Global ocean indicators: Marking pathways at the science-policy nexus
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Ocean knowledge is crucial for shaping policies that enable sustainable development, adaptation, and well-being at all levels, as everyone—either directly or indirectly—depends on the ocean, which today faces escalating threats from climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, pushing us beyond critical planetary boundaries. Ocean indicators are crucial for translating ocean science and data into practical metrics, guidance, and tools informing on the state and health of the ocean that can be directly applied by policymakers, practitioners, and the public. Despite their critical importance, ocean indicators trail behind those for continental areas, limiting effective monitoring and policy integration. Developing reliable, comparable, and regularly updated ocean indicators, backed by a unified international framework, is essential for delivering coherent, actionable insights that can guide global goals and protect the ocean's future. This paper establishes a scientific foundation for ocean indicators through international and multidisciplinary collaboration, presenting defined criteria and a set of pilot indicators for the ocean’s physical, biogeochemical, biodiversity, and ecosystem aspects. The proposed framework offers a solid foundation for generating indicators that not only track the ocean state but also provide outputs for application in informing policy and decision-making.
Source: Marine Policy
Authors: Karina von Schuckmann, Alex Godoy-Faundez, Véronique Garçon, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Karen Evans, Ward Appeltans, Narissa Bax, Lisandro Benedetti Cecchi, Anthony Bernard, Kim Bernard, Jarret Byrnes, Gabrielle Canonico, Lucille Chapuis, Malcolm R. Clark, Audrey M. Darnaude, Claire Davies, Pia Englyst, Agneta Fransson, Samantha Hallam, Emma Heslop, Elisabeth Holland, Maria Hood, Stefan Kern, Aurélien Liné, Ana Lara-Lopez, Nora Loose, Belén Martín Míguez, Clive R. McMahon, Lina Mtwana Nordlund, Joanna Post, Sabrina Speich, Adrienne Sutton, Toste Tanhua, Maciej Telszewski, Dimitris Poursanidis, Weidong Yu
Institutions: Universidad del Desarrollo, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de physique du globe de Paris, University of South Florida, University of South Florida St. Petersburg, UNESCO, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, Grønlands Naturinstitut, Oregon State University, University of Massachusetts Boston, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System, La Trobe University, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Ifremer, Université de Montpellier, Marine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, CSIRO Environment, Danish Meteorological Institute, Norwegian Polar Institute, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Language: English
Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,260
OpenAlex ID: W7102589813