Ocean Literacy Beyond Knowledge: Investigating Emotional Connections to the Ocean Among Students and Adults

Twenty years after the publication of The Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts (Ocean Literacy Initiative, 2005), the concept of Ocean Literacy has evolved beyond a focus on knowledge acquisition to encompass additional dimensions, including awareness, attitudes, communication, behaviour, and activism, with the overarching aim of fostering pro-environmental behaviour. However, research in social psychology highlights that behaviour change is a complex process shaped by multiple internal and external factors. Among these, emotional connections have emerged as important drivers of human behaviour and are increasingly recognised as a key leverage point in environmental education.

From this perspective, we conducted a survey of school students and adults prior to their participation in Ocean Literacy activities in Italy. The sample comprised 146 students aged 7–12 years, 165 students aged 14–15 years, and approximately 130 adults (including graduate students, teachers, and members of the general public). Participants were asked the question “What is the sea to you?”. Students provided their responses using Post-it® notes, whereas adults responded through an online Mentimeter survey. Students’ answers were analysed using inductive content analysis, while adults’ responses were qualitatively examined through word cloud analysis.

Students’ responses most frequently referred to emotions, particularly positive ones such as beauty and wonder. References to knowledge of the marine environment and its uses (e.g. leisure activities) were also common, whereas fewer responses mentioned the sea as a source of life, personal memories, conservation concerns, or marine litter. Adults’ responses similarly revealed strong emotional connections, with “life” emerging as the most frequently used term. Graduate students additionally referred to environmental, economic, and professional dimensions of the ocean.

Overall, both groups demonstrated strong emotional connections to the sea, alongside a basic level of environmental awareness. Physical proximity to the coast, which is not equally accessible to all, appears to play an important role in fostering these connections. To address this limitation, we propose exploring alternative approaches—particularly those based on digital technologies and online resources—to enable personal experiences of, and connections with, the ocean to be accessible to a broader audience.

Ocean Literacy Initiative (2005). Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts for K-12, http://www.coexploration.org/oceanliteracy/documents/OceanLitConcepts_10.11.05.pdf