In the last four years the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development has galvanized tens of thousands of individuals in arguably the largest ever coordinated global ocean science movement. Over 50 global programmes and close to 500 national and regional projects are contributing to the achievement of the ten Ocean Decade Challenges to achieve the Decade mission of transformative ocean science solutions for sustainable development that connect humanity and the ocean.

The 2024 Ocean Decade Conference held in April 2024 was a milestone moment in the implementation of the Ocean Decade. Over 2,600 participants from 124 countries gathered in Barcelona, Spain to discuss priorities for the global ocean science and knowledge agenda. The outcomes of the Conference are captured in The Barcelona Statement and the Conference outcomes report and address: (i) science and knowledge priorities including actions to ensure uptake of science and knowledge to inform decision making, and (ii) cross-cutting and enabling conditions including resources, capacity, and the need for inclusivity, diversity and equity in ocean science and knowledge.

This Town Hall will explore the progress made since the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference in implementing the recommendations and actions of The Barcelona Statement. It will highlight new scientific research initiatives including those responding to emerging issues identified as priority issues during the Conference, the impact and remaining challenges for science and knowledge to inform global policy frameworks, the measures adopted to enhance the role of co-design and Indigenous knowledge in decision making, and present the results of new analytical work to develop an evidence base to support sustained investment in ocean science.

Structured in the form of a moderated roundtable discussion that integrates space for interaction with the audience, the event will convene thought leaders and experts on diverse ocean science and knowledge issues to provide their perspectives on the remaining needs and emerging opportunities for ocean science to contribute to sustainable development, including the achievement of SDG14.

Held at the mid-point of implementation of the Ocean Decade, the event aims to demonstrate the evolution in ocean science and knowledge initiatives and approaches from the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference to the One Ocean Science Congress and 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference. It will trigger discussion and dialogue for continued collective action and priority setting looking forward for the remainder of the Decade including milestone moments such as the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference and 2028 United Nations Ocean Conference.

A Town Hall on ocean and maritime governance (OMG) is proposed. Governance is an issue that cuts across the entire spectrum of scientific disciplines and interacts closely with the decision-making sphere. It requires ever greater integration of knowledge systems (Theme 1), it implies the use of ocean-based approaches to face challenges of adaptation to climate change (T2), and it relies on healthy coastal and marine ecosystems (T3). Governance is a means to an end, and improving it is a need for all of us, on a global scale. It can only be action-oriented and in favor of a multifaceted ocean literacy (T10). It also must enable us to meet the challenges posed by marine genetic resources (T5), global fisheries (T6) which, among other things, contribute to food systems worldwide (T7), plastic pollution (T8), maritime transport that irrigates economies (T9), and the deep ocean, where knowledge remains critical (T4). Ocean and maritime governance form an ‘assemblage’ of intertwined issues. In other words, this proposed Town Hall on ocean and maritime governance is positioned as a cross-cutting issue.
Reflecting on OMG and grasping the issues at stake means questioning the political practices in the broadest sense that, today or in the past, have jointly shaped the government of human activities at sea and the sometimes-radical transformations of the environment. It also means casting a critical and reflexive light on “governance” itself. Finally, it means enabling and supporting genuine dialogue between the maritime scientific community and all those involved in maritime “governance”.
This Town Hall is structured so as to multiply angles of view and topics, and thus diversify the participants to encourage a multi-level dialogue between science and decision-making. Structuring questions will be proposed to organize the dialogue such as (1) What representations provide disciplinary, thematic and geographical perspectives on governance issues, (2) How does research relates to current and future governance issues? (3) What are the main obstacles to ‘good governance’? Actors, skills, knowledge, temporality, territories, scales, etc.? (4) What is the place of research in/on/linked to governance?
Practically speaking, the session alternates between presentations on specific points (agreed in advance with the participants) and time for discussion and debate between the participants (and as far as possible with the audience).
The objective of the session is to produce a one-pager that summarizes the key points of a cross-cutting research agenda on the understanding of OMG mechanisms, having a real impact on political decision-making. While being attentive to the diversity of situations worldwide, this agenda should help to identify potential bottlenecks and obstacles, and discuss practices and levers to overcome them.

The world is not on track to achieve any of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, including SDG 14 on Life Below Water. Ocean ecosystems, biodiversity, and the communities that depend on them face mounting threats. Recognising this, a 2023 survey conducted by the Ocean and Climate Platform (OCP) and Varda Group highlighted two key priorities for the ocean community: the urgent need to achieve SDG 14 and the importance of initiating reflections on a post-2030 agenda. In response, the OCP, the National Centre for Scientific Research, and Friends of Ocean Action, with the support of Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy, have launched a participatory visioning exercise to explore the future of ocean sustainability and identify tentative targets for Post-2030. This scientific methodology, inspired by the Nature Futures Framework of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, helps to imagine desirable futures and identify the pathways needed to achieve them. By drawing on inputs from diverse experts, visioning fosters creativity, inclusivity, and emotional engagement with the ocean.

The exercise will produce a collective vision encompassing:
- Aspirational and artistic representations of a sustainable ocean future by 2050.
- Targets and indicators to monitor progress, linked to existing global sustainability goals.
- Pathways and opportunities to realise these desired outcomes.

The outputs presented in this Town hall meeting will address four key themes: fishing and blue foods, pollution, ocean-climate interlinkages, and the high seas. It will provide the opportunity to spark new discussions among researchers involved in ocean governance and sustainability, particularly on the topic of Post-2030 ocean sustainability indicators. The findings will then be advanced at the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3).

Placing ocean knowledge ahead of policy requires a cultural shift that can only be achieved through effective science communication involving a wide-range of audiences. In this context, storytelling is a powerful tool for ocean scientists seeking to engage different audiences, build emotional connections to the ocean, and inspire meaningful ocean action. This townhall is designed for a target audience of early career ocean professionals, as well as scientists of all generations and all disciplines eager to develop and refine their storytelling skills in the context of ocean science. The session will demonstrate how compelling communication can transform humanity’s relationship with the ocean, foster a deeper respect for the marine environment, and motivate ocean conservation efforts.
The objectives of this event are threefold: first, to explore the role of storytelling in shaping public perceptions and inspiring action on ocean issues; second, to equip scientists with practical tools and strategies for communicating their research to a variety of audiences; and third, to cultivate a new generation of ocean scientists who are not only skilled researchers but also effective communicators. We hope to foster and promote the space for intergenerational learning and conversation while simultaneously developing opportunities for early career ocean professionals.
The townhall will begin with a dynamic panel of communication experts discussing the importance of storytelling in science communication, followed by a case study of how to implement communication best practices into creative storytelling. The panel and best practices will set the viewers up for success, improving the skills necessary to present their science in a way that resonates with the public, policymakers, and others, and strengthens the case for ocean conservation and action. This event aims to empower young scientists to use storytelling as a tool for creating real-world impact, helping them to bridge the gap between science and action.

