Now more than ever, research can play a pivotal role in shaping how we talk about the ocean, enabling campaigns to communicate in ways that resonate, inspire engagement, and drive meaningful action for the ocean.
As the global ocean community gathers at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France (9th – 13th June) the Ocean ISU team and our partners will be on the ground spotlighting how data-driven communications can supercharge existing efforts and accelerate the ocean action this moment demands.
At UNOC, we’re sharing tools and resources designed to support ocean communicators. We’re also spotlighting the collaborative work we’re driving with partners to elevate strategic communications and put people at the heart of ocean stories and solutions.
KEY MESSAGES FOR OCEAN LITERACY AND STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION EVENTS
Since the last UNOC, there has been an exciting amount of collaboration between ocean literacy and strategic communication practitioners, and that momentum continues to build. This year’s UNOC will feature a range of ocean literacy and strategic communication events, offering an opportunity to promote shared messages that increase awareness and understanding of the vital role that ocean literacy and strategic communications play in driving meaningful ocean action.
This short co-created guide offers a clear set of compelling messages that can be used by ocean literacy and strategic communication practitioners alike to reinforce our shared goals and collective impact.
Download our key messages for ocean literacy and strategic communication events at UNOC 2025
A COMMUNICATOR’S GUIDE TO THE OCEAN AND SOCIETY SURVEY
The Ocean & Society Survey (OSS) is a collaboratively co-designed global tool to better understand how people perceive, value, and interact with the ocean. By asking questions about what people know and how they feel about the ocean, the survey helps us to see patterns and changes in public attitudes and behaviours over time.
Analysis from the OSS provides insights for developing impactful marine conservation communications. The survey provides the data from which we can discern actionable intelligence, enabling campaigns that resonate more deeply because they’re built on genuine audience understanding. By meeting people where they are emotionally and practically, marine conservation campaigns can build broader, deeper and more sustained public engagement.
Using the OSS, the Ocean ISU and COLC have explored how the data can inform such ocean communication. There are three ways in which this can be done: providing baseline metrics, providing critical insight for campaign development, and yielding insights for headlines and advocacy engagement.
Download our Communicator’s Guide to the Ocean and Society Survey English and French.
THE OCEAN AND SOCIETY SURVEY
The OSS is part of the larger effort to address Challenge 10 of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), which is focused on restoring society’s relationship with the ocean.
Project Lead – Survey Coordination, Instrument Design & Analysis
Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition (COLC)
Core Co-Designing Partner Organizations and Institutions
Dalhousie University; Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC); Communications INC; Connecticut Sea Grant and University of Connecticut; Fundação Grupo Boticário; Instituto do Mar – Universidade Federal de São Paulo; IOC-UNESCO; Lawrence Hall of Science; MarSocSci and Cardiff University; Ocean Conservation Trust; Nordland Research Institute (Nordlandsforskning); Simon Fraser University; Research for Purpose Ltd; University of Gothenburg
Learn more about the OSS and how to get involved through the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition.
THE ADVANCING STRATEGIC OCEAN COMMUNICATION PROJECT
The Advancing Strategic Ocean Communication project, led by Communications INC is a multi-stakeholder project that aims to bring together the global community of ocean communicators and interdisciplinary experts to co-produce guidance to support greater investment in evidence-based, strategic ocean communications and drive greater long-term impact.
To date, the project has created an extended community of practice of 600+ global ocean communicators; co-created ‘better practice principles’ through a series of expert chapter groups; delivered a two day communications symposium and a series of online capacity sharing events; and fostered new communications partnerships within the ocean communication space.
The project is in partnership with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and IOC-UNESCO.
Read more about the Advancing Strategic Ocean Communication project and the materials developed during the project to support effective ocean communication including recorded webinars, practical guides, how-to resources, and event reports in our Resource Hub here.
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION FOR POLICY CHANGE – THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE
The landscape for communications and achieving policy change has changed rapidly over the last years and accelerated in the last few months. It is now harder to reach decision makers and the people who influence them. This analysis explores how why.