Towards equity and justice in ocean sciences

Abstract

The global scientific community is currently going through a self-reckoning in which it is questioning and re-examining its existing practices, many of which are based on colonial and neo-colonial perceptions. This is particularly acute for the ocean research community, where unequal and unbalanced international collaborations have been rife. Consequently, numerous discussions and calls have been made to change the current status quo by developing guidelines and frameworks addressing the key issues plaguing our community. Here, we provide an overview of the key topics and issues that the scientific community has debated over the last three to four years, with an emphasis on ocean research, coupled with actions per stakeholder groups (research community, institutions, funding agencies, and publishers). We also outline some key discussions that are currently missing and suggest a path forward to tackle these gaps. We hope this contribution will further accelerate efforts to bring more equity and justice into ocean sciences.