The OA Alliance at CommOCEAN 2024
The International Marine Science Communication Conference, CommOCEAN 2024, was hosted at the Málaga Oceanographic Centre from the 25th to the 27th of November. This was the second time the OA Alliance participated in the event; this time as an invited expert discussing “Inspirational examples of engagement in international initiatives using storytelling.” Ms. Juliana Corrales, Communications Lead and Creative Consultant for the OA Alliance, joined a talented panel alongside Elsa Vercellino & Emma Verron from the University of Bretagne Occidentale (UBO) and Juanita Zorrilla from SUBMON, which was moderated by Ángel Muñiz Piniella from the European Marine Board.
Together the panelists provided compelling case studies for using storytelling to communicate intricate (and sometimes unengaging) scientific concepts. Examples ranged from translating the technical subjects covered in the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement into a narrative story, to using comics to translate science. The OA Alliance’s Comms lead, Ms. Corrales, took the opportunity to showcase how using two different approaches (chemistry jargon vs. poetry) for communicating the same message can have distinctly different impacts on the audience.
This included Mr. Corrales explaining the chemical changes that occur when carbon dioxide enters our ocean and creates ocean acidification and then reading three poems written by members of the Alliance for our #OAHaiku campaign that describes the impact of carbon dioxide on our ocean, and ourselves. For example:
The audience received the presentation very well and reacted to the poems more strongly than the chemical explanation, as , emotions were triggered when the carbon dioxide/ ocean acidification message was shared from a human point of view. “I even got goosebumps,” said Laura Secorun, Environmental Communication Strategist and Founder of Meridian. Ms. Corrales then challenged the audience to start understanding that human emotions are the thread that links us all.
“Emotional engagement is essential for effective ocean literacy that leads to behavioural change... we want our audiences to take action because they feel the sense of gravity and urgency that is required to address climate-ocean change. It doesn’t matter who you’re talking to: policy makers, fishers, lawyers, etc., we are all humans and we’re all moved to action taking by emotions.”
Two full days of engaging and creative discussions were hosted at the Oceanographic Centre, covering subjects on social media success when reach is declining, how to write engaging scripts, become a more engaging presenter and create a good quality presentation. Participants showcased creative collaborations involving science, music and art, explored the role of science in journalism, and to wrap it up, covered the delicate subject of how to best use AI in science communications.
“It was refreshing to be in a room with likeminded people and touching subjects that are so relevant to the OA Alliance’s new creative communications strategy,” reported Ms. Corrales, “The word ‘emotions’ came up in most, if not across all presentations.”
Thinking outside the box was another consistent concept, ideas like the Ocean Science Jam presented by Geraint Rhys Whittaker from the Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research gave the concept of communicating and connecting a whole new spin. Most importantly, all participants agreed that we have a big responsibility to keep factually communicating about the challenges facing our ocean and to do it more intentionally with solutions and calls to action in mind.
We thank the organisers for the invitation to contribute and for creating a space that invited discussions where everyone could learn. We look forward to the next CommOCEAN!
