Event
'Investigating the Ocean' Webinar Series: 'Follow the Money, Who Profits from the Ocean?'
Event Date:
July 7, 2026 | 4:00 PM TO 5:30 PM GMT
This webinar focuses on uncovering the financial actors behind ocean industries, from fishing fleets to shipping giants and offshore projects. Participants will learn how to trace corporate ownership, map complex company structures, and investigate the role of banks, insurers, and investors.
The session emphasizes how financial flows connect the Global North to ocean exploitation in the Global South.
Panelist
Jelter Meers, research editor of the Pulitzer Center's Environmental Investigations Unit
Tools and Platforms
OpenCorporates: global corporate registry data
Sayari/LexisNexis: deeper corporate intelligence
SEC EDGAR/national filings databases: financial disclosures
Ship registries (IMO GISIS, Equasis): vessel ownership links
ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database: offshore structures and hidden ownership
What Journalists Will Learn
Trace ownership of vessels and ocean-related companies through corporate registries
Identify beneficial owners and hidden actors behind shell companies
Investigate links between corporations, investors, and financial institutions
Use databases and filings to uncover funding, subsidies, and financial dependencies
Build a “follow the money” narrative that connects profit to impact
