The interplay between science and policy is a complex and multifaceted relationship, particularly in dynamic fields like Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). Drawing on nearly two years of experience at Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, this perspective highlights the challenges of bridging these realms. Unlike controlled scientific experiments, policymaking offers no definitive methodologies, no before-and-after comparisons, and no universal guidelines, each scientist's journey is unique, shaped by their expertise and environment. Policymaking is a high-pressure, fast-paced process where decisions often need to be made on the spot, leaving little or no time to consult academic papers or even succinct policy briefs. Managers, who are often not scientists, face significant challenges in accessing and interpreting the vast range of knowledge necessary for informed decision-making. This necessary knowledge requires an ongoing education and capacity building for managers in leadership positions. Beyond internal challenges, managers must also engage with society, ensuring that planning and decision-making processes are inclusive and participatory. Societal involvement is critical for building trust and fostering a collective buy-in for policies, particularly in fields that directly affect local communities and stakeholders, like coastal and ocean management. Transparent communication and collaborative approaches help bridge the gap between technical expertise and public needs, ultimately strengthening the legitimacy and effectiveness of policy outcomes. Moreover, planning often feels like science fiction, as urgent, high-stakes issues emerge daily, some with the potential to shift national priorities and even impact international agendas. In this context, managers cannot rely solely on individual expertise, they must build and maintain networks of scientific colleagues and collaborators who can provide rapid, reliable insights when critical decisions must be made. Ultimately, the integration of science into policymaking requires adaptability, robust networks, and an acceptance of uncertainty. For scientists entering this domain, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, advocating for better training of policymakers, and promoting societal participation are crucial steps toward bridging the science-policy gap and ensuring evidence-informed governance as essential strategies for impactful contributions.

How to cite: Scherer, M.: Science-Policy Interface: A Scientist's Journey in Coastal and Ocean Management in Brazil, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-212, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-212, 2025.

The ocean science, society, and policy interface represents a crucial collaboration where transdisciplinary research on ocean ecosystems and climate impacts shapes policies to manage and protect ocean resources. This synergy ensures that societal needs—ranging from economic reliance on fisheries to cultural and recreational values—are integrated into policy-making processes. Essential components include robust communication and public involvement, nurturing a society committed to ocean health. Comprehending human-ocean interactions requires appreciating the ocean in terms of its biophysical, cultural, social, intrinsic and economic value, alongside local and Indigenous knowledge, all connected to global social wellbeing. Consequently, critical ocean literacy empowers communities to make informed choices and champion sustainability. This collaboration supports adaptive management strategies that integrate new scientific findings, ensuring sustainable ocean use, conservation for future generations, and cohabitation with ocean life forms. This synergy enables adaptive management strategies that evolve with new scientific discoveries, ensuring sustainable ocean use and conservation for future generations. This presentation will illustrare how establishing cross-sectorial, national and cross-national partnerships to advocate for governance structures that  prioritize health of both humans and the ocean and that also address underlying political, economic, and ethical causes of planetary crisis will support the creation of effective science-society-policy interfaces

How to cite: Santoro, F., Morandeira Barbeito, P., Lovat, V., de Magalhães, A. V. T., Gottfried Burguett, E., Intonti, G. M. S., Tombolini, A., and Coulton, J.: Enhancing the science-society-policy interface through ocean literacy with and for all , One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-300, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-300, 2025.

