposiums, a specific theme-based, in between these 3 years-intervals.
The first launch of long journey of APPA’s Regional Forum was in Rongcheng, Shandong Province, China with the theme of “Kelp Aquacultures: from Current Issues to Future Scientific Development for Applications and Sustainability”. As globally well-known, China has the largest production of aquacultured seaweeds in the world and the Shandong Province coastal areas is the main location with various other marine cultivated organisms. So, this was the right place to co-host a symposium there.
In 2026, we decide to be a co-host together with Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University with the theme of seaweed blue carbon and the related sciences. This Regional Forum aims to foster collaborative seaweed/seagrass/mangrove blue carbon and the role of seaweed/seagrass/mangrove in carbon sequestration from all perspectives and various sectors, including representatives from government agencies, private sectors, and the public. This meeting is our second launch of long journey of APPA’s Regional Forum.
Co-Host:
- Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University
- Asian Pacific Phycological Association (APPA)
Program Outline:
Evening Welcome ice breaking (5:00-7:00pm)
- Day1 :
- Morning – Opening Ceremony and 2-3 Keynote Speakers
- Afternoon – symposium
- Day2: Full day symposium
- Day3:
- Full day symposium
- Evening – Banquet Dinner
- Day 4: Field Trip to Thale Noi (Ramsar site)
- Day 5-6: Post-workshops:
- Underwater Drone Workshop at Libong Island, Trang
- Blue Finance workshop
- Creating regional report cards for kelp forest health
- Social and economic aspects on blue carbon: how to obtain supports from people in Asia
Opening Remark
Professor Dr. Sanit Aksornkoae
Chairman, PSU Council
Sessions
Blue Carbon Policy and Government
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Pinsak Suraswadi
Director - General of Department of Marine and Coastal Resources
He plays a key role in advancing the country’s Blue Carbon policies, promoting the protection and restoration of mangroves, seagrass meadows, and other coastal ecosystems to enhance carbon sequestration and support national climate commitments.
He actively fosters collaboration among government agencies, researchers, communities, and international partners to strengthen coastal resilience and sustainable ocean management.
Seaweed Blue Carbon
Keynote Speaker
Associate Professor Mohammad Rozaimi Jamaludin
UKM Malaysia
A marine ecologist focused on seagrass ecology, coastal restoration, and blue carbon, supporting Malaysia’s national blue carbon agenda.
He is also adjunct professor at the Universitas Airlangga of Indonesia and serves as Secretary-General of the Global Mangrove Alliance – Malaysia Chapter (2025).
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Liu Zhengyi
Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research
Dr. Zhengyi Liu is a Senior Engineer and Master’s Supervisor at the Laboratory of Coastal Zone Biology and Biological Resources Utilization, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). His research focuses on the integrated conservation and sustainable use of seaweeds, with particular emphasis on the restoration and maintenance of seaweed beds and the construction of multi‑ecosystems in island and estuarine regions.
Coastal Biodiversity, Dynamics and Connectivity
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Aaron Eger
Kelp Forest Alliance
A marine scientist and conservation practitioner dedicated to protecting and restoring the world’s oceans, especially kelp forests.
He is the Founder and Program Director of the Kelp Forest Alliance, which leads the Kelp Forest Challenge—a global mission to protect and restore 4 million hectares of kelp forests by 2040.
Seaweed Aquaculture (biomass, blue carbon, sustainable use…)
A Professor of Seaweed Physiology and Ecology, examining how seaweeds respond to climate stressors.
Nationally, she contributes scientific guidance on seaweed blue carbon opportunities and the feasibility (and limitations) of carbon crediting/carbon trading approaches for the Australia seaweed sector, including through forums such as the Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance.
Finances
Keynote Speaker
Lisa Schindler Murray
the Director of Blue Carbon, Natural Climate Solutions at Rare
a conservation organization focused on behavior- and community-driven solutions. With over a decade of experience working on international climate policy, including REDD+, blue carbon and other nature-based solutions for mitigation and adaptation, Lisa leads Rare’s nature-based financing and blue carbon portfolio on the Innovative Finance team. Prior to joining Rare, she worked at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) for nine years on international climate policy, including the UNFCCC Paris Agreement’s Global Stocktake and NDC rules for nature-based solutions. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science from Michigan State University and a Master of Science degree in environmental policy and science focusing on coastal management from Johns Hopkins University.
