Presenter(s):
Deborah Bronk, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Leila Hamdan, University of Southern Mississippi
Richard Murray, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Primary Convener:
Paula Bontempi, University of Rhode Island

Ocean communities face a critical inflection point in science, technology, professional training, and education. Boundless economic and strategic opportunities await, but a sustained, multi-trillion dollar, global ocean economy remains out of reach without access to ocean data and tools to facilitate knowledge. Waning ocean investments hinder our ability to manage evolving geopolitical challenges, impacting national security. Decommissioning essential ocean infrastructure is underway, driven by the aging and downsizing of the US academic research fleet and lack of access to the deep ocean and strategic polar regions. This threatens our nation’s capacity for ocean exploration at a time when pressing global crises, such as food security, impact the health and wealth of a growing population. The recent National Academies report,”2025-2035 Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences for the National Science Foundation” highlights challenges and outlines priorities for the next decade needed to develop a 21st-century global blue economy. Addressing these issues requires bold, forward-thinking strategies to support national needs while advancing research, development, and education for the next generation of ocean professionals. Immediate action is imperative. We will discuss how we work together through the Research and Education Coalition for Ocean Sciences (RECOS, “The Ocean Coalition”), to advance targeted, science-driven advocacy.