The ocean we want in the decade of ocean science:a four-country pilot survey
Abstract The United Nations’ Decade of Ocean Science identifies “Decade Outcomes” intended to represent societal goals of the Ocean Decade. We develop and administer a pilot survey based on quota samples in four countries that represent a quarter of the world’s exclusive economic zones—Australia, France, Japan, and the United States—to understand people’s attitudes towards the ocean as they relate to the Decade Outcomes, priority areas for action, and factors affecting these views. Relationships people have with the ocean, as well as their age and gender, are important factors influencing concern about the ocean and what actions to prioritize. Across all four countries, reducing marine pollution and protecting marine life were the two highest priorities, reflecting the importance of two of the Decade Outcomes, a Clean Ocean and a Healthy and Resilient Ocean. These findings provide insights about public attitudes and priorities toward the ocean that can help inform policy development, messaging, outreach, education, and prioritization in the four countries surveyed.
Authors
- Alan C. Haynie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0981-2016)
- Juri Hori (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4583-2890)
- Nathalie Krien (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5966-8166)
- Olivier Thébaud (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8665-3827)
- Daniel K. Lew (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3394-138X)
- Matthew Andreotta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2996-6031)
- Fabio Boschetti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8999-6913)
- Sophie Leonardi
- Mitsutaku Makino
Institutions
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (US)
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (JP)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Ifremer (FR)
- Université de Bretagne Occidentale (FR)
- The University of Western Australia (AU)
- École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées (FR)
- International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (DK)
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Fisheries Science Center (US)
- Institute for International Policy Studies (JP)
- École nationale supérieure de techniques avancées Bretagne (FR)
- Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (FR)
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR)
- The University of Tokyo (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Ocean Sustainability
- Published
- 2026-09-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-026-00244-8
- Primary Topic
- Coastal and Marine Management
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00