The latest annual Ocean State Report makes clear that the pressures facing our Ocean are intensifying but we know that Ocean recovery is possible and we have solutions on how to make this happen. The challenge now is not only one of ‘managing the Ocean’, but of managing better decisions and behaviours to reduce human impact on the Ocean.
Ocean science is fundamental to understanding what is happening and why, and to informing and developing the sustainable Ocean we need. This is reflected in the UN Ocean Decade and its ten challenges, which recognise both the need to increase our knowledge of the Ocean and to change society’s relationship with it.
But sharing knowledge, while incredibly valuable, is not enough on its own. Research informing the UN Ocean Decade’s Challenge 10 identifies the need to support human behaviour change through capability, opportunity and motivation. Supporting this will enable people to use their knowledge and behave in ways that support a healthy Ocean.
We also know that creating personal, emotional and cultural connections with the Ocean can foster citizenship and stewardship, helping people to develop the motivation and capability to value and protect it.
The pressures facing the Ocean are shaped by what people do and by the systems in which those decisions are made, so creating the conditions for people to act is essential to lasting behaviour change.
At the Ocean Conservation Trust, our approach is grounded in a simple principle: people are not separate from the Ocean. They are part of its ecosystem and determine its future. Lasting Ocean recovery therefore requires investment not only in nature, but in people.
For us, an Ocean-literate society understands, values and cares for the Ocean and has the knowledge, skills, confidence and opportunity to act. Ocean Literacy goes beyond knowledge of Ocean processes. It is about understanding the relationship between the Ocean and our everyday lives, developing a meaningful connection with it, and having the confidence and capacity to make Ocean-positive decisions.
That approach sits alongside practical action. Through Blue Meadows, we work to protect, regenerate and restore seagrass habitats, increasing the health of the Ocean and supporting the benefits a healthy Ocean brings to people. By combining restoration with engagement and stewardship, we can help create a lasting legacy for Ocean recovery.
Ultimately, investing in people’s connection with the Ocean is an investment in society’s ability to look after, restore and benefit from a healthy Ocean, with impacts that reach far beyond the marine environment. By enabling people to develop sustainable, pro-Ocean behaviours, we can protect Ocean health and, in turn, support our own health, economic resilience and climate.
