Think Blue This Earth Day: The Ocean’s Trillion-Dollar Future

How decisions, risk, and innovation are shaping the future of the blue economy

The future of finance isn’t just cryptocurrency it’s Oceanic; and it’s rolling in on a very big blue wave.

First, no, this is not a finance lecture; don’t worry I’m not qualified to be giving financial advice! Think of this more as the inside scoop into the future of global finance that’s one of the most important but overlooked shifts happening right now.

What Is the blue economy?

Ok, let’s strip this back to basics, the blue economy aspires to be a regenerative approach to economic activity, but you could argue is largely still extractive, whether that be fishing, tourism, shipping or renewable energy. Here’s the catch - the Ocean doesn’t neatly belong to anyone - while at the same time belonging to everyone. This tension has always meant complex decision making. Who gets to use Ocean resources? Who benefits? And who is responsible when things go wrong?

Well, the High Seas Treaty (a legally binding international legislation to protect international waters, covering two-thirds of our Ocean), shows governance is evolving. But it’s not yet aligned with the scale and speed of change, and that uncertainty matters because the blue economy isn’t just about opportunity, but also the decisions that determine how it unfolds.

Why our Ocean matters (maybe more than you think.)

I don’t think you need the reminder of why the Ocean matters, but in case you need a refresh here’s a little highlight reel of the big stuff. The global Ocean makes up roughly 70% of the Earth’s surface. It’s responsible for regulating our climate (CO2 absorption) & produces around 70% of the oxygen we breathe. It’s vital to the support of global food systems, jobs, communities, and even entire economies.

Simply put, the Ocean underpins both environmental stability and economic growth. Yet for most people they only interact at the ‘surface’ i.e. where you go for your beach holiday, not as its own financial system. And this gap in understanding is where Ocean literacy comes into play.

The Hidden Systems Beneath the Surface

One huge hidden aspect of the blue economy is undersea (submarine) cables. If you’ve ever thought satellites were solely responsible for being able to facetime, you’re not alone - but you’d be wrong! Around 99% of intercontinental internet traffic is carried under the sea, across the Ocean floor by fibre-optic cables. These cables quietly enable a mind blowing $10 trillion daily financial transactions, connect remote regions and support everything from global markets to renewable energy systems. These unassuming cables are the perfect example of the blue economy in action; invisible, essential, and largely misunderstood. The lack of awareness around these matters for the blue economy - because you can’t make informed decisions about something you don’t fully understand!

The decision layer: who chooses what happens next?

The blue economy is shaped by a constant stream of decisions made by a plethora of different groups; governments regulating Ocean use, investors allocating where capital goes, businesses developing new tech, and individuals like you choosing how and where to spend your hard-earned cash. But like everything in life, each decision involves trade-offs, there is NO neutral choice - every choice has different consequences; do you prioritise short-term economic gain or long-term economic health? Do you invest in emerging tech or stick with proven industries? Do you regulate strictly or encourage rapid growth?

The risk beneath the opportunity

The blue economy is sold as a trillion-dollar opportunity (which it is!) but it’s equally a landscape of layered risk. Opportunity and risk are inseparable in the blue economy. You don’t get one without the other and these risks all interact.

Environmental risk: Ocean ecosystems are under pressure from overfishing, pollution, and climate change. So, you push too far and the natural systems supporting the economy begin to fail.

Financial risk: rapidly scaling sectors like offshore wind and sustainable aquaculture require high upfront investment, with returns exposed to delays, policy changes, and environmental variability.

Geopolitical risk: global tensions obviously disrupt key trade and energy routes; as seen right now with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz; highlighting just how fragile our existing systems are.

Regulatory risk: frameworks are always changing and evolving - sometimes too quickly, affecting everything from fishing rights to offshore energy development.

Tech risk: loads of the blue economy depend on systems that are still developing or vulnerable.

Why are investors paying attention now?

Even with all these risks, capital is flowing into the blue economy and fast! Why?... because it sits at the intersection of economic opportunity, climate action, and tech innovation, making the Ocean a key driver of sustainable growth.

Let’s look specifically at offshore wind, a rapidly growing sector due to the need for need for renewables now, as countries look for alternatives to the volatile fossil fuel markets.

The blue economy is also benefitting from a rise in impact investing. An area of funding often forgotten in the discussion - impact investment is where investors seek out both financial returns and measurable environmental/social outcomes. Just to be clear this is not philanthropy, returns on investment matter. The difference is that decision making is starting to incorporate environmental impact alongside financial performance.

The literacy gap: who understands the blue economy?

Here’s where things get interesting and honestly slightly uncomfortable. The blue economy might be expanding rapidly but the understanding of it isn’t keeping up.   Investors may understand financial risk, but not ecological thresholds. Policymakers may understand regulation, but not system interdependencies. The public may understand values and impacts, but not mechanisms. In other words, the risks are interdependent but there is a fragmented understanding problem, and we are all directly affected by these decisions.

The problem is most of us don’t realise just how deeply the Ocean is tied to global finance, digital infrastructure, energy systems and food security. Like I said earlier without this understanding, it’s hard to meaningfully participate in the blue economy, whether that’s in making environmentally informed investments, supporting pro- Ocean policy decisions, or even recognising risk.

All of this creates a big issue - decisions are being made in a space that many of us either don’t fully see or understand.

Why does this matter this Earth Day?

The blue economy is not simply ‘The Ocean’, it’s how we are making decisions in an evolving, complex, uncertain world. The 2026 Earth Day Theme is ‘Our Planet, Our Power’ embodying the belief environmental progress doesn’t depend on any single administration or governance but is sustained by the everyday actions of individuals working together to protect where they live and work. Participation is determined by understanding, and understanding is unevenly distributed.

The blue economy forces us to confront three main things:

• How we decide to balance growth, sustainability, and competing interests.

• How we assess risk by understanding that environmental and financial systems are interconnected.

• How we recognise that Ocean literacy shapes who gets to participate - and maybe more importantly who’s missing out.

It’s important to remember that while the Ocean may feel distant, the systems that support are anything but.

The bottom line

The blue economy clearly has the potential to drive sustainable growth, power the transition to renewable energy, and reshape global finance. BUT this isn’t guaranteed. If the blue economy grows without fully integrating an understanding how economic opportunity and Ocean health are interconnected, it won’t just be the environment that suffers, the economy built on top of it will also pay the price. That’s why Ocean literacy is no longer a niche skill, but a shared capability we all need.

Alana Wilson - Comms and Reseach @The Ocean Literacy Project