Following Seas Marine Impact Research, Inc. sponsored and exhibited at The Hope Summit presented by the Carolina Ocean Alliance from October 1 to October 3, 2026. We had a great experience and are looking forward to pursuing opportunities with other participants and attendees.
The Hope Summit is an annual conference and community festival presented by the Carolina Ocean Alliance. The 2026 edition took place at The Charleston Museum from October 1 to October 3, and we participated as both a sponsor and exhibitor.
We had a great time at the event. Our CEO, Lacy Fabian, PhD attended the conference on October 1 and October 2, and we had a table at the conference highlighting the work we have done thus far—including the recently-completed sample gathering for our Summer 2026 Pilot Study. On October 3, we exhibited during the community festival, with a table that included a live microscope demonstration and a plastics scavenger hunt for kids.
Both events—the conference and the community festival—were well-attended, and the Carolina Ocean Alliance did a fantastic job organizing and putting on The Hope Summit. We made several new connections with local nonprofit leaders and educators, and we enjoyed speaking with the many College of Charleston students who stopped by our table and expressed interest in various fields of marine research. We are looking forward to participating again next year.
The community festival also included a film fest, and we watched two thought-provoking films: The Hidden Gulf and How Deep is Your Love. The Hidden Gulf focused on the ongoing efforts to reestablish the coral population in the Gulf of Mexico that was decimated by the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010. How Deep is Your Love followed a team of researchers as they explored the Clarion–Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean with a focus on assessing potential environmental impacts of proposed deepwater mining.
After the screenings, Grey Gowder, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Carolina Ocean Alliance hosted a question-and-answer session with Sasha Francis, Co-Producer of The Hidden Gulf, and Dr. Mickey Rogers. This was a thought-provoking discussion, and it was valuable to gain some additional insights into the research efforts covered in both films.
The Hidden Gulf is available from PBS. More information about How Deep is Your Love is available on the documentary’s website.
About the Carolina Ocean Alliance
Based in Charleston, SC, the Carolina Ocean Alliance focuses on building connections among like-minded organizations to promote and facilitate “equitable, reciprocal, and sustainable community-driven solutions.” Along with hosting The Hope Summit, the Carolina Ocean Alliance also hosts a monthly book club, of which Dr. Fabian is a member. Some of the book club’s recent and upcoming reads were on display at The Hope Summit.
About Following Seas Marine Impact Research, Inc.
Following Seas Marine Impact Research, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation focused on marine microplastics research. We conduct on-the-water sampling and lab analysis, and we publish our findings to the public and the scientific community. We are also available to conduct sampling, lab analysis, and data analysis for other entities and organizations. Contact us if you would like to know more.