Ocean Pop: Marine Imaginaries in the Age of Global Polycrisis

Charlotte Gehrke and Anja Menzel
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Charlotte Gehrke: German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), Germany
Anja Menzel: University of Bamberg, Germany / University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Ocean and Society, 2026, vol. 3

Abstract: In an era of global polycrisis, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and geopolitical disruption, how the ocean is depicted and imagined in popular culture plays a crucial role in shaping the public understanding of ocean‐related challenges and societal responses to them. We introduce the concept of ocean pop—the portrayal of oceanic spaces, issues, and both human and non‐human actors in popular media—as a framework for critically examining these imaginaries. We contextualise the concept by showing how popular culture both reflects and shapes dominant (political) discourses about the ocean, spanning topics from environmental protection to piracy and warfare. The articles of this thematic issue underline their contributions to interdisciplinary, multimedia scholarship within the blue humanities and social sciences. Beyond showcasing insights into popular culture artefacts, we highlight the value of ocean pop in addressing empirical challenges and normative questions alike. In doing so, we invite scholars to refine and extend the concept as a framework for understanding and reconfiguring contemporary engagements with the ocean.

Keywords: blue humanities; blue social science; marine imaginaries; marine social science; ocean governance; ocean pop; polycrisis; popular culture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cog:ocesoc:v3:y:2026:a:12337

DOI: 10.17645/oas.12337

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