Climate change is already producing significant impacts on marine ecosystems and their fisheries. Distributional, productivity, body size, and seasonality changes are already presenting challenges for stock assessment and management processes, with implications for the effectiveness of management decisions. Given that a significant proportion of marine fish stocks are already overexploited (FAO 2024), climate-driven impacts put at risk the long-term sustainability of fisheries resources, their supporting ecosystems and the livelihoods that depend on them.

There is broad agreement that adaptations to the consequences of climate change in fisheries management are urgently needed, but examples of climate-adaptive fisheries management are rare. The reasons for this are diverse, including that: stock assessment models rely on principles of stationarity and fixed population model parameters; climate change projections have a mismatch of scales with stock assessment and management decisions; fisheries advisers may find a challenge to include future scenarios that are subject to large uncertainties, while managers would have to consider the legal implications of decisions that could be contested; and shifting distributions of transboundary species that require new data collection, monitoring, assessments and international cooperation and coordination.

This town hall will explore how to incorporate climate change projections in fisheries management by discussing three overarching questions: What are the expected impacts that we need to consider? How can stock assessments incorporate these impacts and their associated uncertainties, which may be significant? And what flexibility can be introduced into the fisheries management cycle in order to foster adaptation and strengthen fisheries resilience?

The ultimate objective of this town hall is to broaden a community of action on climate-adaptive fisheries management, to foster discussions on how current and emerging scientific research can address key questions, and gather best practice principles, opportunities, and guiding examples. This discussion will contribute to objectives of sustainability, equitability, and safety of ocean-based food systems as well as effectiveness, equitability, and safety of ocean-based approaches to climate change adaptation, thereby contributing to broader goals of the conference. The target audience for this townhall will be intentionally cross-cutting, bridging disciplines and stakeholder groups, including experts (e.g. climate-change, fisheries), practitioners and managers (e.g. fisheries bodies), and policymakers.

The event is being co-organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the FishMIP consortium, with assistance from the Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER).

The International Platform for Ocean Sustainability (IPOS) is a groundbreaking initiative to bridge the gap between diverse knowledge systems and actionable insights for policymakers, accelerating progress toward sustainable ocean management and conservation. This side event will serve as the official launchpad for IPOS’s “test phase,” an ambitious experimentation process involving a wide range of stakeholders.
With high-level presentations and an interactive panel discussion, the session will explore the potential of IPOS to synthesize inputs from science, indigenous knowledge, and civil society to inform international commitments and targets. Attendees will hear from a geographically diverse and gender-balanced panel of experts and youth representatives, reflecting the multidisciplinary and inclusiveness of the initiative.
The event aims to highlight IPOS’s role as a facilitator of actionable change. By weaving diverse knowledge sources into a cohesive strategy, IPOS aligns with the Ocean Decade's overarching mission to advance sustainable development goals for the ocean. The session will also seek feedback from attendees to refine the initiative during its test phase.

This session will explore how the growing blue economy requires a strategic rethinking of education, research, and workforce development to address sustainable development challenges. As the blue economy evolves, new professions are emerging at the intersection of marine science, technology, and socio-economic innovation. These roles demand forward-looking training and interdisciplinary research to tackle complex environmental, economic, and societal issues, while strengthening industry connections to ensure practical impact. Key to this transformation is developing skills in areas like ocean monitoring, autonomous marine technologies, and digital tools for data analysis and ecosystem management. These advancements are reshaping how we interact with marine environments, promoting more sustainable practices. Emerging skills in sustainable fishing, tourism, decarbonizing maritime transport, and marine renewable energy are vital for aligning economic growth with environmental preservation. Innovations in climate-neutral fuels, wind propulsion, and nature-based solutions help reduce the ecological footprint of maritime activities while boosting local economies and preserving cultural heritage. To fully seize these opportunities, it’s essential to bridge the gap between academia, education, and industry. Research must align with the needs of the blue economy, ensuring academic insights become practical solutions. Collaborative frameworks involving universities, industry, and policymakers will promote innovation and ensure training programs meet sector demands. This approach will accelerate the development of new technologies and practices, providing students and professionals with real-world experience and industry-relevant skills. The global scale of these challenges underscores the importance of inclusive collaboration, particularly for the Global South. Tailored capacity-building, inclusive partnerships, and technology transfer must ensure blue economy opportunities are accessible to all. Frugal innovation will be critical in developing cost-effective, adaptable technologies that address regional needs, empowering communities worldwide to adopt sustainable practices. By focusing on equitable access and local empowerment, the blue economy can become a driver of global equity and resilience. Meeting these objectives requires reimagining education and training systems. Interdisciplinary Master’s programs, vocational training, and lifelong learning initiatives for students and professionals will equip future workers with the necessary knowledge and skills for blue economy careers. Programs combining environmental science, engineering, economics, and law will produce a workforce capable of managing marine resources, adapting to climate change, and fostering maritime innovation. Research will play a pivotal role in closing knowledge gaps and driving innovation. Key priorities include marine biodiversity conservation, sustainable aquaculture, and technologies for waste reduction and pollution management. These efforts must be integrated into educational frameworks and co-designed with industry to ensure practical relevance. This panel will showcase real-world examples of how education, research, and industry collaboration can generate impactful results. Existing models, such as the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), will demonstrate how cross-sector collaboration fosters sustainability. The session will provide actionable recommendations to guide global efforts toward a sustainable blue economy, emphasizing the importance of integrating education, research, and industry to balance economic growth with environmental responsibility. It calls for collective investment in preparing the next generation of professionals to address the challenges and opportunities for oceans and coastal communities.

In recent years, the critical role the ocean plays in the Earth’s life-support system, as well as its importance for the sustainable development of our societies and economies has been increasingly recognised, and emphasised at the highest political levels. An adequately funded, sustained, and truly global ocean observing system is essential to support informed decision-making, in the context of policy frameworks such as the Paris Climate Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. It is also critical to the success of global assessments, such as the UN Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, including Socioeconomic Aspects (or “Regular Process”) and the upcoming International Panel for Ocean Sustainability (IPOS).

More than ever, it is critical that the world’s governments prioritise funding of ocean observations and their coordination at the global level, to complete a comprehensive Global Ocean Observation System (GOOS), covering all aspects, and at the granularity required for accurate forecasts. Full planned deployment of GOOS has slowed in the last decade, hampered by fragile long-term funding arrangements. While a global system for measuring physical Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) - and to a lesser extent chemical EOVs- is in place (albeit with geographical gaps and fragile funding), biological and ecosystem observations for monitoring the health of our ocean have yet to be operationalised.

The proposed Town Hall will bring together members of the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO) - Directors of oceanographic research institutes from around the world- to discuss the urgent need for sustained, global ocean observations to support global policy frameworks and assessments, the current funding landscape, possible new models for sustainable, long-term funding, and the return on investment to be gained from ocean observations and the information they provide in support of sustainable development.

