Transoceanic, Transversal and Transformative Programs

The TransOcean Working Group will explore how the marine scientific community can engage towards attaining the sustainable development goals (SDGs), especially in the frame of the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the EU Mission Restore our Oceans and Waters by 2030, and will hence provide specific recommendations to the EuroMarine network.
TransOcean will run for an initial period of three years, between January 2023 and December 2025, as a truly transoceanic, transversal and transformative EuroMarine initiative towards attaining the EU Mission “Restore our Oceans and Waters” objectives and the SDGs, with the ocean as a central participant: transoceanic, as it will reach partners from many European and international countries in a collaborative and inclusive way; transversal as it will include an interdisciplinary scientific and societal approach; and transformative as it will develop methods and strategies to turn marine science and technology into tools towards a sustainable society and resilient planet.
The principal objective of TransOcean is to explore how EuroMarine can take advantage of its unique position to foster the necessary societal transformative changes and promote key governance strategies and policy measures. TransOcean will seek five strategic objectives:
• Support ocean‐oriented communities of practice and networks.
• Support the development of structural ocean literacy, with both formal education and sensory experience components.
• Enhance citizen ocean awareness and engagement.
• Develop concepts and strategies towards full integration of the ocean in the collective imagination, including actions for restoration and rewilding.
• Produce solid documents that can set the basis for strategies and policies at the European and UN levels.
The expected outcomes of this LTSWG are:
• Workshop of the TransOcean WG members on internationalization: concepts, networks, strategies, policies and actions
• Synthesis white paper on collaborative and transformative marine sciences
• Training session for EuroMarine members on Transoceanic, Transversal and Transformative International Ocean Programs
• Peer‐publication on connecting marine sciences and society: from literacy to awareness
TransOcean will identify methods, tools, strategies, policies and synergies that are necessary to underscore a clean, healthy, productive, predictable, safe, accessible and inspiring ocean (the seven Ocean Decade outcomes). These include learning and experiencing the marine environment as a necessary element for expanded ocean awareness. TransOcean will be devoted to promoting and empowering active, inclusive and transformative networks that can facilitate an effective transformation towards a more sustainable lifestyle, as the principal step towards sustainable development.
TransOcean has been funded by EuroMarine and has received co-funding from ICM-CSIC.