Co-Designing Transdisciplinary Approaches for Ocean Sustainability: Insights from the OCEANS PACT Project in Brazil

One of the essential elements for transformative ocean science is the participation of interested communities to better understand and tackle the problems they experience. In the context of global concerns, in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Decade of Ocean Science, numerous research agencies worldwide have encouraged transdisciplinary approaches and funded projects aimed at addressing the plurality of value and knowledge systems, including indigenous and local. The Ocean Sustainability Pathways for Achieving Conflict Transformation - OCEANS PACT project is an example of such initiatives under the Belmont Forum Collaborative Research Action on Transdisciplinary Research for Ocean Sustainability. One of the OCEANS PACT case studies is taking place in Brazil, involving academics, marine protected area managers, NGOs and small-scale fishers, with different worldviews and relationships with the ocean. In this presentation, we aim to share the learnings and reflections of scholars and non-academic actors on the knowledge co-production processes used by the Brazilian team over the last three years of the OCEANS PACT project. Key aspects of meaningful and impactful co-production include time availability and a collaborative approach from the very beginning, particularly in the co-definition of research activities. The group also noted that communication between participants and researchers has significantly improved over the course of the project, although language barriers, especially academic/scientific jargon, still pose challenges to transdisciplinarity. Achieving symmetry of power and participation between academic and non-academic actors in these research processes is not trivial. Among the lessons learned, the exercise of empathy and the respect and recognition of the visions and voices of local and indigenous communities were fundamental. As transdisciplinary research, the richness of the results and further solution lies in the diversity of experiences, knowledge systems, visions, and contributions throughout the research from the different actors. Nevertheless, the applied perspective of promoting real transformations at the local level was highly valued. It is essential to include commitments regarding the diversity of products arising from these transdisciplinary projects and their methodological paths. This involves developing ocean literacy and scientific communication strategies that foster mutual learning and collaboratively create pathways for transformative changes in ocean sustainability.