The Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) and the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) play crucial roles in supporting international agreements focused on protecting marine biodiversity. These systems provide essential data and infrastructure for monitoring, assessing, and managing ocean biodiversity, directly contributing to the objectives of both the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).

As the ocean component of a Global Biodiversity Observing System (GBiOS), both OBIS and GOOS are recognised by CBD COP16 for their role in supporting the GBF monitoring framework, enabling countries to track biodiversity and assess progress towards the GBF 2050 goals and 2030 targets of ocean, species, and ecosystem protection. OBIS is specifically included in the GBF framework to develop complementary indicators for Target 20 ("Strengthen Capacity-Building, Technology Transfer, and Scientific and Technical Cooperation for Biodiversity") and Target 21 ("Ensure That Knowledge Is Available and Accessible To Guide Biodiversity Action").

The BBNJ Agreement emphasizes transparency and data sharing, especially through its Clearing-House Mechanism, to support the information requirements for environmental impact assessments (EIAs) prior to authorizing activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). It also manages access and benefit sharing on Marine Genetic Resources (MGRs), as well as the development of area-based management tools, such as marine protected areas. GOOS, through the definition of its essential ocean variables can guide the observing community to ensure that concurrent and complimentary observations required for assessing change and the effects of impacts are collected in standardised and robust ways. OBIS, with its extensive database of marine life observations, can directly contribute to this mechanism by providing data essential for assessing potential biodiversity impacts, guiding the EIA process, identifying risks, and informing mitigation measures. Additionally, OBIS data supports the identification of areas that need protection and informs design of effective management strategies for these regions. In addition, when Implementing sample batch identifiers would allow OBIS to track and trace the use of MGRs.

OBIS and GOOS are essential components in the global effort to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity. By providing open access to data, coordinating observations, and supporting key processes outlined in international agreements like the CBD GBF and the BBNJ, they empower countries and stakeholders to make informed decisions, monitor progress, and ultimately achieve the goals of these agreements.

How to cite: Lear, D., Tattersall, K., Appeltans, W., Evans, K., Canonico, G., and Lara-Lopez, A.: Contributions of OBIS and GOOS to CBD and BBNJ, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-1164, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-1164, 2025.

*Please note that I am submitting the following abstract for IOC session 2 (Connecting ocean science to global biodiversity goals: observations, data and knowledge to support GBF and BBNJ implementation)

The use of the best available science and knowledge to inform decision-making is touted as a cornerstone of effective ocean governance, yet realising this in practice remains a significant challenge. As such, the new agreement pertaining to the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (the BBNJ Agreement) offers a new opportunity to enhance and advance science-policy-society interfaces in international ocean governance processes. However, realising this opportunity necessitates proactive consideration of what science and knowledge will be required under the BBNJ Agreement, how it can be best translated into action, and what barriers or challenges might frustrate this in practice.

This presentation will explore the diverse scientific information and knowledge that will be required across the four pillars of the Agreement – marine genetic resources, area-based management tools, environmental impact assessments, and capacity building and transfer of marine technology – and will showcase the range of available mechanisms and modalities to support the generation, collation, and integration of BBNJ-relevant knowledge. Drawing on research exploring existing science-policy-society interfaces, as well as lessons learned from engaging with deep-ocean scientific networks and capacity development initiatives, this talk will emphasise the need for a comprehensive and cross-cutting approach to enable inclusive, knowledge-driven governance of BBNJ. From international cooperation in deep-ocean research, to apt institutional arrangements such as a fit-for-purpose Scientific and Technical Body, it will map pathways for knowledge exchange and uptake and highlight key considerations for implementation. These findings are particularly relevant to the BBNJ Agreement as it moves towards entry into force, but also offer wider insights into approaches that ensure that the best available science and knowledge serves as a tool for both ocean sustainability and ocean equity.

How to cite: Gaebel, C.: From Science to Action: Realising Knowledge-Based Governance for BBNJ, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-669, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-669, 2025.

