Knowledge for a thriving ocean

Geopolitical shifts are fracturing global agendas, sidelining Sustainable Development Goals as well as climate and biodiversity commitments. This is especially risky for the ocean, a key climate regulator and biodiversity hub that has the potential to underpin a regenerative blue economy. In 2020, it generated US$2.6 trillion in goods and services, fed over three billion people, and absorbed a large share of CO₂ emissions and associated excess heat—yet faces accelerating degradation due to climate change, overexploitation, pollution, and weak governance. Amid global polarization, science remains open, multilateral, and vital to ocean stewardship. Scientific, Indigenous, and local knowledge systems—if adequately funded, integrated, and applied—can drive governance, innovation, and sustainability. Yet they remain somewhat disconnected from policy. This policy brief produced by the International Scientific Committee of the One Ocean Science Congress identifies concrete steps to link knowledge systems with decision-making and strengthen ocean health, resilience, and inclusive prosperity.