UN DECADE OF OCEAN SCIENCE

Launched in January 2021, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development or, the ‘Ocean Decade’, provides a convening framework for a wide range of stakeholders across the world to engage and collaborate outside their traditional communities to advance the science we need for the ocean we want.

The OA Alliance is an implementing partner of the UN Decade of Ocean Science endorsed programme,“Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability (OARS).” Partners across the OARS UN Decade Program aim to expand OA monitoring and research that help decision-makers better understand climate impacts to marine resources and explore local actions that increase resilience.

In our role as co-champion of OARS outcome #2 and outcome #7, the OA Alliance is helping to “Identify OA Data and Evidence for OA Mitigation and Adaptation” and “Integrate OA Across Key Policy and Legislation.”

Implementing actions to minimize and address the effect of OA requires considerations of:

time, space, and cost constraints;
alignment with existing policy or management goals; and
assessment of broader environmental and socio-economic risks and benefits.

To encourage a diversity of OA actions across different scales, OARS has outlined 6 key decision-making categories. These categories provide a framework for identifying targeted or increased OA information needs for mitigation and adaptation actions.

The OA Alliance also leads the UN Decade project: “Understanding and Addressing Ocean Acidification and Changing Ocean Conditions Through the Development of OA Action Plans,” as another vehicle for supporting OA science to action taking across the UN Decade of Ocean Science.

We invite scientists, policymakers, resource managers, stakeholders, and communities to get involved! Contact Amy Kenworthy, Amy Kenworthy, Project Officer for the OARS Programme to learn more. (ake@pml.ac.uk)