From the townships that encircle a pulsing metropolis to the wild Cape with its dramatic cliffs and turbulent shores, Cape Town is alive with an irresistible rhythm that shakes the soul of excited travellers. It is a rhythm that stirs and inspires, only silenced by the cloudy horizon on Table Mountain engulfing the afternoon sun, or the quiet of the sea as fingers of light forge through underwater forests. The people dance to this rhythm with kicks, shouts and stomping feet, decked with vibrant colours and fire in their eyes. They draw their power from the Earth, grounded by connections that persist despite centuries of oppression and displacement. There is something to be learned from this place, which is why over 800 ocean users, scientists, managers, and custodians gathered here for the 7^th International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC7) on 13 – 18 October 2024.

The IMCC is the largest interdisciplinary ocean conservation meeting in the world. It is hosted biannually by the Society for Conservation Biology, providing crucial opportunities for scientists and practitioners to share research, tools and advice for advancing marine science and policy. As world leaders in coastal wetland restoration and research, the Blue Carbon Lab sent four representatives to champion these important ecosystems, including Dr. Melissa Wartman, Nipuni Perera, Derrick Omollo, and myself. Melissa presented an overview of Australia’s blue carbon journey; Nipuni presented trends in market-based blue carbon projects; Derrick presented socioeconomic and environmental factors facilitating mangrove conservation in the Lamu and Tana rivers; and I presented methods for quantifying the role of coastal wetlands in buffering extreme weather event impacts.

The theme of the meeting was “Make Marine Science Matter”, a personal mantra of mine. At a time where we have access to so much diverse information on marine species, environments, and management, how do we tie it all together in an accessible way to support ocean policy and practice? I offer some reflections.

For the love of the ocean

We have long assumed that science and emotion are mutually exclusive, meaning they cannot exist together. However, in her plenary speech, Dr. Judy Mann-Lang encouraged scientists to invest passion and emotion when communicating their work. Specifically, scientists should preach love, not loss, remaining action-oriented and avoiding despair. Judy explained that by emphasising the value of protecting marine ecosystems for people, we can reconnect people with nature and empower them to protect it. This message resounded in an excellent workshop on ‘Storytelling for Ocean Conservation’ facilitated by Pippa Ehrlich (director of ‘My Octopus Teacher’), Jannes Landschoff (marine biologist), and Gogo Lindy Dlamini (Xhosa healer). Through the Sea Change project, they demonstrated the impact of reframing scientific information on ecosystems and animal biology by reminding people that they too are animals, sharing the same connections and belonging to marine environments. Gogo added a cultural dimension to this story, sharing her experience of overcoming a fear of the ocean engrained by inter-generational trauma, to re-establish an ancient connection that has unlocked her spiritual powers as a healer.

Trust, dialogue, and systems thinking

The need for holistic and integrated approaches to ocean conservation and restoration was a recurring theme. According to Dr. Arthur Tuda (WIOMSA), ensuring projects are both socially and ecologically feasible requires trust, dialogue, and systems thinking. Systems thinking means all components of a system are considered and accounted for, from human activity to plants and animals, as well as their interactions with the physical environment. Inter-disciplinary collaboration is key to systems thinking.

Dialogue implies reciprocal information exchange. It is critical for establishing trust and building relationships between ocean managers and stakeholders. Science-based decisions without consideration of social values often lead to failure and/or conflict. Associate Prof. Emma Sheehan (University of Plymouth) extended on this concept by emphasising the careful balance between ocean use and ocean conservation, explaining that understanding different stakeholder needs is critical for sustainable marine management. An example of where dialogue enabled ocean conservation by increasing understanding of stakeholder values and needs was presented by Dr. Hollie Booth (University of Oxford) in her description of the Kebersamaan Untuk Lautan project. This incentive-based scheme has been compensating Indonesian fishers for the release of high-value bycatch such as wedgefishes and hammerheads since 2012. Since then, the project has reduced retained catch of Threatened, Endangered, and Protected Species by 70% and increased community wellbeing.