This presentation shares insights from the recent experience of the author as a US State Department Science Envoy for Ocean Sustainability participating in Partnership Opportunity Delegation (POD) visit to the small island developing state (SID) of Cabo Verde, Africa. PODs are highly curated, multi-day agendas of bilateral meetings, roundtables, and private networking events to explore areas for meaningful collaboration and partnerships to advance priorities in specific sectors and policy areas. They include a diverse range of ocean experts from industry, start-ups, academia, financial institutions, philanthropic organizations, non-profits, ecosystem developers, diasporans, and other government partners. The theme of the POD was Blue-Green Futures, held also under the auspices of the first Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation (a multilateral forum of 42 countries – Atlantic coastal N America, S America, Africa, Europe, Caribbean, putting the ocean at the center of US Atlantic diplomacy). We created SDG14-focused business-to-government, business-to-business, and scientific academic partnerships in marine and climate research, renewable energy, ports and shipping, aquaculture and seafood processing and packaging, eco-tourism, and information technology. In addition, we learned much about how the Cabo Verdean diaspora, especially in the northeastern US, is a critical and strategic pillar in the country’s conservation science and economic development. For example, 18% of the country’s GDP comes the diaspora in terms of remittances, purchases of goods and services, and direct investments, and will be a key driver in the growth of eco-tourism. Discussions with the Minister of the Sea, the Minister of Tourism, Minister of Finance, the Secretary of State for Digital Economy, and the Prime Minister himself were productive in further understanding the aspirations and activities of Cabo Verde in developing all aspects of their Blue Economy, on issues of biodiversity assessment and protection, their national strategies and action plans therein, and how this will be important for the economies across the entire Atlantic Cooperation. In sum, I argue that the example of a partnership opportunity delegation should proliferate all the more during the UN Ocean Decade as part of the vibrant science needed to inform, support, and accelerate ocean action.

How to cite: Wright, D.: Partnership Opportunity Delegations as an Inclusive and Effective Means of Science-Policy-Society Interfacing, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-633, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-633, 2025.

The current environmental urgency means that we need data on the ocean, to understand its changes and potential solutions. Although citizen science data have been identified as a potential contribution to meeting international requirements (Fraisl et al., 2020; Fraisl et al., 2023; Danielsen et al., 2024), there is still a long way to go. The reporting requirements of official monitoring programmes, e.g. under MSFD 2008/56 EC or WFD 2000/60 EC, are still reluctant to integrate citizen science data, while some successful experiences at national level are already in place (e.g. descriptor 10 MSFD). On the other hand, due to the establishment of data libraries for the digital twin of the ocean there is an urgent requirement for data, including citizen science. Furthermore, consolidated structures are gathering and validating  citizen science data, such as specialised structures such as the MINKA citizen science observatory, or international aggregators such as EMODnet and GBIF. However, there are still some gaps in the data pipeline from data to policy mainly for the data citation and data providers acknowledgement. Despite significant data collection efforts and standardization initiatives, achieving consistent data quality remains challenging in citizen science due to diverse stakeholder requirements and varying accuracy levels across projects (Balázs et al, 2021; European Commission, 2021). However, several European-funded projects are currently working on data validation, accreditation and data provider recognition such as MINKE Project (Metrology for Integrated Marine Management and Knowledge-Transfer Network), ENFORCE (Empowering Citizen for Environmental Action), Guarden (safeGUARDing biodiversity and critical ecosystem services across sectors and scales) and Marine biodiversity monitoring harmonisation. Nevertheless, in order to achieve official recognition of citizen science, it is essential that international, European institutions and Member States facilitate its integration into monitoring programmes and environmental agreements within the regulatory framework. The research infrastructures could have the potential to facilitate data accreditation for end-users in terms of the data management processes. A showcase of best practices on how citizen science can shape environmental compliance supporting legislative requirements will be provided, focusing on both realised benefits and untapped potential.   

Reference

B Balázs, P Mooney, E Nováková, et al, 2021, Data Quality in Citizen Science Chapter 8 in K. Vohland et al. (eds.), The Science of Citizen Science, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58278-4_8

Danielsen, F, Ali, N, Andrianandrasan, H.T., et al, 2024. Involving citizens in monitoring the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Nat Sustain (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-024-01447-y

European Commission: Joint Research Centre, Mitton, I., Tricarico, E., Schade, S., Lopez Canizares, C. et al., Data-validation solutions for citizen science data on invasive alien species, Publications Office of the European Union, 2021, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/694386

Fraisl, D, Campbell, J, See, L, et al., 2020. Mapping citizen science contributions to the UN sustainable development goals. Sustainability Science, 15(6): 1735–1751. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-020-00833-7

Fraisl,D, See, L, Campbell, J, et al, 2023, The Contributions of Citizen Science to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Other International Agreements and Frameworks Citizen Science: Theory and Practice 8 (1): 27. DOI: 10.5334/cstp.643

How to cite: Salvo, V. S., Soacha, K., Alvarez, A., and Piera, J.: Integrating citizen science data into European legislation: a critical examination of the pathway from data to policy., One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-668, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-668, 2025.

The Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change — MedECC —is an independent scientific network focused on assessing available scientific knowledge on climate and environmental change and its associated risks in the Mediterranean basin. MedECC is a unique science-policy interface in the Mediterranean that aims to provides essential, region-specific information to stakeholders, governments, and citizens, enabling to make effective, informed decisions. In 2024, MedECC published the Special Report on Climate and environmental coastal risks in the Mediterranean basin, which assesses the scientific, technical and socio-economic literature on the multiple drivers of change affecting the Mediterranean (climate, pollution, biologic and socio-economic processes), their evolution, impacts on ecosystems and people, the risks that are posed and solutions to reduce them, together with pathways for sustainable development.

Climate change is already affecting both the terrestrial and marine components of the Mediterranean coastal zone. Projections show an increase in surface air temperatures, frequency and intensity of hot extremes, sea level, evapotranspiration and a decrease of precipitation, which, depending on the level of future greenhouse gas emissions will pose serious risks for ecosystems and important economic sectors (summer beach tourism, agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries). Along the Mediterranean coastlines, rising sea levels will exacerbate the risks of coastal floods, permanent inundation of some areas, and coastal erosion, with impacts on ecosystems and coastal structures, such as airports, transport networks, ports, and cultural heritage sites. Growing urbanisation will further increase the risk posed by flash floods in some coastal areas.

Risks of water scarcity in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean are expected to increase in the future. They are caused by the overall drying trend affecting the region, salinisation of coastal aquifers, increasing demand associated with population growth, irrigation, tourist use, industry and the energy sector. Adaptation options consist in increasing water supply, improving water quality, supporting measures and governance, and to a lesser extent, reducing water demand.

Recent past mass mortalities in coastal waters and the decline of coastal wetlands have been already partially attributed to marine heat waves and are expected to increase in the future. The efficiency of the conservation measures strongly depends on the success of climate change mitigation and an increasing number of hard limits will be reached for every increment of global warming.

In the Mediterranean coastal zone, present actions towards solutions to environmental problems, adaptation to climate change and its mitigation are insufficient to attain the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and transformative actions across all sectors, systems, and scales are required to meet the SDG’s will not be met. These requires the proper identification of vulnerabilities related to human activities and climate change impacts, and assessment of options to reduce risks to the affected communities and ecosystems. A mix of legal, policy and economic instruments, and behavioural nudges are available at local, national, and regional level to promote effective and resilient development pathways in the Mediterranean coastal zone. 

How to cite: Lionello, P., Djoundourian, S., Llasat, M. C., Abdrabo, M., Belivermis, M., Burak, Z. S., Camuffo, D., Hilmi, N., Jimenez, J. A., Kholeif, S., Moncado, S., Pirani, A., Sanchez-Arcilla, A., Vafeidis, A. T., Gattacceca, J., Marini, K., and Guiot, J.: A new assessment of climate and environmental coastal risks in the Mediterranean, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-710, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-710, 2025.

Climate risks threaten the coastal areas all over the world. For a country like India, with a densely populated coastline, developing effective policies and management strategies to cope with the current and future climate risks is of vital importance. This paper examines the critical intersection of climate risks and coastal management in India, focusing on how inclusive science-policy-society interfaces can enhance actions supporting coastal climate resilience. Through a systematic literature review spanning three decades, it identifies the major climate risks affecting India's extensive coastline, which collectively pose significant threats to ecological and socio-economic stability. The paper further evaluates the current policies and frameworks on climate action and coastal management in India—such as the National and State Action Plan on Climate Change, Coastal Zone Management Notification and Disaster Management policies using the concept matrix approach to assess their effectiveness in addressing these emerging risks. The findings indicate a lack of comprehensive national policies specifically targeting coastal climate adaptation, with existing frameworks often subsuming coastal issues under broader categories. While the climate action plans of coastal states have components to address coastal vulnerabilities and adaptations, the lack of a national-level coastal adaptation policy is daunting. In addition, there has been a sustained dilution of conservation principles in the coastal zone management acts, as evidenced by the reduction in the no-development zones over the years. The paper carries out an in-depth policy analysis of the states and centres’ progress and preparedness in addressing the emerging coastal climate risks and emphasises a focus on a scientific understanding of the challenges and opportunities on the basis of which the policy and coastal management mechanisms have to be aligned. The disaster management policies and acts highlight the need for micro-level planning that integrates climate resilience into disaster management and coastal governance strategies, emphasizing the importance of fostering synergies among various sectors and institutions to enhance adaptive capacity and promote sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable coastal communities. The overall analysis of the national and state action plans, disaster management policies, and coastal regulation zone notifications in India shows that the integration of climate risk assessments into coastal adaptation planning is imperative for improving coastal resilience and sustainable development of coastal societies.

