Towards a reflexive, policy-relevant and engaged ocean science for the UN decade: A social science research agenda

Abstract

The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) aims to tackle several challenges on the path towards more sustainable ocean futures. Its central objectives are to close knowledge gaps, increase the usability of scientific knowledge on the ocean, strengthen science-policy interfaces, and make oceanography fit for purpose. The quest for a reflexive turn within ocean science itself echoes many claims for more inclusive, diverse, and equitable research practices in the marine realm and provides an entry point for discussing the contribution of the social sciences to the UN Decade. This article examines different social science research avenues and proposes a research agenda detailing different entry points for unpacking the complex web of science-policy interrelations. First, we identify three research themes - reflexive ocean science, policy-relevant ocean science, and engaged ocean science- and nine research avenues where social science expertise is needed to close knowledge gaps. Second, we use the case of marine biodiversity to illustrate how to combine research into different avenues. Finally, the comprehensive study of ocean science's reflexive, political, and societal dimensions is an emerging field within ocean governance scholarship and deserves to receive increased attention from scholars interested in the conditions of transformative change.

Keywords

• UN Decade of ocean science
• Social sciences
• Science-policy interfaces
• Ocean sustainability
• Marine biodiversity
• Methodology