Mark Spalding

Mark J. Spalding, J.D., M.P.I.A., is an expert on international ocean policy, law, philanthropy, finance, and investment. Spalding is the President of The Ocean Foundation, a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Blue Economy, a member of the UNEP Guidance Working Group for its Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Initiative, and an Advisor to the “Ocean Panel” for a Sustainable Ocean Economy. Spalding served on the organizing committee and as a moderator for numerous panels at the UN High-Level Sustainable Blue Economy Conference.

He played a key role in drafting that conference’s "Nairobi Statement of Intent on Advancing a Sustainable Blue Economy." Spalding has over 15 years of experience in finance and blue economy investing, encompassing public equities, private equities, and fixed assets. As such, he is an advisor to various ocean-centric investment funds. Spalding is one of three co-lead authors on an Ocean Panel “blue paper" that highlights the status of ocean economy employment, including informal employment, and explores possible changes in transitioning from traditional ocean industry practices to a sustainable ocean economy. He is a prominent advocate for the preservation of ocean heritage. Spalding has integrated underwater cultural heritage (UCH) into global marine conservation efforts, emphasizing its protection from threats like deep-sea mining and pollution. He has co-authored influential works, such as “Perverse Sea Change,” addressing the chemical and physical challenges facing UCH. Spalding has initiated advanced projects to preserve and memorialize cultural histories, including those tied to the transatlantic slave trade.