Ocean science for sustainability: Insights from the ISC Muscat Global Knowledge Dialogue and call to action | deadline: 15 March

Call to action for ISC Members to share ocean-related resources and activities around the third UN Ocean Conference. See below.

Every one of us relies on the ocean for our health and well-being – it regulates our climate, provides food and livelihoods, supports immense biodiversity, and delivers critical services such as ship transport and renewable energy. Yet the ocean is in crisis, warming at an unprecedented rate, acidifying rapidly, and losing vital ecosystems to overfishing, pollution, and the threat of biodiversity collapse. As these crises accelerate, knowledge exchange and collaboration can no longer be overlooked – they are essential to ensuring ocean sustainability. This urgent message shaped the spirit of the Ocean Science for Sustainability session held on 27 January 2025 at the International Science Council (ISC) Muscat Global Knowledge Dialogue (ISC Muscat GKD) and the Third ISC General Assembly.

This session was designed to highlight the ocean dimension of sustainability, showcase the ISC’s ocean-related work, and identify shared priorities for joint action among the ISC ocean science community, including Members, Affiliated Bodies, and key partners. This key discussion also identified priorities and ways forward for the ISC’s engagement at the One Ocean Science Congress and the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) taking place in June 2025 in Nice, France. Themed “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean”, UNOC-3 will bring together a broad range of stakeholders including governments, scientists, civil society, and the private sector to discuss pathways to drive forward the implementation of SDG14 on “Life Below Water”.

Breaking silos: A transdisciplinary approach to ocean sustainability

Rashid Sumaila, a University Killam Professor, opened the session with a compelling message: breaking down silos between disciplines is essential for achieving ocean sustainability. No single field can tackle this challenge alone. “You need to know the science. You need to know chemistry. You need to understand the culture, the anthropology, and the law. We need everybody.” In other words, true and meaningful progress and action for the ocean requires collaboration across all disciplines.

He emphasized that ocean science requires diverse expertise and that breaking silos does not stop at collaboration among scientists. We need to transcend the boundaries of science and bridge the gap between science, policy, and society. Therefore, it is crucial for scientists to engage in partnerships with the government, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and local and indigenous communities. Co-creating knowledge through these partnerships is vital for successfully implementing effective, science-based policies that support ocean sustainability.

Mia Strand, an Ocean Nexus Postdoctoral Research Fellow, reinforced this idea by underscoring the value and importance of transdisciplinarity – the co-production of knowledge between academia and non-academic actors. She emphasized the need to recognize and value diverse ocean knowledge systems and ensure that multiple perspectives are integrated into decision-making spaces.

What could this process look like in practice? An innovative example is the use of arts-based methods – such as painting and photography – to create a “mosaic” of ocean knowledge systems, stories, and priorities. This approach allows for the integration of narratives that may otherwise be overlooked in mainstream ocean science and decision-making, inviting us to envision the future of our oceans through a broader, more inclusive lens.

While this approach brought out different perspectives, interests, and priorities, a unifying theme emerged across all narratives – the recognition that our well-being and survival depend on a healthy ocean.

A collective call for science diplomacy and global action

The panel discussion featuring Marie-Alexandrine Sicre, Sergey A. Dobretsov, Felix Bast, Teatulohi Matainaho, and Maria Paradiso focused on the ocean’s role in advancing the sustainable development agenda and what the ISC can do in this arena in the coming years. The panellists stressed that solving ocean challenges requires a truly global approach – one that unites academic and non-academic expertise, policy innovation, and local knowledge.

As Felix Bast, a Professor at the Central University of Punjab, put it: “Organizations have to come together to find a common solution through science diplomacy.” This sentiment is especially relevant as we look ahead to UNOC-3, where the international scientific community will have a unique opportunity to bring the latest and most robust scientific knowledge and solutions to the fore to inform priority actions for accelerating progress on the global ocean.

Moreover, this ISC Muscat GKD session also served as a platform to discuss the ISC’s ocean agenda for the coming years. The panellists put forward several proposals, including strengthening links between scientific unions and affiliated bodies, improving scientific collaboration and integration of expertise to produce more holistic policy advice, promoting data sharing, and sensitizing the younger generation to ocean sustainability.

The session concluded with a call to action for the ISC membership to join forces in ensuring a strong, unified scientific voice and evidence-based inputs into the One Ocean Science Congress and UNOC-3. With the UNOC-3 on the horizon, the scientific community has a crucial opportunity to mobilize expertise, engage with policy-makers, and contribute to advancing the global ocean agenda.

The call to ISC Members in preparation for UNOC-3

Building on its contributions to previous UN Ocean Conferences in 2017 and 2022, the ISC is preparing for an active role in UNOC-3. By convening expert groups and facilitating science-policy dialogues, the ISC ensures that the latest scientific evidence informs key discussions and agreements.

In 2025, the ISC is contributing to the ongoing negotiations on the Political Declaration, which will be adopted at the Conference, emphasizing the role of science in understanding ocean challenges and developing evidence-based solutions. The ISC is also advising Member States on the Ocean Action Panels, helping shape thematic discussions and integrate scientific insights into actionable recommendations.

As part of this effort and inspired by the momentum of the ISC Muscat GKD and Third General Assembly, the ISC calls on all Members to:

1. Share ocean-related resources to be featured on the ISC website.
2. Inform the ISC of any planned activities and participation in the One Ocean Science Congress and UNOC-3 taking place in June 2025.

To ensure your contributions are captured, please fill out the form provided below by 15 March 2025.

Form for ISC Members [Click here]

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First name *

Title *

Last name *

Role/job title *

Email *

Name of main affiliation/organization *

Phone number (please include country code)

Name of the ISC Member organization you are involved with *

Are you planning to attend the One Ocean Science Congress and/or the UN Ocean Conference to be held in June 2025 in Nice, France ? *

• Yes
• No

Would you like to be part of the ISC Talent Book for the conferences? The Talent Book will serve as a resource to acquaint the media and UN partners with some of the key individuals from the ISC community who will be attending the events. *

• Yes
• No

Please upload a picture of yourself for the Talent Book.

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Up to 5 files can be uploaded in one form. If you’d like to upload more files, please submit a second form.

Please provide us with a short biography to be featured in the Talent Book.

Is anyone else in your organization planning to attend the One Ocean Science Congress and/or the UN Ocean Conference? *

• Yes
• No
• I’m not sure

Please list your colleagues' names and contact details in attendance below. We would also greatly appreciate if you sent them this form to fill out.

What kind of activities is your organization planning for the events?

Please add any link(s) to ocean-relevant scientific resource(s) (publications, policy outputs, reports, articles, etc.)

Please upload any ocean-relevant scientific resource(s) (publications, policy outputs, reports, articles, etc.)

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Image by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation of Oman