An Accessible Ocean
10 – 12 May 2022
An accessible ocean with good governance, open access to data, information and technologies.
Nabugu / Adobe Stock
Everyone is an ocean stakeholder. Open access to marine data and knowledge will maximize the quality of the information mined, packaged and communicated to support management, innovation and decision-making, enabling everyone to understand what we need to do in order to create the ocean we want. At the same time ocean governance frameworks should be designed in ways that they can effectively be informed by science-society-policy interfaces and enable participation of different relevant stakeholders.
Opening up access to marine data, knowledge and technology will reduce inequality in ocean science capacity and support sound and transparent assessments of ocean change. It will provide a common basis for transparent decision-making in global ocean governance and identification of new solutions for the future ocean we want. Skills and opportunities must be developed for knowledge creation and transfer, particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs). This will immeasurably enrich ocean science for sustainable ocean governance around the world. Besides open access infrastructures, data and analyses, decision-support systems for ocean stakeholders (the scientific community, governments, educators, the private sector and the general public) will allow for scientifically informed and up to date decision-making guided by the sustainable development goals.
DOCUMENTATION
An Accessible Ocean is an ocean with good governance, open access to data, information and technologies. This is a challenging task that be achieved through cooperation across national borders and a system of information sharing and policy implementation that works for stakeholders across the globe.
The sixth Ocean Decade Laboratory on 10-12 May 2022 focused on these challenges as well as on the difficult task of translating scientific knowledge into concrete policies in order to tackle challenges like global warming and ocean pollution.
In this short video we take you through some of the most memorable moments of the Ocean Decade Laboratory “An Accessible Ocean”. Participants from a total of 71 countries came together for this Laboratory. In this video some of them share their thoughts on what an Accessible Ocean means to them. Find out why the management of and access to ocean knowledge is like baking a cake or cultivating a garden and how an International Ocean Space Station could help us create the ocean we want and need.
You can watch the full recording of the Core Event and Wrap-up of the sixth Ocean Decade Laboratory “An Accessible Ocean” here:
SATELLITE ACTIVITIES
GEOTRACES: Sharing Marine Geochemical Data
The GEOTRACES international program will present, and share the lessons learned from creating, its open access database and e-atlas of trace-element and isotope data, including macro- and micronutrients, contaminants and biological data.
Engaging Science with Culture for Sustainability
This session focuses on engaging communities and human culture in ocean science to inform equitable solutions. A panel will explore three Canadian case studies, after which participants will aid in collaboratively designing the co-design process.
The Save The Waves App: An Everyday Conservation Tool
The Save The Waves app is an innovative, easy-to-use tool for coastal stewardship and conservation. This activity will highlight its potential for protected area management, direct action, and existing data sharing and response partnerships.
VAKA MOANA: For an Accessible Pacific Ocean
Long before the internet, the ocean was a highway of knowledge exchange across the Pacific. This event will explore how Pacific Islanders are building upon this tradition and overcoming barriers to better manage, communicate & apply ocean knowledge.
The Mediated Ocean: Making Data Sustainable
Ocean knowledge and governance increasingly depend on enormous flows of data from a vast machine of measuring tools. This cross-disciplinary activity explores implications of digitalization for ocean sustainability.
Expanding Data Interoperability between Europe and Asia
Showcasing the benefits of making ocean data interoperable & co-developing marine knowledge products to address global challenges. Examples & achievements of EU, Chinese and Asian ocean data sharing collaborations & opportunities to join the efforts.
Accessible ocean science? Negotiating notions of access
"Access" means the ability to reach a resource but it also entails the capacity to derive benefits from it. What does this imply for “accessible” ocean science? What is required to make ocean knowledge accessible for multiple stakeholders?
Tsunamika Ocean is Us
Tsunamika is a tiny traveling doll upcycled from waste fabric in a project from Upasana, Auroville, Tamilnadu, India. Join her on her ocean mission!
Novel Underwater Mapping Services at EOSC
Join us and learn how to efficiently use and make the most of novel, cutting-edge EOSC cloud services for bathymetry mapping, seafloor mosaicking and seabed classification.
EU Marine Data Services All-Atlantic Workshop
This webinar will discuss how a future All-Atlantic Ocean Data Space could be realized by building on existing initiatives such as the two EU operational marine data services, i.e. Copernicus Marine Service and EMODnet.
Ocean data access and management: CTN Diocean
"Ocean data access and management: CTN-Diocean" aims to promote action for developing national capacities towards the equitable access to data and information systems, promoting capabilities for their use into decision making and investigation.
