Sustainable Ocean Research Articles

Current Research and Future Perspectives: A Literature Review on the Blue Economy of Indonesia

As an archipelagic country with an ocean-spanning more than two-thirds of its land area, developing a sustainable ocean economy is vital for Indonesia. Indonesia’s strategic position has also created opportunities for Indonesia to influence regional political and economic stability and lead in sustainable ocean development. Blue Economy is recognized as disentangling socio-economic activities and advancement from environmental deterioration while maximizing the potential gains from marine resources. This study aims to scrutinize and analyse existing academic literature and research papers and analyse the future perspectives of the Blue Economy in Indonesia, employing VOSviewer to examine the current status and scope—a Systematic Literature Review spanning a decade of academic journal datasets extracted from the Scopus database. A Strategic Foresight approach using secondary data was also employed to highlight potential future scenarios and their implications. By employing strategic foresight and analysing potential future scenarios, the study can provide helpful information for long-term planning and decision-making processes in various sectors of the Blue Economy and their human capital development.

Enhancing maritime education for ocean sustainability: A multidisciplinary approach

This research critically explores maritime education’s role in fostering ocean sustainability and preparing seafarer students to tackle environmental challenges. It highlights the importance of marine science and technology literacy and proposes innovative solutions aligned with ocean health, resilience, and global climate change mitigation. Through qualitative descriptive analysis of select research papers, this study offers insights beneficial to the maritime industry and environmental conservation. The findings stress the need for curriculum enhancements, advocating for integrating marine science subjects and advanced technologies in maritime education. Proficiency in marine science and technology literacy is crucial for students to become competent professionals and responsible stewards of the marine environment. Green shipping practices, eco-friendly vessel design, and environmental bio-monitoring are identified as transformative opportunities for the industry, requiring support from policymakers and stakeholders in line with international emissions reduction agreements. Integrating marine eco-biology education into maritime curricula empowers students to actively engage in marine biodiversity conservation. This interdisciplinary approach bridges theory and practice, offering a sustainable future for our oceans through collaboration between educational institutions, industry stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers.

Could fish aggregation at ocean aquaculture augment wild populations and local fisheries?

The global population consumes more seafood from aquaculture today than from capture fisheries and although the aquaculture industry continues to grow, both seafood sectors will continue to be important to the global food supply into the future. As farming continues to expand into ocean systems, understanding how wild populations and fisheries will interact with farms will be increasingly important to informing sustainable ocean planning and management. Using a spatially explicit population and fishing model we simulate several impacts from ocean aquaculture (i.e., aggregation, protection from fishing, and impacts on fitness) to evaluate the mechanisms underlying interactions between aquaculture, wild populations and fisheries. We find that aggregation of species to farms can increase the benefits of protection from fishing that a farm provides and can have greater impacts on more mobile species. Splitting total farm area into smaller farms can benefit fishery catches, whereas larger farms can provide greater ecological benefits through conservation of wild populations. Our results provide clear lessons on how to design and co-manage expanding ocean aquaculture along with wild capture ecosystem management to benefit fisheries or conservation objectives.

Towards a collaborative stakeholder engagement pathway to increase ocean sustainability related to marine spatial planning in developing coastal states

Towards a collaborative stakeholder engagement pathway to increase ocean sustainability related to marine spatial planning in developing coastal states

Navigating the stormy seas of building ‘trust’ as a boundary organisation connecting marine science with policy and management

Improving knowledge exchange among scientists and decision-makers is a critical component of navigating ocean sustainability challenges. Boundary organisations are one approach to facilitating knowledge exchange and influencing marine policy and management. However, to effectively do so, boundary organisations must navigate various challenges that can undermine the extent to which they are considered as trusted by partners. At present, there is a lack of specific guidance on how boundary organisations can navigate these challenges and build trust. We seek to address this gap empirically via in-depth qualitative analysis, using the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) as a case study. Through interviews with requesters of ICES advice (i.e. the users of the knowledge), we sought to understand (i) the benefits that requesters derived from working with ICES and (ii) the factors that can affect the extent to which requesters trust the advice generated and provided by ICES. Our results show that requesters gain numerous benefits from requesting advice from ICES (e.g., being able to rely on an independent scientific body, receiving best available scientific evidence, and being engaged in processes which enable sharing of expertise and scientific knowledge). We also identified factors that contribute to increased trust in ICES (e.g., ICES processes, good relationships between requesters and ICES, and the requester's ability to understand ICES advice). Conversely, trust in ICES was negatively affected when there was a production of poor-quality advice, a lack of transparency, and when ICES advice went beyond its original remit. In presenting these insights from ICES, this study provides guidance for organisations operating at the interface of marine science and policy and helps them to navigate the stormy seas associated with maintaining trust.

