Advancing inclusive and actionable ocean science: a values-driven approach to funding, knowledge, and leadership

This position paper calls to transform how ocean science is imagined, funded, and practiced, so that it reflects the values, priorities, and leadership of those impacted by ocean change.

The systems that govern ocean science still mirror historical barriers and inequities. Power asymmetries persist across funding, authorship, and governance. There is a profound need for inclusive and actionable ocean science that is co-designed with those on the frontlines of ocean change.

To address this, the Foundations Dialogue, an informal, global network of community, corporate, and private philanthropic funders working together to support the Ocean Decade, calls to center values for inclusive and actionable ocean science.

The position paper “Advancing inclusive and actionable ocean science: A values-driven approach to funding, knowledge, and leadership” aims to stimulate dialogue on how values underpin the actions taken by funders that shape inclusive and actionable ocean science, leading to evidence-based decision-making at local, national, regional, and global levels.

With five years remaining in the Ocean Decade, there is a powerful opportunity to galvanize global actors to address ocean decline and support the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.