Shaping the future of marine socio-ecological systems science: combining interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches and knowledge co-creation with diverse stakeholders

Abstract Following the first symposium held in Brest, France, in 2016, the second Marine Socio-Ecological Systems Symposium (MSEAS) was held in Yokohama, Japan, in 2024, after 4 years of postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2016, interdisciplinary efforts to inform ocean governance using the Social-Ecological System (SES) approach was highlighted as highly necessary. MSEAS 2024 emphasized the combination of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches, exploring and developing new insights in co-designing research and co-producing solution-oriented knowledge, while involving diverse teams and stakeholders. The symposium covered a range of topics, including methods and assessment strategies of how to interpret social–ecological systems, stakeholder perceptions and how to communicate the research, involvement of communities, and the co-creation of science. Additionally, the symposium featured inspirational events for Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) and explored art–science connections. This graphical record aims to convey the essence of the symposium to a broad audience through illustrations. These graphics by a Japanese illustrator are the result of a participatory process during the conference, based on interviews with session conveners and contributions from participants via an online form.