A Virtual Environment to Tackle Ocean Challenges
Blue-Cloud enables researchers to find, access, share, combine and reuse marine data across domains. In this webinar, we present 3 award-winning practical cases from our 2022 Hackathon.
Air-Sea Observations for an Accessible Ocean
Observing Air-Sea Interactions Strategy aims to support FAIR data for an accessible ocean. Join our workshop for brainstorming and networking on what OASIS can do to strengthen FAIR data principles across the global air-sea interactions community.
Smart Fishing D&D
On a path toward coastal ocean justice, the Smart Fishing project will be the starting point for a dialogue-based movement and opening discussion, evoking the bio-cultural memory to co-construct the pluriverse of the oceanic worlds.
Remote sensing and the food systems
Integrated version of the telecommunications „5G technologies for use in food systems and food value chains in the ocean sector“?
Imaging the Ocean: New Technologies for the Deep Sea
We will showcase new marine imaging technologies developed in the iAtlantic project, demonstrating how they advance our understanding of the ocean and how they can widen access to marine information through low-cost kit and smart use of AI.
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Where is the Marine Data on the Western South Atlantic Ocean?
The main goal of this webinar is to engage scientists, the public sector and society in the need to incorporate marine data into marine databases, focusing on the quality of the information to support management, innovation and decision-making.
Co-designing the Decade for Equitable Outcomes
This session will explore how co-design is used to advance equity in the design and use of ocean science for sustainable development and identify lessons from principles and practical examples.
From Trash 2 Treasure: Data-driven Marine Litter Awareness
The session will promote awareness of the marine litter problem by highlighting the use of satellite GIS data and citizen science to assist participants engaged in local clean-ups on local shores.
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Ev’rybody in! Making Marine Science More Accessible
Our “Talking the Coast” project brought the marine science community together with coastal artists and citizens to increase both ocean literacy and ocean empathy. Learn how we achieved maximum outcome with minimal budget.
Digital Twin Interoperability
Join us for a workshop to discuss interoperability for Digital Twins of the Ocean! We present and discuss existing approaches.
The Ocean Flag
Join us to learn how ocean advocacy can be translated from commitments into actions by using fashion as a tool.
PROGRAM Core Event
10 May, 2:30 – 5:30 pm CEST
The transformation to sustainability in general as well as a sustainable use and governance of the ocean is a knowledge-intensive process. Although enough knowledge is available to act, in order to achieve international targets such as the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda, it also has to find its way into the political process in order to inform decision-making. This Ocean Decade Laboratory understands ‘accessible’ to mean findable, as well as understandable and usable. It is positioned at the interface between science and policy, and reflects on innovative ways of turning knowledge into action.
MODERATOR
— Monika Jones, International TV and Conference Host, Germany
OPENING
— Jens Schiffers, Scientific Officer, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
— Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, France
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “An Accessible Ocean”
Anna-Katharina Hornidge, Director, The German Development Institute (DIE)/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), Germany
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “An Accessible Ocean”
Sebastian Unger, Head, Ocean Governance Research Group, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), Potsdam, Germany
SESSION 1: WHAT KIND OF KNOWLEDGE IS NEEDED TO SUPPORT KEY OCEAN GOVERNANCE PROCESSES?
Panel Discussion
This session will reflect on the knowledge needed to guide implementation of global ocean goals and policy instruments such as 2030 Agenda, biodiversity, climate change, pollution, and multiple stressors from human activities.
Co-moderation
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “An Accessible Ocean”
Sebastian Unger, Head, Ocean Governance Research Group, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), Potsdam, Germany
Panelists
— Dixon Waruinge, Coordinator, Nairobi Convention Secretariat, Kenia
— Joanna Post, Programme Management Officer, Intergovernmental Support and Collective Progress Division (UN Climate Change), Germany
— Sheila Heymans, Executive Director, European Marine Board, Belgium
— Andrea Weiß, Science Officer, German Environment Agency, Germany
Q&A with audience/online participants
BREAK
SESSION 2: WHAT DOES SCIENCE OFFER IN SUPPORT OF SUSTAINABILITY TRANSFORMATIONS?
Panel Discussion
This session will present important showcases, processes, platforms etc. Problems will be considered that would need input from the policy sphere, e.g. ICOS for marine carbon observations, GOOS or the EU Marine Board.
