Message in a bottle: How young voices will shape the ocean future

In the vast blue expanse of our world’s oceans, a powerful new current is forming. Not of water, but of ideas, dreams, and hope: Along the route of the One Ocean Expedition, students from around the globe have been sending messages in bottles, not cast away as relics of old, but as symbols of connection, curiosity, and care for the future of the sea. 

She is Norway’s largest and oldest square rigged sailing ship and also the oldest amongst the large square riggers in operation today.  The ship was built in 1914 in Germany and is a 3-masted steel bark, built as a training ship for the German merchant marine.  She was then put into service as a sail training vessel under the Norwegian flag from 1923. Photo: Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem. 

Care for the future of the sea

The One Ocean Expedition is a global initiative with one clear purpose: to create attention and share knowledge about the ocean’s crucial role for a sustainable future in a global perspective. Over the course of a year, Statsraad Lehmkuhl has visited key ports from the North Atlantic and the Arctic to the Caribbean and the Pacific, engaging with communities and highlighting ocean science and sustainability. The voyage started in Bergen during One Ocean Week 2025 and comes full to a full circle when she returns to Bergen in April 2026 where they will shared with a global audience during One Ocean Week (April 18–24 - 2026). The One Ocean Week is a major international event focused on sustainable ocean stewardship and part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.  You can read more about the event here.

When returning to Bergen, she will carry loads of messages in a bottle. The “Message in a Bottle initiative” invites young learners to explore topics like marine science, climate change, and sustainability through storytelling, art, and research. Originally developed by educators in San Francisco, it has evolved into an international classroom without walls: from classrooms in Mexico and Canada to schools in Iceland and Bergen, young people have expressed their concerns, insights, and hopes through creative texts, scientific observations, personal reflections, and visual art. 

Count down in Bergen! One Ocean Week in April more than 200 activities are planned in Bergen, from family-friendly exhibitions and marine science workshops to high-level discussions, all to debate, learn, and collaborate on solutions for sustainable use of the ocean. Photo: Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem. 

Bergen: A global hub for ocean innovation and dialogue

One Ocean Week gathers scientists, policymakers, educators, researchers, industry leaders, and citizens to debate, learn, and collaborate on solutions for sustainable use of the ocean. Over 200 activities are planned — from family-friendly exhibitions and marine science workshops to high-level discussions.

At the heart of One Ocean Week is the belief that every voice matters, especially those of young people who will inherit the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. The bottle messages will be exhibited as part of the Week’s program, giving visitors a genuine insight into how children and youth around the world think and feel about the ocean’s future. Their hopes, creativity, and urgency provide a powerful reminder: the ocean connects us all, and our collective future depends on how we protect it together. 

Invest in Vestland shares this belief that ocean innovation and sustainable blue growth are key drivers of regional development. Vestland demonstrates that ocean economy is about responsibility, education, and shared global leadership. The youthful voices aboard these symbolic bottles remind us that sustainability isn’t a distant ideal.

Want to join us in learning more about the ocean? Don’t hesitate to reach out!