The session will discuss how research and innovation can accelerate the protection and restoration of the Ocean and the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the High Seas Treaty in particular. It will showcase tried and tested innovative solutions for protecting and restoring marine biodiversity and ecosystems under the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters and discuss how to promote their uptake and deployment by communities in Europe and beyond. The session will discuss how to better connect communities dependent on healthy ocean with the necessary knowledge and innovative solutions to support them in becoming resilient, climate-neutral and future-proof.

This session aims at showcasing how research funders can support reaching the 10 objectives of The Ocean science Decade through different mechanisms/funding instrument from regional to national to international cooperation and from fundamental to solution-oriented research. This research also contributes to UNSDG 14: Life below water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development as well as to other UNSDGs such as those related to climate, biodiversity or equity. The Panel members will address different scale of funding from national to international. Different international initiatives will be presented with information of new funding opportunities to contribute to develop research and innovation initiatives. The format of the session will be a panel.
Outcomes:
-Information of the international scientific communities about recent and future calls for research proposals (including engagment with stakeholders)
-Exchange between the different funders on good practices
-Increase cooperation between the funders to achieve to have joint calls or common approaches to respond to research needs
-Promote association of local funding to national funding to EU and international funding
-Tracks to mobilize private funding to be associated in join calls with public funders

As climate change continues to have profound impacts on the oceans, there is an urgent need for solutions and reliable indicators to assess these effects on marine ecosystems and extreme events. The ocean plays a pivotal role in regulating the Earth’s climate, absorbing over 90% of the excess heat generated by greenhouse gas emissions and acting as a significant carbon sink. Consequently, understanding the changes in oceanic conditions is crucial not only for monitoring the health of marine ecosystems but also for forecasting and mitigating extreme events such as marine heatwaves, tropical cyclones, and coastal flooding.
Data from the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) underpins our understanding of the ocean’s role in climate regulation, ecosystem dynamics, weather and extreme events. Yet, in most countries, this critical infrastructure does not have identified and sustained funding support and collectively we face critical gaps in observational coverage—particularly in areas that we need to navigate a sustainable future, biodiversity, carbon, arctic, and deep-sea regions. A robust and sustainable global ocean observing system provides critical earth information for accurate climate modelling, disaster preparedness, and sustainable, evidence-based decision-making. Combining satellite technologies with in-situ observations, forecast models, and digital twins of the ocean, as an integrated support system that delivers essential data services for governments worldwide is also needed, however long-term investment into such collaboration falls short of what is required. Leveraging initiatives such as the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), and World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) offers opportunities to clearly identify and close these gaps.
The growing societal demand for comprehensive ocean information across diverse economic sectors highlights the need for a shift from sector-specific observation systems to holistic approaches. These new approaches should incorporate economic and societal parameters alongside traditional environmental data, such as ocean temperature, sea level, and carbon content.
A crucial element of this transition will be to include cost effeecitve and innovative technologies, such as autonomous sensors and platforms, citizen science, and participatory observation systems. These components are essential to enhance coverage in under-observed regions and provide real-time data for early-warning systems aimed at mitigating the risks of extreme ocean and weather events.

The design, coordination, and implementation of a comprehensive observing system—one that integrates multiple stakeholders, disciplines, and themes—require a thoughtful and strategic approach.
This involves:
Outlining a roadmap for expanding and consolidating existing observation frameworks to include a focus on extreme events and their impacts.
Incorporating observatories that monitor ecosystems, societal impacts, and economic parameters, alongside traditional physical variables, to capture the multifaceted nature of climate-driven changes.
Ensuring the feasibility and efficient implementation of the proposed system, by aligning resources and fostering collaboration between governmental agencies, research institutions, and civil society.
Identifying priority areas for pilot systems and demonstrators to validate methodologies, ensure scalability, and refine predictive models that link ocean dynamics to atmospheric and socio-economic extremes.

The Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) is a key moment for updating the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 14 in relation to those of the Kunming-Montreal Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Target 3 of the GBF, known as the 30x30 objective, aims to protect 30% of terrestrial, inland water, and of coastal and marine areas, but importantly also sets out essential qualitative elements that must be considered. Protected and conserved areas must be effectively managed, equitably governed and must achieve positive outcomes for biodiversity.

The IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas Standard is recognized and promoted by the CBD and the Barcelona Convention as a voluntary standard to measure protected area management effectiveness, contributing also to SDG 14. The associated Green List certification provides an independently assessed means of identifying those sites that meet the Green List Standard. As an evidence-based system, it helps protected and conserved areas improve or establish management plans, backed by guidance and metrics for governance, ecological integrity, long-term adaptive management strategy, . To date, 95 sites have been Green Listed, from 18 countries, while 379 sites from 48 countries are formally engaged in the certification process; in addition, many sites around the world are using the IUCN Green List Standard to improve their management and governance.

This session will present the Green List Standard, highlighting how it can streamline best practice to improve the management effectiveness of MPAs, but also of networks of marine protected and conserved areas, and provide a common reference to report on the qualitative elements of the CBD GBF Target 3. Case studies will illustrate the diversity of its application. The intended audience is the marine protected and conserved areas community as a whole, including representatives of governments, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples Organizations, researchers, the private sector and civil society.

The plenary discussion will enable panelists together with the audience to formulate draft recommendations for the “Nice Ocean Action Plan” on how the Green List Standard and associated certification programme can be promoted as a common framework to assess current MPA management effectiveness, guide improvement pathways towards an international standard, and support reporting against global goals such as SDG14 and CBD T3.

The long history of the governance of ocean observation sheds light on the challenges facing the international community in strengthening the current governance of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). GOOS is a complex system of systems, implemented by a wide and diverse range of partners, from the academic to the private sphere, in many disciplines, and coordinated by numerous international, including two United Nations' specialised agencies, national and regional groups. The coordination and governance of ocean observations are therefore polycentric and require creative models to improve the efficiency of a rather fragile system, mainly funded by research initiatives.
Since its birth in the middle of the 19th century, under the impetus of Matthew Fontaine Maury and the scientists of the time, systematic observation of the ocean and atmosphere above it has been motivated by scientific and operational reasons. It was at an international conference in Brussels in 1853 that standards were first adopted, and then governance was gradually put in place. It is to this founding initiative that the history of today's WMO and of the GOOS can undoubtedly be traced, which shows the historical depth that led to the current governance of ocean observation systems.
The aim of this 'town hall' meeting is, by briefly recalling a few particularly instructive examples, to discuss possible and original ways of improving the current governance of GOOS to make it more sustainable. Should GOOS governance move closer to that of the World Meteorological Organization Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS)? Is this possible without a change in the very paradigms of GOOS? Are other models possible? What balance should be struck between the current approach led by the United Nations' specialised agencies and more targeted diplomacy led by motivated national entities, as history has sometimes shown?

The nations of the world have set ambitious goals for human and planetary well-being, e.g., Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), biodiversity (CBD and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework); Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), climate (UNFCCC), and ecological restoration (UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration). 144 countries have also pledged to recognize and respect the rights of all people, including Indigenous peoples (UNDRIP). Through its Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, the UN has set out to transform how ocean science and knowledge are gained, shared, and used in the pursuit of sustainable development. Achieving these goals will require new ways of amplifying the perspectives of all people and communities who depend on the ocean, and emphasizing the needs of Small Island Developing States and coastal Indigenous peoples.