How to cite: Chandrababu, J., Sinha, B., and Bisaria, J.: Bridging the Science-Policy Gap for Coastal Resilience in India, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-903, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-903, 2025.

Coastal blue carbon ecosystems – mangroves, seagrasses and tidal marshes – are the most efficient natural carbon sinks on Earth on a per area basis, which makes them a key component of nature-based solutions to climate change mitigation. These ecosystems provide a wide range of additional benefits, contributing to climate change adaptation, biodiversity, ocean economies and livelihoods of coastal communities.

In line with its mission to promote international cooperation in ocean science to improve management of the ocean, coasts and marine resources, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO has supported scientific efforts aimed at increasing knowledge of the potential of coastal blue carbon ecosystems for climate change mitigation and adaptation for over a decade. Since 2010, the IOC has co-sponsored the Blue Carbon Initiative together with Conservation International and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

As the scientific understanding was increasing and the policy request for guidance on blue carbon action increased, IOC joined Australia as one of the founding Partners of the International Partnership for Blue Carbon (IPBC) in 2015,  and since 2020 is sharing the Coordinator role with the Australian Government. The aim of the Partnership is to provide an open forum for governments (currently 18) to connect with experts and practitioners in the field of blue carbon, including the BCI, allowing for an open dialogue between science and policy with the aim to strengthen global action towards the protection of these ecosystems. Building on the collaboration initiated within the IPBC, a group of countries following the leadership of France have formed a High-Level Ambition Group on blue carbon (HILAG), which aims at enhancing commitments to better integrate blue carbon efforts in the ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus at the highest political level and to develop innovative public-private finance approaches to accelerate blue carbon project development and showcase best practices.

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030, the Ocean Decade) has recently provided an additional opportunity for blue carbon scientists and experts from across the world to come together under the common framework of the Global Ocean Decade Programme for Blue Carbon (GO-BC), where IOC, the BCI and the IPBC are all partners to ensure blue carbon efforts are streamlined globally, while enhancing the scientific capacity worldwide implemented at the regional level. In line with the objectives of the Ocean Decade’s Challenge 10 "Restore society's relationship with the ocean", the IOC has also engaged local communities in ocean literacy and citizen science initiatives to empower them in becoming ocean stewards. Through strategic collaboration with local institutions, partners, and experts as part of the Save the Wave project, these efforts aim to strengthen society’s connection to the ocean, complementing the other initiatives at the science-policy interface.

How to cite: Bonotto, E., Isensee, K., and Lovat, V.: The role of the UN in promoting science-policy-society dialogue to accelerate the protection of coastal blue carbon ecosystems globally, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-996, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-996, 2025.

