Addressing the causes and consequences of ocean acidification is imperative for the preservation of marine life and the overall health of the planet and society. By understanding, mitigating, and adapting to the impacts of ocean acidification, we can strive to safeguard the health and resilience of our ocean and the countless species that depend on them, including humans.
However, widely applied, practical solutions for mitigating and adapting to the impacts are still lacking. Recognizing this, the global ocean acidification science community, led by the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON), responded to the call of the Ocean Decade, and put forward a roadmap for the ocean acidification science we need for the ocean we want (Dobson et al 2022). This vision, the Ocean Acidification for Sustainability (OARS) programme was formally endorsed by UN Ocean Decade in 2021. This programme provides a blueprint for action to deliver towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 14.3, “Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels”.
In order to deliver the OARS vision of providing society with the observational and scientific evidence needed to sustainably identify, monitor, mitigate and adapt to ocean acidification; from local to global scales, seven Outcomes were defined.
This Technical Report sets out, for the benefit of the whole ocean community, scientists, science communicators, policy makers and stakeholders, the relevant outputs, activities, and enablers that will be required for these Outcomes to be achieved.