In the lead-up to the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, the Ocean Knowledge Action Network is convening “Listening Sessions” around the world to gather insights for actionable ocean science to support sustainable development. Listening sessions have been held for Latin America and Caribbean, the Western Indian Ocean, and with students at many different universities. Additional listening sessions are planned in West Africa, among the Indigenous members of the Ocean KAN from eight Indigenous communities, and for Early Career Ocean Professionals and students.

This town hall will present findings of these listening sessions and gather additional input towards a joint statement reflecting bottom-up voices for the Science We Need for the Ocean We Want. We invite participants to join us in building this statement so that we can offer these often unheard perspectives to and solicit additional input from all those who will gather together at the UN Ocean Conference.

The ocean covers 70 percent of Earth’s surface and acts as a vast storehouse for both carbon dioxide and heat, amongst providing other ecosystem services vital to humanity. Whilst climate change is imperilling marine life, the ocean is increasingly recognised as being a key ally in the fight against climate change. Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) is a relatively novel ocean-based solution to climate change that has potentially huge mitigation potential, but is also controversial because of social and environmental concerns.

In this townhall session, we will present the findings of a new Blue Paper, commissioned by the Ocean Panel, on the ethical and effective development and deployment of mCDR approaches. Authors of the Blue Paper will present:
1) A review of status of current mCDR technologies, including their efficacy, cost, scalability, potential social and environmental impacts, and monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) needs.
2) A review of national and international governance considerations for mCDR, such as the application of the London Protocol and Convention.
3) A new, government-focused, Code of Conduct for the development and deployment of mCDR techniques.

Following this presentation, Peter Haugan will chair an open, candid, discussion on the three aspects above, with a particular focus on the content of the new Code of Conduct. The discussion will include contributions from the Blue Paper authors, Ocean Panel government representatives, and audience members.

The intended audience for this townhall session consists of scientists (with a particular focus on those working at the science/policy interface), and representatives of government and industry. Key outcomes include:
• Socialising the new mCDR Code of Conduct
• Facilitating constructive dialogue on its value and implications
• Advancing consensus among the scientific and policy communities of the place of mCDR as a responsible mitigation measure for climate change, ahead of the UN Ocean Conference.

The Ocean is undergoing dramatic changes due to climate change, pollution and the (over)exploitation of marine resources. Advanced ocean monitoring and prediction capabilities are urgently required to sustainably manage the Ocean, protect marine biodiversity and support climate change mitigation and adaptation policies.

The OceanPredict 2024 Symposium « Advancing Ocean Prediction science for societal benefits » (https://www.oceanpredict24.org/), organized by the OceanPredict/ForeSea programme in collaboration with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC) was held from November 18-22 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The event marked a significant milestone in global ocean prediction science. It brought together 350 on-site participants and attracted 1,500 online registrations from around the world, highlighting its importance within the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030. The symposium reviewed the recent achievements and discussed the main challenges required to advance the development of ocean reanalyses, analyses and prediction capabilities in response to societal needs. The event included sessions centered around ocean predictions from physics, sea ice to biogeochemistry and from global, regional to coastal scales. It covered new developments in ocean predictions (observations, modeling, data assimilation, ensemble approaches, machine learning / AI, digital twins, etc.), ocean prediction systems and services, and user applications and societal benefits.

This town hall meeting will build on the OP’24 symposium outcomes and the activities of the relevant UN Decade programmes and the OceanPrediction UN Decade Collaborative Center to present a call for action for an international mobilization to advance ocean prediction capabilities in response to societal needs.

The one-hour session will be organized around a series of talks summarizing OP’24 discussions and outcomes. The session will gather international speakers from a large range of countries and several ECOPs. It will be concluded with the presentation of the call for action.

Our oceans are the key to life to on Earth.  We have a duty to ensure their sustainability. The acquisition and dissemination of ocean knowledge is essential to the task.  Human activities have resulted in the study of coastal and epipelagic zones, but only since the first half of the 20th century have we had the capability to study deeper columns of water.  Until then, what lived and took place deep below the surface could only be surmised, leaving life beyond photosynthesis shrouded in mystery, affording this realm a special role in the folklore of many coastal civilizations. Today, we are able to dive to full open depth and have established the importance of the ocean to planetary health.  The mesopelagic zone which starts at 200m and extends down to 1000m, where light no longer reaches, is estimated to contain most of the life on Earth in both numbers of species and biomass.  And yet it is the region of our planet about which we know the least.  Today this area is studied using various sampling methods and underwater vehicles, however the scarcity of scientific submersibles able to operate within those depths has limited our observation and knowledge, at a time when this knowledge has never been more important in shaping public policy regarding ocean health and resources. More submersibles should be built to change this, however the high costs associated with building, operating and maintaining such vehicles has led to only a select few countries acquiring the necessary capability.  One way to overcome these obstacles would be to leverage private enterprise in opportunities that engage the public interest in experiencing the deep ocean, at the same time funding scientific pursuits.   This Town Hall would showcase some of these opportunities.

GlobalHAB is an international programme sponsored jointly by the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. The GlobalHAB mission is to improve understanding and prediction of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in aquatic ecosystems, and management and mitigation of their impacts. Over two decades, the scientific steering committee of GlobalHAB (and formerly GEOHAB) has rallied global attention around the need for rigorous inquiry into the dynamics, ecophysiology (including toxicology), and environmental drivers of HABs. These scientific advances are now poised to push the envelope on solutions for societal benefit, spawning the newly endorsed UN Decade Programme HAB-Solutions (HAB-S), which aims to provide novel and transformational science-based solutions for sustainable management and use of marine resources and ecosystem services affected by HABs in a changing world. HAB-S initiatives include 1) Preventing, controlling & mitigating HAB events (PCM), 2) Advancing HAB observing tools and technologies, 3) Making HAB data equitable and accessible, and 4) Improving HAB literacy. HAB-S will engage stakeholders to ensure region- and HAB-specific research products (e.g., early warning systems, data portals, and information products) are equitable and globally accessible to users according to FAIR and CARE data sovereignty principles. Participatory research, co-design, and co-development are recurring themes across HAB-S initiatives. This Town Hall will bring together a panel of leaders to discuss a holistic vision for tackling wicked problems forcing rapid change in the global ocean and contributing to a rise in the geographical expanse, toxicity, and ecosystem and societal impacts of HABs.

The primary challenge in supporting enhanced and sustainable uses of marine ecosystems is to enable current and future growth in the blue economy while promoting the associated development of coastal livelihoods and fully considering the need for ecosystem protection. This challenge explicitly involves managing human impacts on the earth's marine and coastal systems, while also managing the feedback on coastal communities, industries, stakeholders, and civil society.