Co-moderation
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “An Accessible Ocean”
Anna-Katharina Hornidge, Director, The German Development Institute (DIE)/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), Germany
Panelists
— J. Murray Roberts, Professor, University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences & Head, Changing Oceans Research Group & Coordinator, European Horizon 2020 iAtlantic Project, Scotland
— Karen Evans, Principal Research Scientist, Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Tasmania
— Anya Waite, CEO & Scientific Director, Ocean Frontier Institute, Canada
— Jacqueline Uku, President, Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), Kenya
— Daniel Dunn, Director, Center for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Australia
Q&A with audience/online participants
OUTLOOK AND EXPECTATIONS
Summary/Closing and outlook on Satellite Activities and Wrap-up
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “An Accessible Ocean”
Anna-Katharina Hornidge, Director, The German Development Institute (DIE)/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), Germany
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “An Accessible Ocean”
Sebastian Unger, Head, Ocean Governance Research Group, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), Potsdam, Germany
Program Wrap-up
12 May, 2:30 – 4:00 pm CEST
As usual in the Wrap-up, the key messages of the Core Event as well as selected Satellite Activities will be presented. The panel discussion will ideally result in specific policy recommendations.
MODERATOR
— Monika Jones, International TV and Conference Host, Germany
OPENING
REPORTS OF SELECTED SATELLITE ACTIVITIES
“Accessible ocean science? Negotiating notions of access”
— Mirja Schoderer, Reseacher, The German Development Institute/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), Germany
“The Save the Waves App”
— Diego Sancho Gallegos, Surf Conservation Data Coordinator, Save The Waves Coalition (STW), Costa Rica
“Where is the marine data of the Western South Atlantic Ocean?”
— Simone Pennafirme, Manager, Marine Life Center & Secretariat for Environment, The City Hall of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
KEY MESSAGES OF THE CORE EVENT
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “An Accessible Ocean”
Sebastian Unger, Head, Ocean Governance Research Group, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), Potsdam, Germany
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “An Accessible Ocean”
Anna-Katharina Hornidge, Director, The German Development Institute (DIE)/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), Germany
SESSION 3: WHAT KIND OF SCIENCE ARCHITECTURE IS REQUIRED TO DELIVER RELEVANT SCIENCE TO POLICY?
Panel Discussion
Starting from existing science-policy interfaces for the ocean, including the World Ocean Assessment and the Regular Process, IPCC and IPBES, this session will discuss options for strengthening the institutional dimension, e.g., the need for sustained funding of constant monitoring activities, integration of data platforms, streamlining policy-relevant scientific assessments of the state of the ocean and specific issue areas with regard to ocean health.
Co-moderation
— Kristina M. Gjerde, Senior High Seas Advisor, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Global Marine and Polar Programme, USA
Panelists
— Antje Boetius, Director, Alfred-Wegener-Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Germany
— David Obura, Director, Coastal Oceans Research and Development – Indian Ocean (CORDIO) East Africa
— Jörn Schmidt, Chair, Science Committee, International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), Denmark
CLOSING
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “An Accessible Ocean”
Sebastian Unger, Head, Ocean Governance Research Group, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), Potsdam, Germany
OUTLOOK: OCEAN DECADE LABORATORIES 2022
Upcoming Lab “A Productive Ocean”, 31 May –1 June
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “A Productive Ocean"
Reinhold Hanel, Head, Thünen-Institute of Fisheries Ecology (TI-FI) in Bremerhaven, Germany
— Co-Chair of the Laboratory “A Productive Ocean”
Anna Jöborn, CEO, Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (Mistra), Sweden
CO-CHAIRS
Anna-Katharina Hornidge
Director, German Development Institute/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), Germany
Sebastian Unger
Head of Ocean Governance Research Group, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), Potsdam, Germany
SPEAKERS & MODERATORS
Antje Boetius
Director, Alfred-Wegener-Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Germany
Daniel Dunn
Director, Center for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Australia
Vladimir Ryabinin
Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, France
OCEAN DECADE LABORATORIES
AN INSPIRING AND ENGAGING OCEAN
An inspiring and engaging ocean where society understands and values the ocean.
A PREDICTED OCEAN
A predicted ocean where society has the capacity to understand current and future ocean conditions.
A HEALTHY AND RESILIENT OCEAN
A healthy and resilient ocean where marine ecosystems are mapped and protected.
AN ACCESSIBLE OCEAN
An accessible ocean with good governance, open access to data, information and technologies.
A PRODUCTIVE OCEAN
A sustainably harvested and productive ocean ensuring the provision of food supply.