Understanding how the ocean influences us and how we influence the ocean is essential to daily decisions we make for a sustainable future.
The ocean is a concern of everyone
The ocean is a global common, an essential life-support system that sustains our planet. However, despite its significance, many people remain unaware of the ocean's critical role in maintaining the balance of life on Earth. This disconnect has profound implications for the way societies interact with the ocean, particularly in the context of the blue economy.
“The Ocean”, “l'océan”, “Hǎiyáng”, “saagar”, even the places on Earth farthest from the sea have a name for it, “okyan” (China's Xinjiang region).
Ruth Higgins, EurOcean
Ocean literacy is the key to bridging this gap. It empowers individuals, communities, and industries to make informed decisions that benefit both the ocean and society. As we navigate the complexities of sustainable development, understanding and engaging with the ocean becomes not just beneficial but essential. The EU4Ocean Coalition is at the forefront of this effort, promoting ocean literacy across Europe and fostering a more sustainable blue economy.
Whether it is breath-taking, awesome or intimidating, you cannot really know our home planet until you have begun to know the ocean. As our knowledge of the ocean has grown, it has become more and more apparent that it is not simply an awe-inspiring, immense and overwhelming place; the ocean is the beating heart of life on our planet.
During the 1980s and 1990s, awareness of environmental issues began to come to the fore. Among these were the negative impacts of industrialisation, the dire consequences of pollution, and the scary implications of a growing hole in the planet’s ozone layer. It became increasingly clear that there was a need to develop greater connection between humans and their environment, and the ocean was no exception.
Ocean literacy began as a movement in the New England region of North America in the early 21st century, designed to increase widespread knowledge about the ocean on the understanding that, if humans better understood the ocean and its importance, they would be more interested in protecting it. In the earliest days, ocean literacy aimed to educate, for the most part, children about the ocean, and it has continued to have significant impacts through the younger generations, with ocean themes being integrated into school curricula and even the establishment of networks of “blue schools” dedicated to ocean education.
The Ocean Literacy movement has evolved from a school initiative to a global community recognizing the ocean's critical role in our future. This diverse network, spanning cultures and generations, shares a commitment to respecting the ocean. The movement increasingly values Indigenous and local community wisdom and the importance of an ocean-literate society.
Ocean literacy and sustainability go hand in hand
Ocean literacy and sustainability are closely interconnected, as ocean literacy involves a deep understanding of the ocean’s influence on the earth system and its vital role in supporting life. Ocean knowledge helps science, society and policy actors to recognize the importance of protecting the ocean to maintain the planet's overall health, and make better decisions for a sustainable use of marine resources while promoting conservation of marine ecosystems. Ocean literacy provides knowledge and understanding of the impacts of human activities, such as overfishing, pollution, and coastal development, and how these activities can be managed sustainably to preserve marine ecosystems for future generations.
A key aspect of ocean literacy is fostering a sense of stewardship and responsibility toward the ocean. As people become more literate about the ocean, they are more likely to adopt sustainable practices in their daily lives, such as reducing plastic use, supporting sustainable seafood, and advocating for policies that protect marine environments. Ocean Literacy contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 14 which focuses on conserving and sustainably using the ocean, seas, and marine resources, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development Agenda.
Ocean literacy also plays a critical role in empowering coastal and island communities that directly depend on the ocean for their livelihoods. By understanding sustainable practices and the impacts of environmental changes, these communities can better manage their resources, adapt to changes, and protect their environments.
Furthermore, many (nature-based) solutions for the climate and biodiversity crises can be found in the ocean itself (e.g. mangrove and seagrass regeneration). This affects people worldwide, including businesses in all sectors, and influences current global value chain challenges and disruptions.
“Every company, in whatever sector, could positively contribute through action and multi-stakeholder cooperation to a healthier ocean and thereby most just society”.
Els Duffhues
Ocean Literacy: an international growing movement
Ocean literacy has grown over the past two decades to involve deeper and more complex socio-cultural and economic values. Building on the idea of a blue economy, a concept that emerged from the 2012 Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, the potential of the ocean took on more political and financial importance. Seeing the ocean as a valuable resource that can and should be sustainably exploited brought ocean literacy to a whole new level, becoming a means to empowering citizens to understand their own impacts on the environment and its mutual impact on them and their quality of life. In light of the Green Deal, the UN’s 2030 Agenda, EU’s Integrated Maritime Policy and other landmark public policies, environmental stewardship became quite firmly tied with other and more massive social and cultural challenges such as equality and inclusion as well as the improvement in air quality (reduced pollution) and sustainable economic growth no longer focused on the rapacious use of resources alone but on the sustainable use of resources. As a result, the link between environmental stewardship and social development have become the basis of many progressive public policies around the world, and perhaps in Europe more than elsewhere.