Addressing this challenge requires moving beyond the traditional areas of research that have been supporting ocean policy for decades, to develop the integrated evaluation of marine socio-ecological systems. Understanding these complex systems is a challenging new area of research that requires multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. Such an integrated approach to marine systems is relatively new, as previous research efforts have often dealt primarily with single sectors.

The session will focus on recent ICES and PICES progress in response to the needs of their member science communities to address this challenge. Catalysed by the UN Decade, this has in particular led to the PICES/ICES initiative SmartNet, which aims to develop integrated assessment and integrated management approaches to support sustainable multiple ocean uses. Emphasis will be on the institutional, methodological and empirical challenges involved in developing such integrated approaches, and lessons learned to inform the future evolution of marine science and ocean policy. A key element will be the integration of wider-based knowledge systems than heretofore, including rights- and stake-holders, indigenous peoples, local ecological knowledge and civil society perspectives on ocean goods and services.

Given the crosscutting nature of its focus, the session will be of broad relevance to the OOCS themes. However, it will centrally inform topics identified under themes 3 (“Protection and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems to ensure sustainable and equitable management”), 7 (“Sustainability, equitability, and safety of ocean-based food systems” and 10 (“Vibrant science to inform and support ocean action”) of the OOSC.

The proposed town hall will first highlight diverse and inclusive capacity development strategies employed by the UN Ocean Decade endorsed Early Career Ocean Professionals Programme (ECOP Programme). We shall share the lessons learned from the past four years and discuss recommendations for further cooperative actions. In the second part of the town hall, moderated open discussion with the audience, the event will discuss current gaps in achieving better inclusivity, specifically funding gaps for certain geographies, inclusion of underrepresented communities, and challenges for the successful uptake of capacity development opportunities. We will touch upon geopolitical, intergenerational, and intersectoral aspects of inclusivity, and discuss ways to amplify the voices of those often underrepresented in high-level discussions. We will review DEI tools that can be used in capacity development activities, such as inclusive language, assertive communication, and consideration of cultural background. As a UN Ocean Decade programme working with and for ECOPs, with over 6,000 members across over 160 countries, we are in a unique position to share the voices and perspectives of these professionals to ensure more effective and inclusive ocean policies and solutions for all.

All our speakers, chairperson, and moderators are ECOPs. The moderators are included in the list of suggested speakers. Although it is problematic to confirm anyone’s participation almost 6 months before the Congress, we have done our best to ensure that the suggested list is geographically diverse. Currently, the list of our speakers, chairperson, and moderators features nationals of Ireland, Switzerland, El Salvador, Morocco, Canada, and Russia, however we expect that representatives of the different ECOP Programme nodes and task teams of many other nationalities will be involved as speakers from the audience in the moderated second section of the town hall. If the application is successful, we will ensure even broader representation of nationalities.

Our target audience will be ECOPs and established professionals, working in the capacity development field, such as training providers, interested in identifying ways to solve related capacity development challenges. We also welcome anyone interested in sharing their experiences related to barriers and inclusivity challenges in capacity development and career growth within the ocean sciences.

This town hall strives to share the successes of the ECOP Programme in their capacity development work and aims to find innovative and efficient solutions to address specific challenges related to capacity development/sharing. By ensuring an inclusive, international, and intersectoral atmosphere, we aim for an impactful and meaningful event by supplying concrete suggestions for further capacity development. The moderated open discussion will provide some successful examples of solving capacity development challenges by highlighting stories from our worldwide experience. The audience will be invited to share their experiences and learn new ways for creating opportunities that are truly inclusive. The open discussion will be highly interactive and action-oriented. This will result in a post-event report with a set of recommendations and actionable strategies that will feed into UNOC3 discussions.

As global warming intensifies, innovative carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies are increasingly recognized as critical and marine CDR (mCDR) or ocean negative carbon emission (ONCE) approaches have shown great potential for using the ocean reservoirs for long term carbon sequestration. On the other hand, such technologies need to be developed and applied with a strong sense of responsibility, transparency, equitability, and inclusiveness, to ensure minimal negative impacts on the marine environment. This town hall event aims to bring together scientists, engineers, private sector leaders, governmental officials, and philanthropists to discuss the current state of mCDR research and explore strategies to implement and scale ONCE technologies in alignment with global climate goals and to safeguard marine ecosystem services. In particular, the town hall session will address the growing interest in Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE), and the need for responsible research, transparent data sharing, and international coordination to ensure that these technologies are implemented equitably with appropriate monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) put into place. This exchange of ideas is crucial for advancing mCDR research and ONCE technologies, prioritizing both scientific rigor and environmental protection. By leveraging public-private partnerships and fostering cross-sectoral collaboration, the event will help accelerate the development and responsible research into and deployment of mCDR, enhancing its potential to contribute to global climate resilience that can be sustained by an equitable and robust carbon market.

Ocean Vision Legal is pioneering a project to bring together best practices on environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and Rights of Nature to help ensure that human activities respect and preserve the intricate and invaluable ecosystems and species of the Ocean. The United Nations itself has stressed that in order to maintain the quality of life that the Ocean provides to humanity, a change will be required in how we view, manage and use the Ocean. Our template framework is intended to be released prior to UNOC3 and provide a basis for discussions in this workshop.

Rights of Nature, or Ocean Rights requires that the impacts on the rights and intrinsic values of the marine environment are assessed separately from those to human health, sociocultural or economic impacts, even in the absence of the certainty or evidence of risk to individuals. Additionally, according to Ecuador’s Constitutional Court, the use of Nature’s elements “may under no circumstance jeopardise its existence and the maintenance and regeneration of its life cycles, structure, functions and evolutionary processes.” How can these and other obligations under Ocean Rights help inform the development of EIAs?

States have the obligation to protect and preserve the marine environment under Part 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Though quite arguably the most important obligation, it has been largely ignored, in part due to a lack of understanding of what the obligation entails in practice. However, this obligation arguably provides for the application of the highest standards of protection, protection from future damage and maintaining or improving its present condition. What do such obligations mean in the context of developing EIAs?

Likewise, best practices reveal we must work to understand what baseline conditions are, and what “healthy” and “serious or irreversible harm” looks like from an ocean-centric point of view, not just a human dimension. Arguably, this not only requires an ecological and holistic perspective, but an understanding of both the best available science and sufficiency of that information, as well as the inclusion of both western science and Indigenous and traditional knowledge. How do our assessments or metrics for what constitutes significant harm to the marine environment influence the outcomes of EIAs? How can such metrics be defined in order to help ensure the purposes of EIAs, to prevent environmental degradation, are fulfilled? Rather than aiming to prevent ecological harm, can we aim for higher— to ensure the maintenance or improvement of the marine environment's health?

We seek to convene scientists, advocates and policy makers to discuss what best practices exist in ocean governance and how they may be evolved in the context of EIAs. The inputs from this meeting will be the start of a global consultation process that will inform the development of OVL’s evolved EIA framework. This framework has the potential to ensure effective implementation of ocean law and policy, as well as international treaties such as the UNCLOS, CBD and BBNJ Agreement, where EIAs are a central implementation measure for such Conventions.

Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTO) presents transformative opportunities for advancing sustainable ocean management.

The townhall, through panel discussions and interaction with diverse stakeholders, including scientists, policymakers, and community representatives, will focus on key themes such as:
- Sustainable Ocean Management: Participants will examine practical applications of DTOs. A case study will illustrate how DTOs can enhance decision-making by providing visual but science-based, what-if scenarios, enabling stakeholders to better manage fisheries, prevent pollution, or address climate impacts.
- Observations, Data Ecosystems and Interoperability: Effective DTOs rely on adequate ocean observations and robust, interconnected data ecosystems. The townhall will discuss the importance of integrating diverse data sources, from satellite observations to citizen science. Addressing the challenge of data interoperability, participants will explore ways to ensure that data from different sources can be harmonized and used across platforms, enabling seamless collaboration between ocean researchers, policymakers, and industries.
- DTO Architecture: Technical discussions will cover the core architecture of DTOs, including the development of scalable, modular frameworks that can be adapted to various regions and environmental conditions. Experts will delve into the computational requirements, highlighting innovations in cloud computing and AI that support the development of realistic and accurate DTOs.
- Governance, Equity, and Capacity Building: The success of DTOs hinges on effective governance and equitable access to resources. The townhall will examine the frameworks needed to ensure transparent, inclusive governance of ocean data and models. Special attention will be given to equity in the distribution of DTO benefits, emphasizing capacity-building initiatives for developing countries and marginalized communities. Ensuring that all stakeholders—especially those most affected by ocean changes—can access and contribute to DTOs will be critical in promoting global ocean sustainability.

Through this townhall, participants will collaborate on strategies to harness the power of digital twin technology, advancing collective efforts toward healthier, more resilient oceans for future generations.

The townhall is proposed jointly by the European Commission, the DITTO Decade programme and the G7 Future of the Seas and Ocean working group.

The world coastal zones are suffering numerous hazards of natural and anthropogenic origin. These include climate-related extreme events, sea level rise and ground subsidence, causing temporary and permanent flooding, coastal erosion and retreat, aquifer salinization, loss of biodiversity, etc. With the development of a large variety of advanced sensors aboard satellites, and the growing amount of available data, space-based Earth Observations (EOs) are increasingly being used to better support hazard monitoring, mitigation, adaptation and risk management. The EO datasets provide human society with the benefits of a synoptic view of natural hazards and their associated risks. The purpose of this Town Hall is to bring together scientists and stakeholders from different horizons involved in different aspects of coastal geohazards and their impacts on society and the environment, and exchange about the benefit of using Earth Observation data to monitor coastal changes due to natural phenomena and anthropogenic forcing factors as well as associated impacts on populations, environment and infrastructures. Gaps in knowledge and in observational systems will be identified and perspectives of improvement will be discussed. Another objective is to address opportunities of collaborations between the international scientific community, local research institutes, national and intergovernmental agencies, and the private sector for developing a global effort directed to monitor changes affecting the world coastlines and the associated risks, using a broad variety of space observations -combined with in situ data where available and high-resolution modeling-. Such an ambitious programme would be an invaluable first step towards mitigation and adaptation.

" Blue Energy: The new frontier of the Costa Rica’s ocean-based energy portfolio" delves into country agenda for the planning, development and use of innovative non-conventional renewable energy solutions, mainly focusing on ocean-based sources such as offshore wind and waves. As a well-known international pioneer, in clean and renewable energy, Costa Rica has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainable practices, achieving important milestones in reducing dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation and fostering energy transition through decarbonization of the economy.
The country’s geographical positioning, with two coasts in Caribbean and Pacific side, provides wide-ranging of potential for harnessing ocean energy, with significative theoretical installed capacity from offshore wind in the Northern Pacific and small but constant waves waiting to be harnessed as an affordable, clean and reliable source of blue energy. Since 2013, Costa Rica has initiated an ambitious national project to explore these potentials, most particularly led by the Costa Rica Institute of Electricity, a public entity in charge to produce and distribute energy in all country. This institution has embarked on mid-term program research to building offshore wind capacity and developing economic, financial, legal and environmental condition to boost an offshore wind project that aims to capture the vast energy resources available in the north of Pacific coastline. In addition to offshore wind energy, Costa Rica is actively researching and investing in wave energy technologies. The nation's coastline offers a prime opportunity to leverage wave power as a sustainable energy source.
This town hall meeting will feature an international forum on Costa Rica’s blue energy path, regarding strategic initiatives, technological advancements, as well as challenges and opportunities in expanding its blue renewable energy portfolio. Participants will gain insights into Costa Rica’s journey and prospects in achieving energy sustainability and resilience through innovative ocean-based energy solutions.

“30x30” - the goal to protect 30% of the land and sea by 2030 - has focused largely on permanent or long-term protection. This is based partly on studies linking marine protected area effectiveness to old age, as well pragmatic policy concerns. However, as coastal communities relying on fisheries for their livelihoods seek to find ways to balance conservation and livelihood outcomes, many forms of spatial fisheries management - especially traditional and indigenous management - rely on impermanence, including periodic and rotational protection, as well as protected areas that expire after a period of time. Could and should temporary protection count towards 30x30? The international “TEMPO” research team, a 5-year partnership between four universities and two community partner organizations in Mexico and French Polynesia, brings together several lines of evidence to speak to this question. In this Town Hall, the TEMPO team presents novel results from several scales of social-ecological analysis, and we critically discuss our findings with external experts to bring concrete lessons for ocean policymakers. The novel research we present and synthesize includes a global systematic review of temporary protection; fisheries and social-science data collection across 50+ cases of temporary protection in Mexico and French Polynesia; and in-depth ethnographic and participatory ecological data from six sites in Mexico and French Polynesia. We analyse these compelling, contradictory, and contextualized data into four main arguments: (1) there are diverse ways to include time with spatial management; (2) adding time to marine spatial management increases climate-adaptive policy options and potential for institutional fit; (3) temporary closures frequently increase equity and justice; and (4) periodic harvest tends to deplete ecological benefits that have accrued, but support long-term buy-in into ecological care. Our Town Hall includes several speed-talks from the TEMPO team (30 minutes), followed by a lively round table discussion of policy lessons (30 minutes). The round table discussion will be open to questions and commentary from the audience and we invite attendees to share experiences from cases of temporary closures. This Town Hall will be an opportunity to advance global dialogues on temporary marine spatial management.