The Horizon Europe FOCCUS project (Forecasting and Observing the Open-to-Coastal Ocean for Copernicus Users, foccus-project.eu), is enhancing the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) for coastal zones. In collaboration with European Member State Coastal Systems (MSCS) and users, FOCCUS aims to improve and advance the coastal dimension of CMEMS by enhancing existing capability, developing innovative coastal products focusing on three key pillars: i) improving new coastal observations by fusing high-resolution remote sensing and in-situ data and implementing new technologies and approaches, including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods to improve accuracy; ii) developing advanced hydrology and coastal models including a pan-European hydrological ensemble for improved river discharge predictions, and establishing a unified coastal system by testing new methodologies in MSCS production chains while taking advantage of stochastic simulation, ensemble approaches, and AI technology; and iii) demonstrating innovative products and improved co-produced services that address both Environmental and Societal Challenges, enhancing the performance and societal relevance of coastal ocean forecasting systems in and downstream of CMEMS. As an endorsed action under the UN Ocean Decade’s CoastPredict program, FOCCUS aligns its efforts with international initiatives, fostering collaboration to address the complex challenges of coastal regions worldwide. FOCCUS collaborates with relevant international initiatives, such as the COSS-TT (Coastal Ocean and Shelf Seas Task Team under OceanPredict) and UN Decade programmes (such as CoastPredict, DITTO, and the Decadal Collaborative Center on Coastal Resilience (DCC-CR)). The project emphasizes co-production and collaboration with end-users, policy-makers, and local communities. Through stakeholder engagement and the development of new science-policy interfaces, FOCCUS enhances the societal relevance of coastal forecasting systems, supporting decision-making processes for sustainable coastal management and climate adaptation strategies. Ultimately, FOCCUS provides high-quality, trusted marine knowledge needed for evidence-based management, supporting a sustainable blue economy, and building climate resilience for European and global communities. The consortium consists of 19 partners from 11 countries bringing together a diverse range of expertise in oceanography, observational science, advanced modeling, and technology development, exemplifying the power of international collaboration in advancing ocean sciences and technologies.

FOCCUS is funded by the European Union (Grant Agreement No. 101133911). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

How to cite: Johnson, K., Staneva, J., Reyes, E., Tintore, J., Bonaduce, A., Verri, G., Federico, I., Terskii, P., Bartosova, A., Christensen, K., Jamet, Q., Melet, A., Meszaros, L., El Serafy, G., Kourafalou, V., De Mey-Frémaux, P., Kurapov, A., and Chen, W.: FOCCUS: supporting ocean action with improvements to European coastal monitoring and forecasting, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-1013, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-1013, 2025.

How to cite: Léandre, C., Morata, N., Fardoux, A., Hammer-Monart, J., Schwoob, M.-H., Gaill, F., Brodie Rudolph, T., Chlous, F., Provost, V., and De Lisle, M.: Climate-Biodiversity Nexus: Scientific and Policy Perspectives on Ocean Conservation, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-1279, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-1279, 2025.

Small-scale fisheries are critical to food security, livelihoods, and employment for millions of people globally. However, their management faces significant challenges due to complex socio-ecological dynamics, limited long-term data availability, and ineffective governance, particularly in developing countries. This study presents findings from an ongoing action research initiative aimed at informing decision-making in small-scale fisheries in Madagascar. The approach has combined participatory monitoring of the fisheries with stakeholder engagement processes since 2017. A collaborative online fisheries information system was developed to aggregate data and visualize key bioeconomic fishery indicators that revealed stock decline. Regional and national stakeholder platforms were established and addressed critical management issues, particularly the harvesting and marketing of juvenile crabs. They recommended improving gear selectivity to protect juvenile crabs, among other actions. A participatory fishing experiment was then designed and demonstrated that increasing gear mesh size would effectively decrease undersized catch. A bioeconomic model was further developed using a participatory framework and showed that this rule would positively impact both resource biomass and fishers’ income compared to the status quo. This harvest strategy was validated through a national workshop in 2022 with government support. Consequently two ongoing collaborative projects were launched in 2024 to evaluate the social and economic acceptability of this transformation in real-world conditions. Overall this case study demonstrates that the research initiative has structured interactions between scientists, stakeholders, and government at multiple scales, which has built trust and social learning created incentives for collective action. How such science-society-policy interactions may be institutionalized is under discussion. The findings provide a promising proof of concept for generalizing the approach to other resource use contexts in the South and the North to effectively address the complex challenges of small-scale fisheries and marine coastal biodiversity sustainability.

How to cite: Zafimamatrapehy, D. R., Fanambinantsoa, S. D., Jaosedy, N., Raberinary, D., Chaboud, C., Razanakoto, T., Mahafina, J., Thébaud, O., Charles, T., and Léopold, M.: Mobilizing participatory science for inclusive governance of small-scale fisheries in developing countries, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-1290, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-1290, 2025.