When the United Nations launched their ambitious “UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development” initiative (1st January 2021), the ocean was propelled to the spotlight on an international stage, and sustainable development was at its core. The initiative demanded growth and fortification of the blue economy, but also challenged Europeans to bring sustainability into other areas of development, not least, economic development.
This requires a fundamental shift in how marine businesses operate, demanding a new level of sustainability. To foster healthy, resilient marine ecosystems, marine businesses must first grasp the intricacies of their local biodiversity and the pressures it faces. Once equipped with a level of understanding and under expert guidance, they can begin work to have a positive impact on their marine environment.
Ocean Decade Vision 2030 White Papers Challenge 4: Develop a sustainable and equitable ocean economy recommends that by 2028, private sector businesses operating in marine and coastal sectors adopt sustainable practices and invest in green technologies, contributing positively to the ocean economy while ensuring the well-being of marine ecosystems and local communities. (Haugan, P et al., 2024).
Moreover, a truly equitable blue economy requires the full involvement of local communities, especially marginalised groups. Meeting these two challenges calls on generating strong partnerships between industry, local citizens, conservation groups, scientists, educators, and government bodies.
Ocean Literacy and the business sector
There are many excellent examples of how change can be inspired by bringing ocean literacy into the business sector.
Conducted in partnership with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) to raise awareness about sustainability and ocean preservation, SEA BEYOND is an educational program supported by Prada Group since 2019. The project has contributed to the progress of ocean education on a global scale, through a series of training initiatives dedicated to younger generations. From 2023, SEA BEYOND extended its scope beyond education with two new areas of focus: support for scientific research dissemination and humanitarian projects, both dedicated to the ocean. Within the framework of SEA BEYOND, Prada Group also trained its more than 14,000 employees worldwide on ocean literacy principles, via Virtual Reality learning contents and the AWorld app, the official platform selected by the United Nations to live more sustainably.
“Save the Wave”, a project to protect and restore the marine ecosystems of the Mediterranean Sea was created with the partnership of E.ON Italy as part of the Energy4Blue initiative. The energy company E.ON has been committed to protecting the sea for years, involving citizens, customers, employees, partners and companies in reducing the environmental impact of their activities to spread awareness and good practices throughout the country and create a better and sustainable future.
As of today, Save The Wave is active in Mondello (Palermo) and the Tremiti Islands, an archipelago near the Apulian coasts where the rhizomes of Posidonia oceanica have been planted in 100 square meters areas, to replace the ones undermined by the anchoring activities. The monitoring and planting activities are organised along with other dissemination initiatives, to promote awareness and involve citizens, young students, fishermen, coastal tourism entrepreneurs, and beyond.
Did you know that Posidonia oceanica meadows improve water quality, absorb CO2 and protect the coast? They also provide nursery and refuge areas for many species, helping to support fisheries production! #MakeEUBlue campaign |
The Venice Declaration for Ocean Literacy in Action
Through collaboration, this community aims to restore humanity's relationship with the ocean, aligning with the Ocean Decade goals to build a sustainable ocean economy. On 7-8 June, 2024, UNESCO-IOC and the Prada Group, supported by the Government of Italy and the Municipality of Venice, organised the Ocean Literacy World Conference (OLWC) at Arsenale, Venice. The OLWC emphasised ocean literacy's role in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14, “Life below water,” and the United Nations Ocean Decade objectives. It gathered about 200 stakeholders to discuss ocean education and conservation.
The conference's main output was the Venice Declaration for Ocean Literacy in Action, aiming to promote ocean literacy in education, science, policy, economics, and culture. This declaration, enriched by insights from various sources and a global survey, was finalised at the OLWC. It has since been translated into multiple languages and will soon be available in more thanks to the support of the ECOPs (Early Career Ocean Professionals) network.
