OA front and center at Our Ocean Conference Panama

On March 2-3, 2023 the OA Alliance attended the 8th Our Ocean Conference (OOC) which took place in Panama City, Panama. The Conference was the first OOC hosted by a Central American country and supported dialogues between heads of state, private sector, civil society, and academic institutions with special emphasis on implementation of actions that protect our ocean and coastal communities.

Executive Director of the OA Alliance, Ms. Jessie Turner, was an invited panelist on March 2 focusing on climate change, impacts, solutions, and response strategies. During her remarks Ms. Turner shared:

“OA is quickly moving from a science and technical issue to a policy and resource management issue—this comes with challenges, but also opportunities.

There are things that governments and non-government actors can be doing now that will increase adaptation and resilience of vulnerable ecosystems or species and the human communities that depend on them.

We need ensure OA information is continually underpinning decisions across climate, marine and coastal management agendas and seafood grower practices.”

— Ms. Jessie Turner, Director of the OA Alliance

Additional speakers included:

Vladimir Ryabinin - Executive Secretary and Deputy Director General of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO Panelists

H.E. Steffi Lemke - Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, Germany

H.E. Miguel Ceara Hatton - Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Dominican Republic

Ms. Alicia Montalvo, Manager of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity, CAF Development Bank of Latin America

Ms. Aulani Wilhelm, Assistant Director for Ocean Conservation, Climate and Equity at the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President

Ms. Melissa Garvey, Global Director, Ocean Protection, The Nature Conservancy

Laura Dihuignidili Huertas Thompson – Guna Yala Indigenous Coastal Community

On March 3, the OA Alliance hosted a meeting of members and partners to discuss needs and opportunities for advancing OA actions across international and domestic agendas.

Attendees heard opening remarks from United States, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Fisheries and Polar Affairs, Professor Maxine Burkett who spoke about the need for ongoing climate ambition and integration of climate-ocean policies across mitigation and adaptation themes. Professor Burkett spoke about the recently released U.S. Ocean Climate Action Plan which aims to: (1) create a carbon-neutral future; (2) accelerate solutions that tap the power of natural coastal and ocean systems to absorb and store greenhouse gases, reduce the climate threat, and protect communities and ecosystems against unavoidable change; and (3) enhance community resilience.

The U.S. government’s commitment to developing an OA Action Plan is well defined on page 24 and page 44 of the new report.

OA Alliance Director, Ms. Jessie Turner, gave an overview of activities, products and programmatic focus areas which support answering the following questions.

What’s needed to advance ocean acidification leadership internationally?

· UNFCCC Ocean and Climate Dialogue/ Adaptation and Financing Schemes

o (Leveraging NDCs and NAPs)

· Example solutions/ projects to address mitigation and adaptation needs

o (SDG 14)

· Increased financing at regional scales

o (GEF/ GCF/ UNEP/Development Banks/ Private)

What’s needed to support OA Action Planning and preparedness domestically?

· Regional monitoring and coastal information

· Inventory of relevant policies and management mechanisms

· Prioritization of highly vulnerable sectors and resources

· Finance plan for implementation

Finally, the group engaged in a discussion lead by Dr. Richard Spinrad, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, United States NOAA and governmental colleagues in Norway, Germany, United Kingdom, Portugal, and Mexico alongside non-government partners like PEW Charitable Trust, The Ocean Foundation, World Resources Institute, Peace Boat and the Seattle Aquarium.

Topics of discussion included the need for increased examples of OA adaptation and resilience; better storytelling about the impacts and solutions to climate-ocean change; and identifying areas where OA information can guide management and policy including:

Nationwide or regional vulnerability assessments.
Strengthening early warning systems and climate preparedness strategies.
Guiding climate-response fisheries management plans.
Targeting areas for marine and coastal habitat restoration or conservation.
Enhancing coral reef health.
Determining effective aquaculture adaptation strategies.
Developing, testing, and deploying nature-based solutions.
Reducing nutrient run-off from specific sources.
Strengthening water quality regulations.
Aggressively and urgently reducing CO2 emissions.