Voluntary commitments for ocean sustainability: Comparing the UN Ocean Conference and Our Ocean Conference platforms

Fragmented ocean governance has resulted in a crisis of ocean health as well as hampered efforts to improve ocean sustainability. Two systems for mobilising ‘voluntary commitments’ (VCs) to contribute to ocean sustainability have been developed: one organised under the auspices of the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC), and one under the annual Our Ocean Conference (OOC) series. The two systems function independently of the other, and there are also considerable thematic overlaps, raising questions about cross-registration in assessing progress towards improving ocean sustainability. This paper cross-references the 3923 cumulative commitments made under the two systems, finding 283 unique UNOC commitments (out of 2107 total, or 13.4%) that have been cross-registered in the OOC platform. These include marine protected area commitments that cover 1.45% of the global ocean. Cross-registration and duplication is therefore not a substantial problem that undermines the utility of these platforms. Nonetheless, issues of participation, thematic spread, and how to meaningfully assess implementation, need further investigation to more fully understand the impact of these VC platforms on ocean sustainability.

Sustainable and Just Deep-Sea Mining for the Energy Green Transition: A Conundrum Without Legal, Governance or Technological Solutions. The Case of the EU

In January 2023 the International Seabed Authority (ISA), an intergovernmental organization established under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) granted already thirty contracts for exploration of Deep Seabed Mining, but exploitation has not started yet because ISA has not finalized its regulations, expected in 2025. This article intends to address to what extent is the current deep Seabed mining regime factoring risks and uncertainties in a just and sustainable manner in the current legal framework on environmental liability embedded in the green energy transition’s processes with the EU as case study and enquiry if there are baseline or best practice to learn from. It unravels which type of precautionary approach fits and is just. Deep Seabed Mining is also a social justice, ethical dilemma demanding equitable and share solutions to the benefit of current and future generations because activities of this kind can destroy ecosystems that can take decades to regenerate, if not causing irreversible damage. Law and technology, but also technology will be crucial as new methods guaranteeing an “environmental benign Deep Seabed Mining” will determine how liability law will be shaped. Deep Seabed Mining Environmental Liability, Precautionary approach; Sustainable Green Transition, Natural Extraction Law, Critical Minerals, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Ocean Law and Governance, Environmental Justice, Deep Seabed Law, Law and Technology

The Challenge of Blue Economy in ASEAN 2023: Climate Change and Regional Security.

As an emerging concept, blue economy shows that the ocean and seas are important drivers of economic growth and innovation, while taking into account the need to guarantee ocean sustainability and rules-based ocean governance. This research was conducted to see how State members of the ASEAN community are preparing to implement blue economy amid climate change and regional security threat. Using normative approach, this research lists the policy issue of States regarding the mitigation and prevention of climate change and focusing on the key sectors of blue economy. State members also need to overcome the threat on regional security State whether by legal or cooperative measures. In conclusion, this research highlights the importance of carefully weighing the effects of climate change and regional security concerns in order to ensure a sustainable and resilient future for the region.

Towards a Sustainable Ocean Ecosystem: Innovations in Plastic Pollution Mitigation, Policy Collaborations, and Technological Advancements

The research delves into the multifaceted challenge of plastic pollution, specifically focusing on its presence in our oceans. Initially, the paper explores the history and significance of ocean clean-up initiatives, emphasizing the urgent need to address the detrimental impacts of plastic waste on marine ecosystems. Innovations in plastic recycling are highlighted, showcasing the technological advancements made in addressing plastic waste and the potential these innovations hold for reshaping marine ecosystem preservation. Furthermore, the economic ramifications of plastic recycling are elucidated, presenting a balanced view of its economic growth potential and environmental responsibility. The study then delves into the health implications of microplastics, exploring their potential effects on human health, emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive research in this realm. Behavioral economics emerges as a strategic tool in understanding and promoting plastic reduction, illuminating how human behaviors can be influenced for environmental benefit. The research also sheds light on the profound economic potential of the plastic recycling industry, with emphasis on its role in fostering circular economies. Finally, the importance of collaboration between policy and industry is underscored, highlighting both the promises and challenges of collective action in the fight against plastic pollution. In conclusion, addressing plastic pollution necessitates an integrated approach that combines technology, economics, policy, and collective will. Recommendations emphasize the need for more robust policy frameworks, continuous technological innovations, and public awareness campaigns to mitigate this pressing environmental concern.

