Over 400 scientists gathered at the University’s Tauranga campus in July 2021 for the New Zealand Marine Sciences Society Conference. WIth a theme of “Titiro whakamuri, kōkiri whakamua”, looking back to move forward, the four-day event traversed topics ranging from microplastics, the impact of sea-level rise, how we can grow our aquaculture industry and identifying compounds in seaweed for use in agrichemicals. There was also a special symposium on green shipping, the use of electric ferries and the impact of acoustics on the marine environment. Professor Chris Batterhsill who heads the University’s team of marine scientists in the Bay of Plenty, played a key role in the organisation of the conference.