Advancing transdisciplinarity as an epistemology for more ethical engagements with a plurality of knowledge systems

Celebrated as one of the necessary solutions to more sustainable ocean governance by the UN Ocean Decade for Sustainable Development, transdisciplinarity, co-design, co-production, and co-creation of knowledge continue to be praised by a variety of scholars for their opportunities for impactful and socially significant research. However, despite increased recognition as necessary to respond to complex sustainability challenges, including transformative ocean governance, there are sustained differences in how people and scholars define and conceptualize transdisciplinarity and how people operationalize and apply transdisciplinary research. This presentation considers how transdisciplinarity can bring together a plurality of knowledge systems, and asks whether transdisciplinary research is always the appropriate approach. Without a clear understanding of what ethical and equitable transdisciplinarity entails, how do we ensure this does not negatively impact non-academic collaborators such as Indigenous knowledge holders and fishing communities? How do we make sure transdisciplinarity does not become yet another extractive research practice? The presentation discusses the difference between partial and comprehensive transdisciplinarity, addresses coloniality of co-design, and reflects on who we cite and why as researchers. Finally, the presentation considers how we can advance transdisciplinarity as an epistemology for more ethical engagements with a plurality of knowledge systems and invite fellow marine researchers to ask critical questions.