Understand and communicate risk

Industry perspectives from fishing, deep sea mining, and offshore renewable sectors illuminated a key policy-practice gap. The recommendations and guidance set out by the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures ask these ocean industries to assess, report, and act on their nature-related risks.  However, a key regulatory challenge is the lack of industry-specific advice on how to measure these risks. This has driven large corporations to develop their own “industry standards” (for example, see Orsted’s ‘Biodiversity Measurement Framework’). However, there is a need for independent development of science-based standards for industry reporting of specific environmental impacts and risks. The Science-based Targets Network (SBTN) presented by Alice Thomas-Smyth (WWF) is a step in the right direction, but voluntary frameworks like this should be to be supported by policies at multiple levels (State, National and International).

Risk is perceived to be higher where there is more uncertainty, and there is lots of uncertainty in the deep sea! Reporting on her experience working with the United Nations agreement on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ), Nichola Clark (Pew Charitable Trust) explained that human connections to the deep sea are not well understood and that there is a need to understand which areas are important for different stakeholder groups. Despite this, there are a lack of stringent regulations governing the use of deep-sea areas for which mining exploration licenses have been allocated. Where risks are high, management should be precautionary and proactive. For example, Jean Harris (WILDOCEANS) claimed that the South African government has expressed interest in collaborating with the French government to link protected areas across the high seas.

How do we get private corporations to assess, report, and proactively manage risks? Klaas de Vos (Ocean Fox Advisory) suggested that communicating risk is core to a financial institution’s understanding of an issue and key to communication with them. Using financial language can help to frame scientific understanding and set goals for a sustainable blue economy.

Translate science into decision-useful tools

Science advice must be practical and adaptable. Drawing on his background in marine protected area management, Dr. Arthur Tuda (WIOMSA) explained that often, policy makers are either overwhelmed by an overabundance of scientific information or provided with technical advice that is too narrow. It is hence necessary to translate science into decision-useful tools. This involves reviewing and synthesising information in a way that is transparent and accessible.

One brilliant example of this was presented by PhD student Sandra Neubert (UQ), who collaborated with the Norwegian Polar Institute to develop an application called ‘Shinyplanr’, which was used by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to workshop protected areas in the Weddell Sea and can be easily adapted for other locations. The app allows stakeholders to adjust the boundaries of marine protected areas to see potential impacts on species and ecosystems in real-time, short-circuiting arguments and making it easier for stakeholders to reach consensus. Another awesome example was presented by Dr. Rima Jabado (IUCN), who explained how the distinct genetic ancestries of shark populations can be used for genomic surveillance of illegal fishing trade, specifically through tracing where shark products originated from.

Inspire change

As scientists, we have an opportunity to be leaders. Through effective communication, we can use knowledge to inspire meaningful change. This means keeping pace with the blue economy and understanding that new industries will bring new opportunities (for example, offshore aquaculture and infrastructure creating de facto Marine Protected Areas) just as new challenges will provoke innovation (for example, foam glass made of recycled materials as a restoration substrate or SharkSafe Barriers using sound to deter ocean predators without harming them). We cannot be afraid of change. At this point in history where urgent action is needed to address the triple planetary crisis of pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss, change is both inevitable and crucial.

By sharing our love of the ocean, building inter-disciplinary relationships, communicating risk, creating decision-useful tools, and inspiring meaningful change, we can make marine science matter. Meetings like IMCC7 are valuable opportunities for building inter-disciplinary collaborations that enable implementation of science in policy and practice. They foster connections across oceans, inspire discovery, and break boundaries to help protect the most expansive and vulnerable system on Earth. They also present opportunities for young science professionals like me to engage with a global community of extraordinary people united in the cause of ocean conservation and restoration. I am so grateful to the Blue Carbon Lab and Deakin University for sponsoring me to present my work at such a huge and important forum. I am also grateful to my colleagues who were always up to explore the city and made the trip a highlight of my career. My time in Africa expanded my perspective and changed my life.