Blue tourism holds significant potential to drive sustainable development, protect marine ecosystems, and support local livelihoods. However, poorly managed tourism can strain fragile ecosystems and deepen socio-economic inequalities. Among its most pressing challenges is overtourism, which places pressure on oceans, leading to pollution, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation. Particularly, the rapid and often unregulated growth of cruise tourism stands out. Concentrating large numbers of visitors in ecologically sensitive areas, cruise tourism exacerbates these impacts, often offering limited benefits to local communities. This event aims to take stock of the scientific literature on the impacts of tourism on society and environment, and foster dialogue on policy pathways towards sustainability. Tourism is a large and rapidly growing ocean economy sector with large impacts on coastal ecosystem services including small scale fisheries. Can it be turned into a driver of restoration and sustainability?
Participants from diverse coastal regions (e.g. Mediterranean, Europe, Caribbean, Western Indian Ocean) will explore research insights and sustainable practices, emphasising the need to strengthen connections between science, policy, and practice. A core objective is to align scientific insights with policymaking and practical actions. Science offers critical evidence to understand tourism's impacts and design sustainable frameworks, yet its integration into policy is often limited. By convening researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society representatives, this event provides a platform to inform actionable solutions. Themes will include mitigating cruise tourism's socio-environmental impacts and advancing governance models that balance economic growth with ecosystem preservation. Interactive presentations and panel discussions will enable stakeholders to share experiences, identify commonalities, and develop cross-regional solutions. Participants will highlight best practices and propose innovative approaches to enhance decision-making, creating a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient blue tourism sector.
This event’s value lies in catalysing collaborations, fostering partnerships, and generating actionable recommendations. A policy brief will translate discussions into practical guidelines, promoting stronger connections between research, policies, and practices. By advancing this critical dialogue, the event offers a unique opportunity for stakeholders to co-create solutions that balance economic development, environmental preservation, and community well-being.

UNEP, FAO, and UNDP, in close consultation with DOALOS - the interim secretariat of the BBNJ Agreement, are collaborating to support countries toward ratification of the BBNJ Agreement. There is strong political momentum towards having, by UNOC-3, the 60 ratifications required for the Agreement to enter into force.
The BBNJ Agreement is grounded in science, with the use of the best available scientific information and the use of relevant traditional knowledge being among its general principles and approaches. Essential to the successful implementation of the Agreement is therefore to have a multidisciplinary, inclusive and accessible science-base that leaves no one behind and is foundational to the value proposition for countries.
In an ABNJ context blue natural capital has characteristics of global public goods as they happen to be non-excludable and non-rival, their conservation and sustainable use requires international cooperation. A successful implementation of the BBNJ Agreement will likely require mainstreaming values of biodiversity and ecosystem services into decision-making. It will also require appropriate financing, including innovative financing partnerships and incentivising private-sector financial contributions.
Scientific knowledge is fundamental in the processes under the Agreement relating to the establishment of area-based management tools, including marine protected areas, and to environmental impact assessments. Promoting marine scientific research and marine technology development and transfer are key objectives of the Agreement in relation to marine genetic resources, including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits, and to capacity-building. A Scientific and Technical Body is established.

The session aims to bring experiences from states parties to Regional Seas Conventions and/or members of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, concerning scientific knowledge gaps and marine technology challenges on national and regional scales in relation to the Agreement. It will further focus on identifying how to value natural blue capital in national planning.
Questions to be emphasized will include data and knowledge required from science that are critical to countries, institutions, and relevant societal actors. In that context, the multiple dimensions of ecological connectivity between areas beyond national jurisdiction and areas within national jurisdiction will be addressed, as well as the economic, social and ecosystem benefits arising from the BBNJ Agreement. Innovative public-private partnerships to mobilise financial resources will also be explored. Questions will be centred around:
What data can be leveraged across related multilateral environmental agreements (e.g. CBD, CMS, CITES, Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans…) and regional fisheries management organizations in support of the BBNJ Agreement?
How can we better understand and value blue natural capital in ABNJ to inform decision-making for the conservation and sustainable use of BBNJ?
How can science and data, including from the traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, inform the sustainable management of activities in ABNJ, incl. fisheries, shipping and mining, and assist assessing cumulative impacts on marine biodiversity?
The Townhall aims to share latest science, foster dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders in relevant fields and hence to accelerate the ratification of the BBNJ Agreement and inform its future implementation. This includes providing a compelling value proposition of the Agreement for States, in particular the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, geographically disadvantaged States, small island developing States, coastal African States, archipelagic States and developing middle income countries. Experiences will be shared to explore the science showcasing the significance of BBNJ as a contributor to the achievement of global goals and targets on sustainable development, in particular SDG 14, and other goals and commitments related to marine biodiversity and climate change.

Motivation:
Small-scale fisheries (SSF) play a key role in sustaining both marine resources and biodiversity and associated socioeconomic uses, and thereby contributing to the United Nations development targets and goals. This has been demonstrated in recent years through innovative science-based approaches including transdisciplinary and sustainability research. However, data-poor situations in the North and the South hinder evidence-based decisions for ocean governance and equitable management of marine resources. For instance, the effectiveness of coastal marine protected areas and ‘other effective area-based conservation measures’ (OECM’s) requires a knowledge base that is often lacking, even though these tools are a crucial part of local to international frameworks, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Similarly, fisheries management relies on the timely production and interpretation of data to respond to internal and external changes in dynamic social-ecological systems.

How, then, can the knowledge base, and in particular the research and systems to build the knowledge base, make a stronger contribution to SSF management and policy frameworks in practice? This question is addressed in the “Which knowledge do we want?” town hall meeting. The aim is to see how more participatory knowledge co-production and knowledge sharing can lead to better governance and greater sustainability of small-scale fisheries and coastal biodiversity – across scales (i.e., at the local, national, and international levels).

Using expertise from throughout the world, the town meeting will be build on the output of the Illuminating Hidden Harvest program (https://www.fao.org/voluntary-guidelines-small-scale-fisheries/ihh/en), the 4th World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress held in South Africa in November 2022 (https://tbtiglobal.net/world-small-scale-fisheries-congress/), the Small-Scale Fisheries Summit held at FAO headquarters in July 2024 (https://ssfhub.org/ssf-summit-2024), and major international initiatives such as the Small-Scale Fisheries Stewardship Project (https://ssf-stewardship.net/), BRIDGES (https://www.bridges-wio.com/) and AABS (https://worldfishcenter.org/aabs) programs.

Target audience:
The town hall meeting will be relevant to fishing organizations, environmental non-government organizations (NGOs), policy makers, and international agencies, as well as researchers interested in a wide diversity of topics related to marine coastal biodiversity and fisheries (e.g., marine protected areas, spatial planning, local livelihoods, fishery value chain, governance, and knowledge systems) and those engaged in problem-solving approaches.

Expected outcomes:
With technical support from FAO, the meeting will provide evidence of the way forward and concrete, national- and international-level actions to bridge the scientific community with those actors, implementing organizations, and funding agencies that are part of and/or support SSF systems and value chains. We expect to produce tentative answers to a set of key questions that can lead to improved policy and practice: How can the ‘right’ forms of knowledge assist in balancing positive and negative interactions between SDG 14 (Life below water) and socially-relevant SDGs in SSF governance and policies? How can global and regional networks support knowledge co-production in marine ecosystems and fisheries? How can SSF and biodiversity knowledge be most effectively shared among stakeholder groups and inform decision-making? What knowledge, and what uses of that knowledge, would promote more equitable distribution of socioeconomic benefits and secure the livelihoods of vulnerable communities? How should data limitations in the global South be addressed in the long-term?