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (hereafter, “Ocean Decade”) provides a collaborative framework and critical opportunity for the global community to rally behind a core mission–transformative ocean science solutions for sustainable development, connecting people and the ocean. Launched in 2023 and led by IOC-UNESCO and 10 Working Groups of diverse experts across geographies, cultures, generations, and genders, the Vision 2030 process identified key recommendations and priority activities with tangible measures of success for each of the 10 Ocean Decade Challenges. As part of a set of White Papers, the Challenge 10 White Paper, Restoring Society’s Relationship with the Ocean, identified four key drivers to achieve this aim. The drivers include: 1) multiple knowledge systems; 2) communications; 3) education; and 4) cultural connections. The Challenge 10 White Paper, more broadly, positions ocean literacy as a societal outcome, indicative of greater understanding, value, and care for the ocean across all sectors of society. Achieving this ambition requires not only intentional, but informed and actionable collaboration among all ocean stakeholders. Importantly, this collective effort must be guided by science-policy-society linkages that directly inform, motivate, and enable the deepening of human-ocean relationships and pro-ocean behaviour to help close the knowledge-action gap. Understanding public perceptions, attitudes, knowledge, and values that connect us with (or disconnect us from) the ocean, including coastal and freshwater environments, can help to ground collective efforts in public resonance and societal relevance, informing direction and impact over time. Aligned with Theme 10: Vibrant science to inform and support ocean action, this session discusses the role of Public Ocean Perceptions Research (POPR)—a form of ocean literacy research—as a means to a) capture societal sentiments to provide baseline data across geographies, cultures, and sectors; b) illustrate how many POPR studies may unintentionally/unknowingly engage themes and dimensions of ocean literacy; and c) track changes in perceptions over time to assess the barriers, motivators, and enablers that impact the behavioural intentions needed to galvanize pro-ocean action. Importantly, we provide an overview of a substantive POPR global collaboration- the Ocean & Society Survey, sharing the design methodology and preliminary findings from the first 15 countries. Moreover, we will illustrate the value of evidence-based insights for shaping strategic communications and policy-making; for example by: a) identifying key levers and obstacles to ocean connection in order to inform communication approach; b) deepening audience understanding and enable audience segmentation; and c) contributing to measurement of campaign (and wider ocean literacy) impact. There is already an appetite for such data. A communications symposium held as an official satellite event of the Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona 2024 (as part of the Advancing Strategic Ocean Communication project, with 500+ global communicators) identified a collaborative research base as one of the key requirements to develop more impactful communications that ultimately mobilize public engagement toward an ocean-connected society. 

How to cite: McRuer, J., Glithero, D., and Hart, N.: Transdisciplinary Collaboration on Public Ocean Perception Research: Engaging Society to Inform Communication Campaigns and Policy, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-1313, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-1313, 2025.

To effectively address the challenges of biodiversity loss and the compounded impacts of various anthropogenic stressors, including climate change and ecosystem disturbances, a coordinated and systematic approach to ocean observation and policy alignment is essential. The current fragmented landscape of observation efforts hinders collective progress in advancing scientific understanding and responding to critical ecosystem tipping points.

To bridge these gaps, we are co-designing a comprehensive strategy that integrates policy recommendations with the development of standardized guidelines and regulations aimed at harmonizing and strengthening global and regional observation networks. This strategy focuses on enhancing evidence-based decision-making by fostering the co-creation and demonstration of operational, interconnected workflows. These workflows will cover the entire spectrum from observation system assessment and design to policy application, ensuring that collected data is robust, accessible, and directly applicable to management and governance frameworks in alignment with FAIR data principles.

Central to this vision is the co-creation of a comprehensive, fit-for-purpose, and inclusive Blueprint for Integrated Ocean Science (BIOS). This blueprint promotes a holistic approach and encourages effective communication and collaboration among stakeholders and sectors, enabling interoperability across systems. The production of white papers and policy recommendations will bolster European leadership in the ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus.

The EU-funded Co-Creating Transformative Pathways to Biological and Ecosystem Ocean Observations (BioEcoOcean) project leverage collaborative networks to promote best practices aligned with EU directives, such as the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), focusing on enhanced ocean observation, data curation, and standardization. A Community of Practice Forum (CoPF) will coordinate multi-disciplinary ocean observing efforts, engaging researchers, NGOs, industries and authorities. This co-creative approach bridges scientific research with practical application, fostering evidence-based policymaking and sustainable solutions. By integrating regional knowledge and promoting cross-sectoral partnerships, it enhances ecosystem services, socio-economic resilience, and long-term human well-being through impactful, science-based policies and sustainable environmental stewardship.

