#34 Arthur Dahl: Faith as a Catalyst for Ocean Regeneration

I grew up in a small german village, deeply rooted in the rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. For around ten years in my childhood the church wasn’t just a building; it was the heartbeat of our community - a place where faith translated into collective action and a shared moral compass.Fast forward to my first major ocean conference in Nice in June 2025. Amidst the sterile policy halls and the data-heavy slides, I stumbled upon a movement that connected those childhood roots to my current mission: the campaign Faiths for Oceans and their multifaith declaration on ocean protection. It was a “lightbulb” moment. I realized that if we are to save 70% of our planet, we can’t just rely on cold data and multilateralism; we need a theory of change that touches the human heart and soul.In this week’s episode of Ocean Collaborations, I sit down with a man who has lived this intersection for over five decades: Arthur Dahl.At 84, Arthur is a living bridge between the scientific and the spiritual. A marine biologist who dove the world’s most pristine reefs in the 1970s, he became a titan of UN environmental governance, contributing to every major summit from Stockholm (1972) to Rio (1992). But Arthur isn’t here to talk about the “good old days.” He is here to tell us why the UN, in its current form, is failing the ocean.A radical “Second UN Charter” to avoid institutional breakdownArthur knows the UN system inside out, and his diagnosis is bold. He argues we are stuck in a “Sovereignty Trap.” The UN is built on national borders, but the ocean knows none. While politicians remain trapped in economic frameworks that prioritize short-term GDP, the biological foundations of our world - like the coral reefs Arthur spent his life studying - are collapsing.His solution? A radical “Second UN Charter” that moves beyond voluntary agreements toward true global accountability.Thanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.Faith as a Theory of Change for Ocean CollaborationArthur’s secret to resilience is what he calls the harmony of science and religion. As President of the International Environment Forum and a member of the Baha’i faith, he views the ocean as a system reflecting a higher human purpose. He shares profound stories from the Pacific, where indigenous wisdom and spiritual logic created “perfect fisheries management” long before global policy existed.If you are a professional frustrated by institutional inertia, this episode is your antidote. We explore how faith can be the “connecting pin” between science, politics, and the bold, courageous collaborations required for ocean regeneration.Listen to the full episode to hear why Arthur believes the “cries of the ocean” will finally force our institutions to transform - and how you can be part of that shift.Learn more about his amazing ocean life in this article he wrote in the news magazine of the International Coral Reef Society: From Reef Science to Reef Actionhttps://coralreefs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/REEF-ENCOUNTER-APRIL-2026-FINAL_lores.pdfArthur Dahl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurdahlInternational Environment Forum: https://iefworld.org/Faiths for the Oceans campaign: https://www.oceans.faith/Get in touch with Jan Maisenbacher to heart/brain/soulstorm how Faith as a theory of change could become a practice of change for ocean collaborations. Book your slot with Jan on calendly here: https://www.calendly.com/janmaisenbacher This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit janmaisenbacher.substack.com