International Environmental Law and Marine Pollution in the Pacific Islands: Promoting Sustainable Ocean Governance

International Environmental Law and Marine Pollution in the Pacific Islands: Promoting Sustainable Ocean Governance

Behind the Veil of Blue Ecolabelling: Dismantling the Juxtaposition of International Regulations on Sustainable Oceans

Ecolabelling was introduced as an alternative consumer-facing mechanism in the market to combat certain threats against the environment and to promote sustainable usage of its components. More importantly in the case of Indonesia as a maritime country, fishery ecolabels can be used to build sustainability to its marine environment which can be vital for its economy in the future. To this end, this article constructs an exposition of ecolabels from a legal perspective in the international and local contexts that is still absent in Indonesia’s legal research. This study employs normative legal research methodology in its data collecting and analysis. The article in its analysis will argue that while the international standards provided for blue ecolabels are robust, its genuine implementation can only be realized in the domestic scene, where local aspects can be considered. This research in the end finds that an ecolabelling of fisheries in Indonesia is urgently needed, concludes that ecolabelling in fisheries can help the state in realizing its international commitments, and recommends its urgent creation in the national scene.

Call for papers: Special Issue on Sensors, Actuators, and Energy Harvesting for Sustainable Ocean Observing Systems

Call for papers: Special Issue on Sensors, Actuators, and Energy Harvesting for Sustainable Ocean Observing Systems

Bibliometric Analysis of Global Engagement Research: Trends, Prolific Authors, and Impact in Environmental Science and Business & Economics Fields

Global engagement has become vital to academic research, particularly in economics and environmental science. This bibliometric analysis utilizes Scopus Analyze and VOSviewer to explore trends, prolific authors, and the impact of global engagement research in these fields, identifying research gaps in reputable international databases like Scopus. The study aims to provide insights into the implications of global engagement on society, economy, and environment. Data from 105 papers were collected, with reputable international journals being the dominant source. Findings indicate a rising interest in global engagement research from 2014 to 2023, with the United States leading in contributions, followed by the United Kingdom, Australia, and other countries. Themes prevalent in the research include education and sustainable development, focusing on cross-cultural learning experiences and the need for international cooperation to address global challenges. In environmental science, scholars explore sustainable development, the sustainable ocean economy, and the impact of economic growth on environmental sustainability, seeking to design effective strategies for green technologies and sustainable practices. This study's valuable insights contribute to business, economics, and environmental science, guiding future research and understanding global engagement's implications in various domains while identifying research gaps that offer opportunities for further investigation into novel aspects of global engagement.

Grand challenges in marine governance for ocean sustainability in the twenty-first century

The twenty-first century is seeing multiple and accelerating anthropogenic threats to the Ocean which jeopardize the planetary system and human well-being. Given the urgency of this planetary emergency, ensuring Ocean sustainability and an equitable and just future for humanity and the planet requires unprecedented acceleration and innovation in the theory and practice of marine governance. This Perspective provides an overview of recent trends and emerging issues facing the Ocean. It outlines a number of Grand Challenges, or important areas to advance for scholars and practitioners of marine governance, namely the bridging of sectors and scales, connecting people and the seas, consideration of inclusivity, equity and justice, and innovating knowledge generation and the interface of science, society and policy. This will allow to address questions of how to achieve just, equitable and sustainable use of and interaction with the Ocean in the twenty-first century.

Development of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Vietnam from a coevolutionary governance perspective: Challenges of unholy alliances between the state, businesses and NGOs

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are widely recognised as a management framework for achieving biodiversity conservation and sustainable ocean uses. Although the attention to improving the governance of MPAs as a priority for achieving effective MPAs has been escalated, debates concerning MPA governance are inspired mainly by the bottom-up governance approach and its focus on horizontal and vertical linkages as a means of resolving conflicts, with the assumption that the state should only take a passive role. As the debates on the best MPA governance model continue, the progress of spatially expanding the global MPA network remains slow and has created many paper parks. Through a coevolutionary governance lens, this paper aims to empirically examine the development of MPAs in Vietnam and reflect on the national realities of achieving global biodiversity targets. Our findings emphasise that governance frameworks adopted for Vietnamese MPAs are typically characterised by a significant decentralisation of responsibilities to province-/district-level governments but with a lack of conditions and accountability attached to such responsibilities and of related oversight from the central government. Consequences include rent-seeking and clientelism opportunities for local authorities, elite capture of MPA benefits, and diminishing trust and stewardship among local communities. Our study suggests that, in the face of increasing overfishing and corporate interests nurtured by the unholy alliances between the state, businesses and NGOs, effective and equitable MPAs critically rely on synergies among different governance approaches, which are case-specific, along with sufficient political will and oversight from the state.

Ocean literacy for an Ocean constitution

AbstractFirmly cemented in history as a connector of people, a facilitator for trade and transport routes and a driver of culture and heritage, the ocean has directly influenced globalization, and humanity more generally, for generations. While the ocean was perhaps once viewed as infinite and insurmountable, globally our oceans, coasts and seas have experienced unprecedented change in recent decades with climate change, loss of biodiversity and overfishing among the challenges being addressed through contemporary ocean governance. Moreover, and crucially as we continue to strive for sustainable ocean futures, the global ocean is increasingly being recognized as a peopled space. This article explores the role of ocean literacy as we look towards achieving sustainable ocean futures.