A global socialisation strategy, the Fil Bleu campaign promotes the Venice Declaration's adoption. This campaign engages diverse stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, Indigenous organisations, civil society, educational networks, private enterprises, development agencies, and intergovernmental bodies, to take collective action.
So, how can you get involved in ocean literacy in Europe?
The EU4Ocean Coalition is the European hub for Ocean Literacy
The EU4Ocean Coalition is an initiative funded by the European Commission. Launched in 2020 and managed by a consortium of partners across Europe, the EU4Ocean Coalition today brings together over 1,000 members across its three communities: the EU4Ocean Platform for organisations, businesses and professionals from a wide diversity of sectors; the Youth4Ocean Forum for young people from 16 to 30 years old; and the Network of European Blue Schools.
The scope of EU4Ocean is ambitious, combining European Union wide activities and campaigns with actions at sea basin level in the Arctic Ocean, the Atlantic-North Ocean, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. Together, members of the EU4Ocean Platform, the Youth4Ocean Forum and the Network of European Blue Schools strengthen Ocean Literacy in Europe and develop collective, multidisciplinary, multicultural and intergenerational solutions to challenges we face.
The EU4Ocean Coalition is a bottom-up, inclusive initiative aimed at bringing together all European citizens to be ambassadors for the ocean.
Members of the EU4Ocean Coalition can share ideas, build partnerships and collaborate to ensure a more coordinated approach to Ocean Literacy in Europe and develop concrete activities that create real awareness, engagement and momentum across society for action and change.
One of the communities - the EU4Ocean Platform brings together a wide diversity of stakeholders spanning the areas of marine research, science-policy, blue economy industry and the private sector, civil society, arts, education, youth and media. The civil society sector is the sector currently most represented in the EU4Ocean Platform followed by the private sector, academia/research and the education sector.
Members of the private sector include consultancies, networks, industry associations and centres of competence. Represented blue economy activities comprise boating and marinas, aquaculture and algae, fisheries, bioeconomy, energy as well as underwater technologies and ICT solutions. Clusters covering a diversity of blue economy activities and projects have also joined the EU4Ocean Platform.
As the EU4Ocean Platform continues to grow, there is strong willingness to further diversify membership and include more private sector organisations beyond the traditional marine/maritime sectors.
Join the EU4Ocean Platform to connect, network and cooperate for a sustainable ocean
Organisations and professionals can join the EU4Ocean Platform which gathers over 180 members across Europe, from the blue economy sectors, academia and research, civil society, sports, media, arts and culture, and continuously welcomes new members.
Members can get involved in EU4Ocean in many different ways, from contributing to events, sharing knowledge and experience or co-developing new initiatives to joining the Youth4Ocean Forum Mentoring Programme and supporting European Blue schools.
Applications to become a member of the EU4Ocean Platform can be submitted online on the dedicated website. If you would like to know more about the EU4Ocean Platform activities or the application process, please contact the EU4Ocean Platform Facilitator at info
eu4ocean-platform [dot] eu (info[at]eu4ocean-platform[dot]eu)
EU4Ocean is all about cooperation. This article was co-written by EU4Ocean Coalition partners and EU4Ocean Platform members. Co-Authors include Ruth Higgins (EurOcean), Sara Granchinho (EurOcean), Paula Barbeito Morandeira (UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe), Els Duffhues, Olga Mashkina (ACTeon), and Nathalie Van Isacker (EU4Ocean Platform facilitator, Seascape Belgium).
Bibliography
Haugan, P., Rhodes, A., Hollaway, L., James, P., Abdul Rahman, M., Appiott, J., DeBeauville-Scott, S., Gelcich, S., Gericksky, E., Gonzales-Quiros, R., Harms, E., Heaps, L., Hospes, E., Jeremie, M.-M., Jumbe, A. S., Kostka, W. N., Mokenye, J., Noonan-Birch, R., Park, G., Solis Rivera, V. & Thiele, T. (2024). Ocean Decade Vision 2030 White Papers – Challenge 4: Develop a Sustainable and Equitable Ocean Economy. Paris, UNESCO-IOC. (The Ocean Decade Series, 51.4.). https://doi.org/10.25607/2452-1r10
#MakeEUBlue campaign. https://maritime-forum.ec.europa.eu/theme/ocean-literacy-and-blue-skills/ocean-literacy/make-europe-blue-campaign-make-pledge-help-ocean/did-you-know-exciting-facts-about-ocean_en