Anguilla 
Antigua and Barbuda 
Grenada 
Bahamas 
Barbados 
Belize 
Dominica 
Guyana 
Haiti 
Jamaica 
Montserrat 
St. Kitts and Nevis 
St. Lucia 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 
Suriname 
Trinidad and Tobago 
Turks and Caicos 
The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development: Potential for Regional Ocean Science Coordination and Partnership
Lorna V Inniss, Ph.D, Alex E Palomino and Cesar Toro, Ph.D,
Marck Oduber, Ph.D, and Soraya Silva, Ph.D
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ABSTRACT
The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (the Ocean Decade) has the vision of “the science we need for the ocean we want.” The preparatory work completed within the first three years of the Ocean Decade emphasized the co-design aspects and successfully created a large Community of Practice in the Tropical Americas and Caribbean Region (TAC) for implementation. The Ocean Decade provides a framework for diverse actors to identify, generate and use ocean science for sustainable development, aimed to catalyze existing and new partnerships to address specific needs of citizens, industry and communities to optimise the benefits of the ocean to humans. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO leads the implementation of Decade Actions that respond to 10 Challenges in ocean health and wellbeing. The seven (7) outcomes to be achieved by 2030 through collaborative science are: A Clean Ocean, A Safe Ocean, A Predicted Ocean, A Healthy and Resilient Ocean, A Productive Ocean, An Accessible Ocean and An Inspiring and Engaging Ocean. The Tropical Americas and Caribbean (TAC) Region is already working on improving ocean governance through the establishment of an Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM) among relevant intergovernmental bodies. This new paradigm envisions Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP), young people, community representatives, industry and civil society participating in the governance, management and conservation of marine resources, an investment that brings measurable returns to all sectors, while minimising the impact of humans on the ocean and ensuring sustainability. The proposed TAC Ocean Decade Task Force will work with partners to unpack ocean science needs for all-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk reduction, as well as ecosystem health, alternative livelihoods and wider societal gains, and increasing wealth, especially within small island developing states (SIDS). Thus, a successful Ocean Decade in 2030 establishes a foundation of credible and relevant science that supports the Sustainable Blue Economy, ecosystem restoration, pollution reduction, fisheries conservation, and responds to the needs of states to implement global and regional treaties on the ocean.
HOW TO CITE: Inniss, L.V., A. E. Palomino and C. Toro, M. Oduber, and S. Silva, 2026. The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development: Potential for Regional Ocean Science Coordination and Partnership. Contribution 8.6, p576-587 IN CRFM, 2026. Volume I: Technical Papers. Presented at the CRFM 20th Anniversary Scientific Conference, 28-31 August 2023. CRFM Special Publication No. 37, CRFM Secretariat https://www.crfm.int/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=950
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