Why is it important?

The General Assembly of the United Nations has consistently highlighted the importance of marine science for eradicating poverty, contributing to food security, conserving the world’s marine environment and resources, helping to understand, predict and respond to natural events and promoting the sustainable development of the ocean. Not only can ocean science help us deal with a number of the problems we are facing today, it could help us discover much-needed medicines, provide clean energy, combat climate change or avoid destructive weather patterns for the future.

By establishing the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) in 2017, the United Nations hoped to bring attention to ocean research. Led by the International Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational and Scientific and Cultural Organization (IOC-UNESCO), the Ocean Decade’s vision is ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’, providing a framework for scientists and stakeholders from diverse sectors to develop the knowledge and partnerships needed to promote ocean science, achieve a better understanding of the ocean system and deliver science-based solutions to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The UNESCO Global Ocean Science Report 2020 analysed the workforce, infrastructures, equipment, funding, investments, publications, data flow and exchange policies, as well as national strategies. Its main finding was that despite the importance of ocean science and the massive economic value of ocean resources and industries, an average of only 1.7% of national research budgets is allocated to ocean science. More funding needs to be allocated, more research vessels and submersibles need to be built, more observation systems, communication networks and data collection points need to be set up. There is currently only a small fleet of fully-equipped research vessels and just a handful of submersibles which are capable of reaching the lower depths of the ocean: the report counted a total number of 1,081 vessels serving ocean science, with 924 research vessels almost exclusively used for ocean science and 157 ships of opportunity. Many national research vessels are ageing while the cost of replacing a vessel rises, leaving many marine scientists waiting for ship time. The International Research Ship Operators (IRSO) forum is a group of research ship operators representing 49 organizations from 30 countries who manage over 100 of the world’s leading marine scientific research vessels. Even fewer submersibles are available to advance ocean research: a mere 67 were registered among the survey participants. Submersibles can be split into three categories: human-occupied vehicles (HOVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The operation of HOVs is limited in time due to the oxygen limits of those who operate them and that of ROVs by their need to be connected to the research ship, making AUVs perhaps the most useful tool in research: pre-programmed, they can travel through the water at any depth collecting data on a previously set route.

According to the 2022 Annual Report for Oceans and the Law of the Sea, efforts are under way to improve data management and sharing. As at 2022, the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange network comprises 93 national data centres, while the Ocean Biodiversity Information System contains nearly 100 million occurrences drawn from 4,000 data sets. The World Meteorological Organization’s Unified Data Policy now requires WMO member States to make certain ocean observation data freely available. In terms of deep-sea research, the International Seabed Authority launched an initiative to advance scientific understanding of deep-sea ecosystems in the Area through knowledge-sharing and work continues on standardizing deep -sea taxonomy.