How to cite: Karaca Halén, D., Palacz, A., Soares, J., Krzymiński, D., Lepola, N., and Mtwana Nordlund, L.: Blueprint for Integrated Ocean Science (BIOS): Advancing Harmonized Observation Systems and Policy Coordination for Sustainable Ecosystem Management, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-1320, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-1320, 2025.

The proposal for a United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Ocean Decade) in 2016 emerged to elevate ocean science’ presence in global policy, promoting the ocean’s essential role in achieving all SDGs, such as those related to climate, biodiversity, and food security. With its vision of “the science we need for the ocean we want,” the Ocean Decade has since established an agile framework to promote and prioritize inclusivity, equity, and diversity to advance transdisciplinary and collaborative ocean science.

Launched in 2021 and now the largest global ocean science initiative, the Ocean Decade has catalyzed over 50 international programs, 400 national and regional projects, and fostered collaboration among over 4,500 institutions and 20,000 individuals. One of the Decade’s commitments is to co-design and co-produce actions empowering diverse actors, including scientists, Indigenous communities, policymakers, industry, and civil society, to shape and implement actions jointly. By actively involving all relevant stakeholders, the Ocean Decade builds science that is both locally and globally applicable, fostering a science-policy-society interface rooted in shared goals and needs.

Most Decade Actions aim at advancing transdisciplinary knowledge exchange, enhancing the global ocean community’s ability to address complex issues like climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. To achieve this co-design and co-production are essential elements since they integrate local perspectives into global conservation and policy frameworks, making ocean science not only accessible but also actionable and sustainable. By fostering partnerships among different actors, co-design and co-production bring diverse knowledge systems into ocean science, ensuring solutions are scientifically robust and culturally relevant and that the stakeholders’ needs are met by actively involving them in the design and implementation processes.

To facilitate and support these bottom-up collaborations, the Ocean Decade developed several frameworks for capacity development, knowledge exchange and digital engagement across different disciplines and geographies, strengthening the science-policy-society interface and enhancing the relevance of ocean science in sustainable development.

Several co-designed and co-produced Decade Actions support community-driven, inclusive solutions to global and local ocean challenges. These Actions represent a model to be followed for a shift toward ocean science that is actionable, accessible, and culturally sensitive, promoting equitable ocean stewardship at a global, regional and local scale.

How to cite: Bassan, N.: Co-design and co-production in the Ocean Decade, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-1458, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-1458, 2025.

The island of Mayotte has been experiencing water shortages for a number of years; the two hill reserves, as well as local boreholes and the only desalination plant on the island, are no longer sufficient to supply the population, particularly during droughts such as the one in 2023. Repeated water cuts and more or less scheduled water turns, coupled with the day-to-day living conditions of a large proportion of the population (including illegal immigrants), are now part of the destabilising factors on the island. Faced with what is proving to be an increasingly structural challenge to living conditions on the island of Mayotte, and in the wake of the drought following the 2023 rainy season, the government has issued a prefectoral decree, known as a ‘civil emergency’, to speed up the project to build a second desalination plant. Behind this political decision, taken under social pressure from a thirsty population, there are different relationships to temporality in the management of public affairs: the short, or even very short, timeframe of the civil emergency; the long, or even very long, timeframe of the construction and ecological dynamics of lagoon environments; and finally, the timeframe of science and the construction of its knowledge on an issue where the necessary multidisciplinary expertise comes up against the emergency context and the difficulty of sharing its conclusions with the general public. The way in which the project has unfolded over the months illustrates this.

How to cite: Longépée, E., Chevalier, C., Chabanet, P., Bigot, L., Gollety, C., Moreau, F., Devault, D., Villaret, C., and Leborgne, M.: The desalination plant project in Mayotte: an ideal-typical example of the confrontation of political, scientific and environmental temporalities, specific to climate change and its effects., One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-1503, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-1503, 2025.