Ocean Literacy as a Mechanism for Change Across and Beyond the UN Ocean Decade

Emma McKinley, Benedict McAteer, Berit Charlotte Kaae and Brice Trouillet
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Emma McKinley: School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, UK
Benedict McAteer: School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, UK
Berit Charlotte Kaae: Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Brice Trouillet: Nantes Université, CNRS, LETG, UMR 6554, France

Ocean and Society, 2025, vol. 2

Abstract: Understanding the complexity of human–ocean relationships has been increasingly recognized as being central to addressing the triple crises currently facing the ocean and the communities that depend on it—climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequities. Since the early 2000s, the concept of ocean literacy (OL) has evolved as a framework to explore and critically assess this relationship. Defined as having an understanding of “your influence” on the ocean and its “influence on you,” OL has moved beyond its original education and knowledge roots to recognize at least 10 dimensions. These dimensions—which include themes of knowledge, emotions, attitudes and communication, and the frameworks associated with them—are increasingly being adopted, and indeed adapted, to help to further understand human–ocean relationships and to support the co‐development of solutions to address ocean challenges. With the positioning of OL as a key mechanism for change within the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, it is both timely and necessary to continue to examine and expand the concept of OL beyond its existing boundaries. This thematic issue demonstrates the interdisciplinarity of OL research, presenting a range of studies that critically explore how the dimensions, drivers, and impacts of OL can vary in different socio‐cultural, economic, political, and geographic contexts. These studies provide crucial insight into the developing role of OL within wider ocean governance and sustainability processes. Collectively, the articles highlight the diversity of ocean literacy research emerging from the community, insights into how to further develop OL initiatives and how to maximise the potential of OL as a mechansim for change across the Ocean Decade and beyond.

Keywords: Challenge 10; coastal communities; marine citizenship; ocean connections; ocean–human relationships; ocean identity; ocean literacy; UN Ocean Decade (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cog:ocesoc:v2:y:2025:a:11340

DOI: 10.17645/oas.11340

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