A biodiversity crisis is unfolding in our world ocean with direct exploitation, climate change, pollution and alien invasive species as the main anthropogenic drivers. To respond to this crisis, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) set an ambitious plan to protect biodiversity on land and in the ocean through 4 Goals and 23 Targets to be met by 2050. To assess progress towards meeting those goals and targets, a monitoring framework of the GBF includes proposed headline, component and complementary indicators. However, many of these indicators have originated on terrestrial ecosystems and their applicability in the ocean has not been evaluated. For the deep ocean in particular, some of the headline indicators may not even be feasible to use. For example, Goal A aspires that the integrity, connectivity and resilience of all ecosystems are maintained, enhanced, or restored, substantially increasing the area of natural ecosystems by 2050, and will be assessed based on four indicators. Two of these, A.2 “the extent of natural ecosystems” and A.4, “the proportion of populations within species with an effective population size > 500” are not quantifiable in the deep ocean presently because of lack of data. However, indicator A.1, “Red list of ecosystems”, may be useable, at least for some deep-sea ecosystems. In this presentation, we will discuss the current feasibility of using the proposed indicators in the deep-sea context, using specific examples. We will address current gaps in scientific knowledge that may hinder the application of the monitoring framework of the GBF in the deep ocean and suggest ways forward. It is anticipated that the GBF will form the basis for the implementation of many elements of the BBNJ agreement and identifying the science needs that can support concurrently the implementation of both agreements to help advance the conservation of deep-ocean biodiversity. 

How to cite: de Mendonça, S. and Metaxas, A.: For IOC session 2: Monitoring progress of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in the deep sea, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-381, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-381, 2025.

The Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) and its associated Ocean Decade programme ‘Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability’ (OARS) aim to provide society with the observational and scientific evidence needed to sustainably identify, monitor, mitigate and adapt to ocean acidification; from local to global scales. In line with Target 8 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), OARS identified the need to increase the understanding of ocean acidification impacts to protect marine life by 2030 as one of the priority areas for OARS action.  

The complexity of bridging chemical and biological changes associated with ocean acidification is often underestimated. Today, projections of ocean acidification impacts rely mainly on measuring proxy variables like pH, carbonate saturation state, temperature, and salinity, and coupling these to simplistic thresholds, to speculate about the likely status and trends of biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, the spatio-temporal frequency of the chemical observations are not adapted to infer biological response. Moreover, the impacts of ocean acidification on marine organisms, and the ecosystems they form, are complex and depend on a multitude of other environmental conditions, ecological interactions and biological trade-offs. There is an additional need to consider factors, such as the adaptation of organisms to local chemical variability and evolutionary processes, which can modify ecological responses and interactions, as well as moderating the role of other environmental drivers or stressors.

OARS identified a series of activities to achieve GBF Target 8 and support countries to report towards the respective indicators. As a first step, a comprehensive inventory and gap analysis of coastal, estuarine, and ocean observing programs that conduct co-located and simultaneous carbonate systems and biological observations will be conducted. This assessment combined with a large body of experimental evidence, as well as data collected under the mandate of SDG 14.3.1 (supported by GOA-ON and custodianship with IOC-UNESCO), will be used to guide nations in creating policies to minimize the impact of climate change and ocean acidification on biodiversity as requested in the GBF Target 8 indicator. OARS will provide guidance on how to optimally use these resources to develop effective adaptation and mitigation strategies in support of national action. The ultimate ambition is to preserve marine biodiversity, ecosystem health and resilience, and human communities who depend upon it.

How to cite: Dupont, S., Isensee, K., Widdicombe, S., Kenworthy, A., and Newton, J.: Bridging chemical and biological changes to address and mitigate ocean acidification? , One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-1101, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-1101, 2025.

Achieving global commitments to protect and restore nature, such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), is imperative and requires action at multiple scales. Countries have been required to align these goals within their respective policies to safeguard ecosystems, reduce pollution and ensure sustainable use of resources. For the marine realm, Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) offers a powerful tool to support biodiversity, combining science, stakeholders’ inputs and an ecosystem-based approach. An MSP process that is ‘biodiversity inclusive’ presents an opportunity to align human activities in a consistent manner to reduce pressures and preserve biodiversity.

Recognizing the opportunity to reinforce biodiversity as key to ocean health and aiming to support countries developing and implementing participatory, integrated planning to avoid biodiversity loss (GBF target 1), UNESCO-IOC, the European Commission and UNEP partnered to co-develop recommendations on how to further include biodiversity considerations into MSP processes and plans. The recommendations were co-developed with practitioners and researchers from different parts of the word, building on their experience and expertise. These experts were brought together during online workshops to discuss the concept of biodiversity inclusive MSP, challenges and recommendations on how to advance it. Contributions were compiled, harmonized, revised and completed through an iterative process to develop actionable recommendations organized around the stages of the planning cycle to facilitate uptake. This process facilitates knowledge-transfer from different research projects, making it accessible to practitioners and policy makers. The publication develops the concept of biodiversity inclusive within the wider framework of the ecosystem-based approach that underpins MSP.

How to cite: Fonseca, C. and Quesada da Silva, M.: Co-developing recommendations for biodiversity inclusive Marine Spatial Planning, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-1010, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-1010, 2025.