Workshops
Kelp Forest Challenge: Regional knowledge and strategies for protecting and restoring 4 million hectares of kelp forests by 2040.
Facilitator
Dr. Aaron Eger
the Kelp Forest Alliance
This workshop will bring together regional stakeholders to integrate the ecological, social, economic, and governance dimensions required to advance the Kelp Forest Challenge. Guided by the Kelp Forest Alliance framework for regional working groups, participants will align on shared objectives, clarify geographic scope, and begin compiling baseline information across key domains: species distribution and environmental tolerances, protection and restoration status, stressors and pressures, management prioritization, ecosystem services, monitoring infrastructure, and economics and governance. Through structured breakout sessions and facilitated plenaries, attendees will identify existing datasets, highlight critical knowledge gaps, map priority areas for protection and restoration, and explore opportunities for policy alignment and funding. The workshop will serve as a foundational step toward building a coordinated regional baseline to inform action planning and long-term governance under the Kelp Forest Challenge.
Social and economic aspects on blue carbon: how to obtain supports from people in Asia?
Facilitator
Prof. Dr. Nobuyuki Yagi
the University of Tokyo
This session will focus on social and economic aspects on blue carbon. Preliminary results of online surveys in Japan and other countries will be discussed to identify factors influencing the decisions of general public to participate in environmentally friendly activities. Any additional inputs are welcomed to discuss the question: how to obtain supports from people toward blue carbon sequestration activities in Asia?”
- Fee 200 USD
(including accommodation, meals, and transportation)
Underwater Drone Workshop at Libong Island, Trang
Facilitators
Prof. Jeong Ha Kim, Dr. Kwon Mo Yang, Mr. Junsu Kim, Dr. Daniela Macias
Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea
As the Blue Carbon issue proceeds more extensively, the need to estimate the marine plant biomass will increase. Underwater drone would be a good tool to quantify the biomass estimation more extensively at the lower labor and cost. This workshop provides the on-site demonstration how to operate the underwater drone, how to quantify from the image to numerical data and how to organize and analyze the data. The entire event will be held in the beautiful Ko Libong for 2 days (Fri-Sat) after the forum.
Blue Finance for Coastal Blue Carbon Ecosystems Forum | Financing Opportunities in the Asia–Pacific
Facilitator
Siriporn Sriaram (Vivi)
GROUPE AGENCE FRANÇAISE DE DÈVELOPPEMENT
Scheduled for July 8, 2026, in Hat Yai, Thailand, the Blue Finance for Coastal Ecosystems Forum serves as a strategic bridge to transform scientific research into investable climate solutions across the Asia-Pacific region.
The workshop aims to address the significant "finance gap" hindering the preservation of mangroves, seagrasses, and seaweeds by facilitating a high-level dialogue between policymakers, financial institutions, and scientists.
Participants will explore integrated sequestration models and identify specific blue finance mechanisms to move beyond theoretical frameworks into actionable regional investment pipelines.
The session, which will be moderated by Siriporn Sriaram, Senior Project Officer for Thailand and Regional at Agence Française de Développement (AFD), will focus on regional finance profiling and bridging the gap through interactive roundtables designed to identify site-specific project pilots.
Ultimately, the forum seeks to establish a collaborative network and a localized investment roadmap to streamline future marine biodiversity and blue carbon projects throughout ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific
Submission & Registration
Important Dates
Early Bird Registration
February 1 - Apr 30, 2026
Regular Registration
May 1 - June 15, 2026
Abstract Submission Deadline
June 15, 2026
Abstract Acceptance for Presentation
June 15, 2026
Registration Fees
- No Refund
Type
- Save 50$
Early Bird
Regular
Feb 1 - Apr 30, 2026
- Last payment: May 5, 2026
May 1 - June 15, 2026
- Last payment: June 20, 2026
Student
200 USD
250 USD
Delegate
300 USD
350 USD
Submission & Registration
Sponsors
2026 APPA Regional Forum
© appa2026.sci.psu.ac.th