Hierarchical localization algorithm for sustainable ocean health in large-scale underwater wireless sensor networks

Being an extensive part of marine study, underwater localization has fascinated widespread consideration in both civil and military. The underwater sensor network localization should differ from existing terrestrial and recent localization techniques, owing to catastrophic ocean conditions, large-scale networks, and node drift, even in a static environment, along with the pretense of adverse challenges. To address these technical difficulties, we propose a hierarchical localization approach with anchor and ordinary nodes localized in two phases. First, anchor nodes are localized with the help of surface buoys, drifted on the water. Second, we propose a threshold that originates from the midpoint of the deployed anchor nodes for ordinary node localization. The nature of the threshold in the proposed technique enables the localization of all nodes in a network by demonstrating that the anchor node can cover 100% of the area after the nodes are deployed. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme gains high energy efficiency and precision, as well as wide localization coverage, which helps in ocean sustainability. In addition, the proposed technique is implemented in the Aqua-sim toolkit of NS-2 for the validation of the simulation results.

Ocean literacies: the promise of regional approaches integrating ocean histories and psychologies

The current concept of ocean literacy reflects a prerequisite for achieving ocean sustainability. Existing ocean literacy reflects a fundamentally western view of oceans that works in tension with ocean literacy goals. Although ocean literacy practitioners and researchers are, laudably, starting to incorporate Indigenous knowledges and perspectives from BIPOC communities, attention to historical change continues to be left out of ocean literacy, to the detriment of ocean literacy goals. This article points out that, given the reality that human-ocean relationships have changed over time, and differed among cultural groups in the past as well as in the present, ocean literacy needs to incorporate ocean history at a foundational level. Because there are historical differences in human relationships with oceans, it stands to reason that regional ocean literacies must be more effective than a universal and timeless ocean literacy framework. Following the logical efficacy of a regional approach to ocean literacy, this article further argues that regional ocean literacies should involve the systematic inclusion of emotional elements. Regional ocean literacies should be constructed through knowledge co-production, involving diverse types of expertise, knowledge and actors to produce context-specific knowledge and pathways towards a sustainable future. To fully exploit the potential of ocean literacy, there is a need for the UN Ocean Decade to work towards regional and place-based approaches that incorporate history as well as culture in an iterative and collaborative process involving diverse types of expertise, knowledge and actors.

Predicting Carbonate Chemistry on the Northwest Atlantic Shelf Using Neural Networks

AbstractThe Northwest Atlantic Shelf (NAS) region has experienced accelerated warming, heatwaves, and is susceptible to ocean acidification, yet also suffers from a paucity of carbonate chemistry observations, particularly at depth. We address this critical data gap by developing three different neural network models to predict dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total alkalinity (TA) in the NAS region from more readily available hydrographic and satellite data. The models predicted DIC withr2between 0.913–0.963 and root mean square errors (RMSE) between 15.4–23.7 (μmol kg−1) and TA withr2between 0.986–0.983 and RMSE between 9.0–10.4 (μmol kg−1) on an unseen test data set that was not used in training the models. Cross‐validation analysis revealed that all models were insensitive to the choice of training data and had good generalization performance on unseen data. Uncertainty in DIC and TA were low (coefficients of variation 0.1%–1%). Compared with other predictive models of carbonate system variables in this region, a larger and more diverse data set with full seasonal coverage and a more sophisticated model architecture resulted in a robust predictive model with higher accuracy and precision across all seasons. We used one of the models to generate a reconstructed seasonal distribution of carbonate chemistry fields based on DIC and TA predictions that shows a clear seasonal progression and large spatial gradients consistent with observations. The distinct models will allow for a range of applications based on the predictor variables available and will be useful to understand and address ocean sustainability challenges.

180 years of marine animal diversity as perceived by public media in southern Brazil.

Commoditization of marine resources has dramatically increased anthropogenic footprints on coastal and ocean systems, but the scale of these impacts remain unclear due to a pervasive lack of historical baselines. Through the analysis of historical newspapers, this paper explores changes in marine animals (vertebrates and invertebrates) targeted by historical fisheries in southern Brazil since the late 19th century. The investigation of historical newspaper archives revealed unprecedented information on catch composition, and perceived social and economic importance of key species over decades, predating official national-level landing records. We show that several economically and culturally important species have been under persistent fishing pressure at least since the first national-scale subsidies were introduced for commercial fisheries in Brazil in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Our work expands the current knowledge on historical fish catch compositions in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, while advocating for the integration of historical data in ocean sustainability initiatives.