Informing ocean solutions with integrated, co-produced science: New ISC policy brief for UNOC-3

As ocean ecosystems face mounting pressures from co-occurring and interacting stressors, including overfishing, pollution, ocean warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and emerging industrial activities like deep-sea mining, the ISC policy brief aims to provide key considerations for policy-makers at UNOC-3, taking place from 9 to 13 June in Nice, France.  

It showcases how collaborative science-driven approaches can deliver co-benefits across global challenges – from climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation to poverty alleviation and public health. Drawing on best-practice examples at different scales, the brief illustrates how co-produced science can drive holistic solutions, cross-sectoral collaboration and ocean science diplomacy.

Co-producing ocean actionable knowledge for transformative solutions and global cooperation

International Science Council (2025). Co-producing ocean actionable knowledge for transformative solutions and global cooperation. Paris.

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The ocean is essential to all life on Earth – it regulates the climate, provides renewable energy and supports food security, livelihoods, wellbeing and cultural heritage of billions of people. The ocean can also be a catalyst for international cooperation, transcending geopolitical tensions and ensuring stability and peace.

However, the ocean’s health and resilience are being increasingly compromised. Up to 60 per cent of marine ecosystems have already been degraded or used unsustainably, and the cumulative impact of multiple stressors is pushing the ocean towards biophysical and socio-ecological tipping points. These abrupt changes risk triggering irreversible consequences for climate regulation, biodiversity, food security, social equity and global stability.

As such, the state of the ocean is not only a localised environmental issue, but a global threat to sustainable development and the achievement of shared societal goals. The policy brief underscores the urgency of integrated, science-based approaches to ocean conservation and sustainable management, bridging actors, sectors and disciplines. Only through such integrated efforts can we avoid critical irreversible ecosystem shifts and ensure a sustainable, equitable and peaceful future for all.

Mobilising the diverse ISC expert community for UNOC-3

In preparation for UNOC-3, co-chaired by France and Costa Rica, the ISC has convened an ocean expert group composed of leading scientists from natural and social sciences with diverse backgrounds. The ocean expert group was established to ensure that robust, interdisciplinary scientific knowledge informs the conference’s discussions and outcomes.

The newly released policy brief, developed by the ocean expert group, synthesises evidence across disciplines and scales to deliver actionable ocean insights for decision-makers and accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.

Key considerations for UNOC-3

Central to the brief is a call for a fundamental shift toward transdisciplinary, co-produced ocean science that is inclusive of diverse knowledge systems, particularly those of Indigenous and local communities. Achieving this requires the meaningful inclusion of all actors throughout the research process, as well as addressing structural inequalities in funding, infrastructure, and capacity. This participatory model of knowledge co-production is essential to informing equitable, innovative, and context-sensitive solutions.

UNOC-3 presents a vital opportunity to align science, policy and diverse voices in shaping a more inclusive and resilient ocean agenda. By advancing co-produced knowledge and integrated approaches, the international community has the power to ensure a collaborative, equitable and resilient future for our global ocean.

Key messages

1. The ocean faces escalating threats from a multitude of co-occurring and interacting stressors, pushing it towards critical tipping points. Through the degradation of marine ecosystems, these threats could trigger irreversible changes undermining Earth’s stability, with cascading impacts for global climate, food security, social equity and human wellbeing. As these pressures intensify, they demand urgent action to prevent further degradation of the ocean and its critical role in maintaining planetary stability.
2. Safeguarding ocean resilience offers a unique opportunity to generate co-benefits that address multiple global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and poverty. Strengthening ocean health is therefore integral to advancing sustainable development, improving social equity and enhancing community wellbeing worldwide.
3. Effective governance and sustainable management require integrated, science-based approaches that bridge disciplines, sectors and actors. Within these approaches, transdisciplinary, participatory research drawing from diverse knowledge systems –including local and Indigenous knowledge – is essential for fostering collaboration and innovation, and delivering positive and synergistic ocean health that supports societal needs.
4. Protecting the ocean is a strategic imperative for promoting global peace and cooperation. Science can provide a platform for building trust and diplomacy, and addressing inequalities in access to knowledge, capacity and decision-making. Collaborative science in particular can foster mutual understanding, reduce tensions, and support fair and equitable participation for inclusive ocean governance.
5. Securing the ocean’s role as a foundation for human wellbeing and planetary stability requires urgent, coordinated action. In ensuring such action is effective, strategic investments in scientific capacity, technology transfer, and the sharing of data and knowledge are crucial – especially in the context of a fragmented geopolitical landscape with leadership and funding vacuums.

Picture by Shaah Shahidh on Unsplash.

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