Science Storytelling in the Ocean Decade

The most recent issue of ECO Magazine celebrates the start of the United Nation's Decade for Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). 

The Ocean Decade marks a new era of ocean knowledge and understanding, and offers ocean stakeholders an unprecedented opportunity to drive global change.

"It will be important that diverse actors come together to ensure that the Ocean Decade responds to the needs of users around the world, leaving no one behind," writes Dr. Vladimir Ryabinin, executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, in his opening statement that inaugurates this edition. 

Within the pages, you will find a collection of stories about the different initiatives and debates contributing to each of the Ocean Decade's seven societal outcomes: a clean ocean, a healthy and resilient ocean, a productive ocean, a predicted ocean, a safe ocean, an accessible ocean, and an inspiring and engaging ocean. It has been a privilege to provide a platform for our global and diverse ocean science community to share your views and initiate conversations around how to achieve the science we need for the ocean we want. From citizen society projects and innovative solutions to thoughts on inclusivity and leadership, this edition has it all. 

In the words of the former UK Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir Mark Walport, science is not finished until it is communicated. Over the coming decade, we have a responsibility to share scientific progress with global audiences to improve our collective understanding of the complex issues surrounding the ocean. With this in mind, I'm pleased to see so many young and varied voices submitting stories to the magazine. 

Science storytelling will be essential for achieving public buy-in and driving change—but must represent the diverse voices and perspectives that form our global ocean science community. We live in a privileged time for science communication, a time where almost anyone anywhere can share science with a click of a button. Now is the time to use these tools and grow the global narrative around ocean science and sustainability—leaving no one behind. 

There is much we can learn from the likes of Mars Perseverance and the communication ethos employed by those in the Space sector. While significant discoveries happen few and far between—and in galaxies far, far away—our space colleagues have had enormous success in maintaining a continuous open dialogue with global audiences and gaining public engagement. They take everyone with them on a journey of discovery. 

We all have a role to play in creating a continuous global narrative around ocean sustainability and taking the public with us through the Ocean Decade on this critical journey of ocean discovery and understanding.  

It has been an honour to produce this edition in partnership with IOC-UNESCO. I hope to have the opportunity to share your stories through ECO Magazine in the coming decade and that you enjoy this very special edition. 

Read the issue here