The Voices of the Ocean Decade: A Tour of the World

The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable (Ocean Decade) runs from 2021-2030 and is dedicated to developing the science we need for the ocean we want, centered around 10 different Ocean challenges. Geosciences and understanding ocean/climate/weather interactions are a key part of promoting robust ocean science, as is advancing our understanding of the social and human dimension of research, which is often overlooked.

The inspiration for The Voices of the Ocean Decade: A Tour of the World, or Voices of the Ocean Decade for short, is Ocean Decade Challenge 10, which is focused around the idea of “Changing humanity's relationship with the ocean.” The aim of the broader project is to adapt and utilize a modified structure of Oral History interviews to identify gaps (scientific and structural) and challenges within the framework of the Ocean Decade and provide a platform for experts to share success stories (Ocean Decade Actions and others) and passions of the individuals working in the Ocean Decade. Through Voices of the Ocean Decade, NOAA is collecting living historical documents, recordings, and anecdotes of individuals working within the framework of the Ocean Decade at various levels, including those in geosciences. Oral Histories for this project simultaneously illuminate an individual’s lived experience and provide the interviewee with the opportunity to express their experience in the Ocean Decade, including any concerns for the future. Additionally, these Oral Histories are living pieces of history and will be available far beyond the end of the Ocean Decade in 2030.

After this presentation, the audience will: 1. Understand the role of oral history in advancing the narratives of the Ocean Decade, 2. Understand the role of geoscience in the Ocean Decade, and 3. Have a better understanding of the role of oral histories in capturing the diverse lived experiences and dialogue around the Ocean Decade.

While the Ocean Decade tackles a number of Ocean Challenges, there are numerous Ocean Decade Actions that focus specifically on marine geoscience and contribute to the ambitious goals laid out for the Ocean Decade including Seabed 2030 and UNESCO IOC’s Tsunami Ready program. These actions are crucial to the success of the Ocean Decade Challenges 5: Unlock ocean-based solutions to climate change and 6: Increase community resilience to ocean hazards. Marine geoscience hinges on understanding the intersection of geologic processes and human impact; this Voices project adds the human dimension and the stories of the people completing this work within the Ocean Decade. As the climate continues to change, understanding the motivation and passion driving marine geoscientists in the Ocean Decade adds an invaluable perspective.

These interviews encompass a global and multi-disciplinary perspective that is reflective of the Ocean Decade including diverse participants, spanning regional boundaries, multiple generations, and various genders. By gathering our information from an international audience, we will create dialogue around some of the most pressing topics in the Ocean Decade (and the geoscience and meteorological fields), such as lack of representation, gender inequity, and challenges for participants from the Global South. This project directly engages active participants of the Ocean Decade, which include local and indigenous knowledge holders. The goal is to interview a minimum of three to five individuals from each region (North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Pacific and Oceania Islands, and Europe, as well as interview folks working in the Arctic and Antarctic regions).

In addition to being geographically diverse, these interviews will be conducted with a range of individuals, including people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, different ages (professional, retired, early career and youth), different subject matters (tackling all Ocean Decade Challenges), and at varying levels of engagement in the Ocean Decade (e.g., from on the ground scientists to Ocean Decade leadership). By capturing individuals' lived experience, we can shine light on how to effectively overcome these barriers so that we can move towards successfully completing the Ocean Decades’ outcomes. We hope the collected materials can be used for educational purposes, policy development, and further research, providing valuable insights into overcoming barriers and enhancing representation and equity within the Ocean Decade.

These interviews will be published on the NOAA Voices Archives website, which is publicly accessible, and will also be used to develop a visual map detailing what individuals expressed as challenges, gaps, needs, partnerships and opportunities within the framework of the Ocean Decade. These interviews will also be transcribed into publicly available visual aids such as Story Maps.