MOTIVATION:
The CASSANDRA Programme , coordinated by EURECAT with the support of over 200 supranational administrations, NGOs and research centres addresses four key socio-political consequences of climate change: public health issues, gender inequality, migration, and the exacerbation of the effects of armed conflict. The programme is the identification, development and nurturing of at least 300 local community organisations over a four-year period, in the Mediterranean, Africa and after 2026, India, South-East Asia and the Americas. There are, for the period up to November 2025, 20 Pilot Local Climate Forums in Somalia (3), Kenya (3), Sudan (2), Palestine (1), Nigeria (3), the Democratic Republic of Congo (1), Uganda (2), South Africa (1), Libya (1) and the Euro-Mediterranean region (3). CASSANDRA chooses to work in highly challenging scenarios, to demonstrate: 1) The importance of local people initiating and implementing community actions if supranational ambitions are to be translated into tangible results. 2) That scientists and technologists have a socio-political responsibility to communicate clearly with, and support, communities facing climate change issues, serving as Science Embassies when required by the community. 3) The necessity of a robust capacity to establish a direct link between supranational, international and national entities and local people willing to fight for their homes, their environment, and their future through effective dissemination of the local community actions’ successes and failures and the enabling of face-to-face dialogue between the different political and social actors. 4) By directly engaging with existing social activists and community-driven initiatives, CASSANDRA makes the citizen involvement process cheaper, simpler, and more effective. Rather than creating artificial communities or external projects, the programme aligns with the needs, ideas, leadership, and implementation capacity of the local communities affected by climate change. This ensures that actions are sustainable and self-owned by the communities. Research, policy making and data collection instead of constituting artificial instigators become beneficiaries of a far more knowledgeable and genuinely engaged group of citizen scientists. CASSANDRA is already working with a number of coastal communities and the purpose of the proposed Town Hall, is to demonstrate the worth of its methodology in relation to ocean-based issues.
TARGET AUDIENCE:
The target audience would be researchers, policy makers at a supranational, national, regional and municipal level, multinational, national and SME representatives of the private sector, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and interest groups with a strong connection to not only technical and scientific ocean-based issues but also those concerned with the socio-political drivers and consequences that affect the global state of oceans.
EXPECTED OUTCOME:
The expected outcome of the TOWN HALL would be 1) an enhanced awareness of the role of the local coastal and riparian communities in addressing ocean-based issues 2) the promotion of the training of scientists and technologists from the very beginning of their careers to acquire the skills to communicate in an accessible way with non-scientific sectors of the community 3) a closer collaboration between scientific institutions (Science Embassies), citizens and supranational administrations through permanent dialogue and consultation.

The global Argo program has demonstrated that mass autonomy can enable highly efficient global and realtime subsurface ocean monitoring. Argo's open data architecture strengthens equity in ocean knowledge and research, and underpins many societally important services. OneArgo is a proposed ambitious expansion of Argo to include the full ocean depth, the polar seas and to monitor ocean chemistry, carbon and plankton parameters. If implemented, OneArgo will enable and improve a large range of new ocean, climate and carbon prediction and knowledge services. We will discuss the present status of the international OneArgo effort, its potential future impacts and a call for action to implement it by 2030.

The high and growing prevalence of hunger and malnutrition in the world suggests that global food systems are failing to provide equitable access to safe, nutritious, sustainable, affordable, and culturally preferred food. A transformation of food systems is therefore needed, as highlighted by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. Aquatic foods hold a unique potential to contribute to this transformation thanks to their high nutritional value, importance for livelihoods, cultural significance, and relatively low environmental impact, but the lack of a whole food systems approach to their management prevents us from achieving their potential.
The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (hereafter, Ocean Decade) Vision 2030 process outlined the science, knowledge, and innovation needs required to optimise the ocean's role across a number of challenges, providing an excellent platform to enhance connectivity between aquatic food systems science and broader ocean users and governance. As part of this, science needs to “Sustainably nourish the global population” (Ocean Decade Challenge 3) were identified to ultimately deliver a ‘Blue Transformation’.
Our Town Hall event will summarise several key recommendations that emerged from the Challenge 3 White Paper, providing an overarching understanding of the gaps and opportunities for aquatic food systems science. It will provide an opportunity to frame global discussions on the science needs and gaps to support action on equitable and sustainable aquatic food systems and identify key pathways and synergies to effectively leverage these. While numerous international initiatives have focused on policy and practice solutions to challenges in aquatic food systems, our event highlights that each of these proposed solutions has specific science needs to be identified and addressed.
Key guiding questions of the event will be: (1) What are the main challenges that aquatic food systems are facing?, (2) What are the main science objectives and specific needs that must be addressed to optimise the role of aquatic food systems in tackling hunger and malnutrition?, and (3) How can we strengthen the science-policy-practice nexus to support aquatic food systems?
The target audience for this Town Hall will be intentionally cross-cutting, bridging disciplines and stakeholder groups, including experts (e.g. ranging from nutritionists, economists, to climate-change specialists), practitioners and managers (e.g. fisheries bodies, blue economy organisations), and policymakers from both the industrialized and emerging nations. By having this wider array of audience members, the event itself will promote a whole food systems approach in the way it tackles aquatic food systems science needs.
The outcome of this Town Hall will be recommendations on how to make the science needs to support a Blue transformation identified by the Vision 2030 process more actionable within the UN Ocean Decade.

The UN Ocean Decade Programme for Blue Carbon in the Global Ocean (GO-BC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) propose to co-host a Townhall Meeting to promote the fundamental values of science (biogeochemistry, ecology, oceanography, etc.) which are increasingly required to deliver the evidence that underpins policy change, supports a just transition, and creates credible and emergent nature-based solutions (and markets for finance) that are necessary to achieve meaningful and lasting ocean solutions.

A science-focused dialogue on blue carbon opportunities and challenges will be particularly timely at OOS2025, demonstrating how blue carbon initiatives can benefit climate, people, and nature.

This Townhall Meeting will bring together leading blue carbon researchers and supports a growing interest in blue carbon science among the UN Ocean community - reflected in a growing number of scientific publications, science-based ocean actions, and the emergent nature restoration markets that are underpinned by blue carbon evidence.

Panelists will be solicited widely to ensure that the dialogue captures and articulates (i) the ethos and value of fundamental scientific research; (ii) the need to support (and fund) blue skies research; (iii) the value of investment in early career researchers as future ocean leaders; (iv) the opportunities and added value of engaging local communities (and youth) as meaningful project research partners; (v) the need for regional knowledge hubs to be established and to share best practice and scientific skills to build in-country capacity and knowledge; and (vi) the growing need for an ocean science community who understand and are prepared to engage with policy makers and others to effect fundamental changes in the management of our seas.

All are welcome (science , media, and policy); refreshments will be provided.