25 Feb Building Connections and Sharing Knowledge: A Recap of the NWWN 2025 Conference in San Diego
Written by the National Working Waterfront Network
In early February, more than 200 people—representing 25 states and drawing partners from Canada—came together in San Diego to talk, and learn about working waterfronts. Over the three days, attendees:
- Toured the Port of San Diego with Flagship cruises, enjoying excellent narration that highlighted the area’s strong fishing, military, and recreational boating activities
- Participated in over 50 panels and presentations on topics in keeping with the conference’s key themes of waterfront infrastructure/industries/innovation, workforce development, planning and policy, and impacts of and adaptations to climate change
- Learned from three plenaries addressing climate impacts to working waterfronts, emerging uses of working waterfronts, and efforts to reduce emissions at working waterfront
- Met in small groups to discuss cross-cutting topics for the NWWN to help shape the next few years of NWWN research and work
The day before the official start to the conference, dozens participated in field trips to learn about the local commercial fishing infrastructure at Driscoll Wharf and Tuna Harbor (home to the favorite Tuna Harbor Dockside Market) guided by the San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group, and electrification efforts at the Port of San Diego—including America’s first electric tugboat by Crowley and ABB. Others joined NOAA for their “Estimating the Local Marine Economy: Telling Your Story” workshop, which teaches participants how to use existing data to quantify the economic significance of local working waterfronts.
Throughout the conference, people stressed the importance of partnerships, and enjoyed time to network, and share experiences with one another. We hope those who attended were able to develop new connections and foster new partnerships to do great work… which they can share at the next NWWN conference (date and location TBD).
Many thanks to our sponsors, volunteers, and committee members who worked so hard to make this conference a reality! And, a thank you to all who attended and participated in sessions and plenaries!
More information about the conference themes and presentations will be available in the conference proceedings, available in spring of 2025. In the meantime, please consider joining the Network’s listserv to stay engaged. And enjoy a haiku offered by one of the conference attendees:
Collaborating
To Preserve the Waterfronts
And Communities