A transdisciplinary co‐conceptualisation of marine identity

Abstract Challenge 10 of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) calls for the restoration of society's relationship with the ocean. Research suggests that the relationship people have with marine environments can influence their depth of engagement in marine citizenship action, and the important role for ‘marine identity’ in driving that action. Although identity is well‐researched, marine identity is a concept novel to academia and a baseline understanding is required, both to grasp the scope of the concept, and to support research into its role in transforming the human‐ocean relationship. Here, a transdisciplinary study, endorsed as a UN Ocean Decade Activity and by the EU Mission Ocean & Waters, brought together a multinational community of marine researchers and practitioners to co‐produce a baseline conceptualisation of marine identity, drawing on photovoice and deliberative methodology. This paper presents the findings of the co‐production process and offers a first introduction in the literature of the multiple variations and formations of marine identity. We find marine identity to be a complex and multidimensional concept, suffused with individual experiences and understandings of the marine environment, based on social and cultural understandings of the ocean, contemporarily and historically. We present real‐world examples of marine identity to illustrate key themes that were developed through co‐production. Policy implications: We propose marine identity as a catalyst for understanding existing multifaceted and caring relationships with the ocean, as well as the restoration of society's relationship with the ocean. Marine identity research should, therefore, be prioritised in research seeking to contribute to the UN Ocean Decade Challenge 10, as this will support integration of non‐material values of the ocean into marine planning processes and policy making, enabling effective responses to Challenge 10's emphasis on integrating traditional/cultural ways of knowing and valuing the marine environment, through diverse marine identities. We welcome research efforts that will further develop the marine identity concept and empirically investigate the relationships between marine identity, marine citizenship, and people's relationships with the ocean. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Publication Details

Journal
People and Nature
Published
2024-09-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10715
Citations
11
Primary Topic
Coastal and Marine Management
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
7.81

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article

A transdisciplinary co‐conceptualisation of marine identity

Diana Payne, Melissa C. Márquez, Mavra Stithou, Rachel Hale et al.
11 citations
People and Nature
Coastal and Marine Management
7.81
article

A transdisciplinary co‐conceptualisation of marine identity

Diana Payne, Melissa C. Márquez, Mavra Stithou, Rachel Hale, Vesna Flander‐Putrle, Elisabeth Morris-Webb, Troels Jacob Hegland, David Whyte, Pamela M. Buchan, Radisti A. Praptiwi, Kathryn E. Whittey, Emma McKinley, Marly Muudeni Samuel, Lisa Glithero, Stephen Sutton, Giulia Champion, Alison Neilson, Lindsey West, Katerina Velentza, M. Marra, Julia Jung, Sophia Kochalski, Mia Strand, Aniefon Daniel Akpan, Chinomnso Chinazum Onwubiko, L. M. Abels, J. Spavieri, A. Čermák, P. Schiefer, O. Adeoye
article en
11 citations

Abstract

Abstract Challenge 10 of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) calls for the restoration of society's relationship with the ocean. Research suggests that the relationship people have with marine environments can influence their depth of engagement in marine citizenship action, and the important role for ‘marine identity’ in driving that action. Although identity is well‐researched, marine identity is a concept novel to academia and a baseline understanding is required, both to grasp the scope of the concept, and to support research into its role in transforming the human‐ocean relationship. Here, a transdisciplinary study, endorsed as a UN Ocean Decade Activity and by the EU Mission Ocean & Waters, brought together a multinational community of marine researchers and practitioners to co‐produce a baseline conceptualisation of marine identity, drawing on photovoice and deliberative methodology. This paper presents the findings of the co‐production process and offers a first introduction in the literature of the multiple variations and formations of marine identity. We find marine identity to be a complex and multidimensional concept, suffused with individual experiences and understandings of the marine environment, based on social and cultural understandings of the ocean, contemporarily and historically. We present real‐world examples of marine identity to illustrate key themes that were developed through co‐production. Policy implications: We propose marine identity as a catalyst for understanding existing multifaceted and caring relationships with the ocean, as well as the restoration of society's relationship with the ocean. Marine identity research should, therefore, be prioritised in research seeking to contribute to the UN Ocean Decade Challenge 10, as this will support integration of non‐material values of the ocean into marine planning processes and policy making, enabling effective responses to Challenge 10's emphasis on integrating traditional/cultural ways of knowing and valuing the marine environment, through diverse marine identities. We welcome research efforts that will further develop the marine identity concept and empirically investigate the relationships between marine identity, marine citizenship, and people's relationships with the ocean. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

People and NatureVol. 6(6)
Glasgow School of Art (GB), Queen's University Belfast (GB), Dalhousie University (CA), Zoological Society of London (GB), Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (GB), University of Cape Coast (GH), University of Connecticut (US), University of Lisbon (PT), University of Crete (GR), Bangor University (GB), University of Hull (GB), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (ES), Curtin University (AU), University of Exeter (GB), University College Cork (IE), Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE), Connecticut Sea Grant (US), National Institute of Biology (SI), COPE Galway (IE), Crete University Press (GR), University of Southampton (GB), National Research and Innovation Agency (ID), National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NZ), Pan-Atlantic University (NG), Cardiff University (GB), Aalborg University (DK), University of Plymouth (GB), Nordland Research Institute (NO), Nelson Mandela University (ZA)
University of Connecticut, University of Hull, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional, Sight Research UK, Queen's University Belfast, Science Foundation Ireland, University College Cork, Curtin University of Technology, Aalborg Universitet, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Bangor University, Queen's University, University of Crete, Universidade de Lisboa, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Connecticut Sea Grant, University of Connecticut, Economic and Social Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council, Division of Ocean Sciences
Life below water
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Coastal and Marine Management
7.81
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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