A Roadmap for Using the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development in Support of Science, Policy, and Action

TLDR

The ocean’s health is at a critical juncture, with overexploited fish stocks, climate‑driven chemical changes, and disrupted food webs undermining its climate‑regulating capacity, while technical and conceptual barriers hinder sustainable policy development. The study proposes a roadmap of six strategies to overcome these barriers and promote sustainable ocean governance. The authors outline a multi‑pronged approach that strengthens science integration, expands ocean‑observing networks, enhances science‑policy linkages, fosters new partnerships, establishes an ocean‑climate finance system, and boosts ocean literacy. Implementing these strategies is expected to position ocean science as a cornerstone for wider sustainability transformations.

Abstract

The health of the ocean, central to human well-being, has now reached a critical point. Most fish stocks are overexploited, climate change and increased dissolved carbon dioxide are changing ocean chemistry and disrupting species throughout food webs, and the fundamental capacity of the ocean to regulate the climate has been altered. However, key technical, organizational, and conceptual scientific barriers have prevented the identification of policy levers for sustainability and transformative action. Here, we recommend key strategies to address these challenges, including (1) stronger integration of sciences and (2) ocean-observing systems, (3) improved science-policy interfaces, (4) new partnerships supported by (5) a new ocean-climate finance system, and (6) improved ocean literacy and education to modify social norms and behaviors. Adopting these strategies could help establish ocean science as a key foundation of broader sustainability transformations.Graphical abstract