CONNECTING OCEAN AND SOCIETY A case for building the capacity to recover our Ocean
THE OCEAN IS NOT SEPARATE FROM SOCIETY As an island nation, the Ocean is vital to our society. It supports our economy, it drives climate, influences our health and wellbeing, and provides opportunities for learning, participation, employment, and enriching culture. It is fundamental to natural systems on which society depends, or in other words it is part of our natural infrastructure. Humans are part of these natural systems, both as beneficiaries of the outputs and contributors to the inputs. These systems depend on a healthy and thriving Ocean…yet the Ocean is increasingly under pressure. Threats to the Ocean are growing including climate change, pollution, overexploitation and habitat degradation. Scientific evidence shows that some marine ecosystems are close to crossing tipping points, while others face the risk of abrupt and potentially irreversible change(1). If the Ocean becomes degraded, to the point where marine ecosystems can no longer carry out the functions on which society depends, the consequences will be felt far beyond the marine environment. The challenge now is not one of 'managing the Ocean', but of managing better decisions and behaviours to reduce human impact on the Ocean. The Ocean Decade's Challenge 10 makes this shift explicit: current threats to the Ocean are outcomes of human behaviour, and restoring the Ocean therefore requires people-driven solutions(2). This means looking beyond the Ocean purely as an environmental policy area to recognise its reach and potential to deliver wider social, environmental and economic outcomes.
Ocean recovery will take everyone; individuals, communities, businesses and government all have a role in shaping the future of the Ocean.
OCEAN RECOVERY IS ABOUT PEOPLE The condition of the Ocean is shaped by many human variables; what we consume, how businesses operate, how infrastructure is designed. People’s choices lay at the heart of these variables, so human behaviour is an underlying driver of many of the biggest pressures facing the Ocean(3,4). If human behaviour is part of the problem, people must also be part of the solution. The Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT) exists to help make that solution possible. We work to support a healthy Ocean by enabling everyone to develop sustainable, pro-Ocean behaviours that protect Ocean health and, in turn, support our own health, economic resilience and climate.
To do this, we strengthen meaningful connections between people and the Ocean through experiences, community habitat protection and restoration, and advocacy, fostering understanding, values and motivation that can support pro-Ocean decisions and action. Conservation is about restoring systems for sustainability; but for change to last, we also need to understand and influence the human behaviours, decisions and conditions that detrimentally shape those systems. Our approach is grounded in a simple principle: People are not separate from the Ocean. They are part of its ecosystem and determine its future. Lasting Ocean recovery therefore requires investment not only in nature, but in people.
SHARING KNOWLEDGE IS NOT ENOUGH We now know more than ever about the pressures facing the Ocean. But educating people, in all sectors, on these issues does not automatically translate into changes in behaviour or decision making(5).
We also know that creating personal, emotional and cultural connections with the Ocean, can foster citizenship and stewardship(7), helping everyone to develop the motivation and capability to value and protect the Ocean.
Research informing the UN Ocean Decade's Challenge 10 identifies the need to support human behaviour change through the Capability, Opportunity and Motivation model(2,6). This helps explain why knowledge alone is not enough: people also need the capability, opportunity and motivation to act on what they know. Supporting this will enable people to use their knowledge and behave in ways that support a healthy Ocean.
The pressures facing the Ocean are shaped by what people do and by the systems in which those decisions are made. Creating the conditions for everyone to develop motivation, build capability and have the opportunity to act is therefore essential to lasting behaviour change. For example, removing plastic from the Ocean can address an immediate problem. But unless we also change the behaviours and systems that allow plastic into the Ocean, the problem will continue.
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SOCIETY IS READY TO ENGAGE Results from the 2025 UK nationally representative Ocean & Society Survey(8) shows the public supports protecting the Ocean and taking action: 68% agreed the UK should commit more to protect the Ocean Nearly 60% of people would change their lifestyle in moderate ways, while 30% of Labour voters surveyed said they would be willing to make big lifestyle changes. Over 45% are willing to change their lifestyle because of concerns for future generations. 68% agreed with the statement “Ocean protection is an important step my government can take for climate action.” People want to engage and see government act. Policy, strategy and legislation can help create the conditions that turn this appetite into action, enabling all; communities and businesses to contribute to wider social priorities.
INVESTING IN PEOPLE If Ocean recovery is ultimately about changing how people interact with the Ocean, then investing in people is an essential part of conservation; we must recognise that environmental outcomes do not happen independent of society. This means we need an Ocean literate society, achieved through investment in the skills, confidence, relationships, knowledge and agency that will enable individuals, communities, businesses and decision-makers to participate and make choices with the Ocean in mind.
An Ocean literate society understands, values and cares for the Ocean and has the knowledge, skills, confidence and opportunity to act. Ocean Literacy goes beyond knowledge of Ocean processes. It is about understanding the relationship between the Ocean and our everyday lives, developing a meaningful connection with it, and having the confidence and capacity to make Ocean-positive decisions.
AN OCEAN LITERATE SOCIETY CAN SUPPORT NATIONAL PRIORITIES: OCEAN LITERACY IN ACTION Ocean Literacy can support delivery across existing government priorities; from nature recovery and climate resilience, to health, skills, economic growth and stronger communities.
Figure 1: How an Ocean literate society delivers for policy priorities
OCT CASE STUDIES Blue Meadows Community engagement is at the heart of the OCT Blue Meadows seagrass habitat restoration programme which connects people to their local seagrass. Individuals become champions by taking part in awareness raising, surveys and aiding with restoration, becoming active participants in nature recovery and tangibly building their connection to the Ocean. Policy areas: environment and nature recovery, health and wellbeing, economic growth, communities and resilience, international commitments, education and skills, coastal management.
STEMFest: Ocean Friendly Homes During OCT’s flagship 2025 STEMFest, 1276 Plymouth students explored getting connected to the Ocean and resulting Oceanfriendly behaviours. Taking part in reviews of their own behaviours, participants reported an average uptake of 1.5 additional behaviours four weeks later. Those primary pupils were invited to design ideas for more sustainable homes, with the winning concept being explored for manufacture. Students learnt how practical action can help translate understanding into changes in behaviour. Policy areas: environment and nature recovery, climate change, education and skills, economic growth, communities and resilience.
Blue Mind Hub OCT's Blue Mind Hub connects people experiencing poor mental health with the Ocean through accessible, communitybased activities. Across three years, 55 people have taken part in Blue Prescribing programmes, with around 80% reporting a statistically significant positive impact on wellbeing(9). Ocean connection can contribute to outcomes far beyond environmental conservation - social prescribing initiatives have seen a £9 social value return for every £1 invested(10). Policy areas: health and wellbeing, communities, resilience, economic growth.
Motion for the Ocean OCT supports councillors and communities to engage with the Motion. Forty UK councils have passed the Motion for the Ocean, collectively representing almost 5.4 million people. Councils commit to growing Ocean Literacy and marine citizenship and embedding blue decision-making across local priorities, including education, water, waste, land management and adaptation resilience(11). Ocean Literacy can move beyond individual action and become part of how government makes decisions and engages communities. Policy areas: climate change, economic growth, communities, resilience, environment, education and skills, coastal management.
Ocean Literacy Strategies Canada and Wales have developed national Ocean Literacy strategies, demonstrating how governments can take a strategic approach to building Ocean Literacy across society. In England, OCT, alongside Defra and the Diverse Marine Values Project, has brought together more than 200 people from various sectors to map existing activity, identify gaps and barriers, and co-create the vision, purpose and resulting content for the England Ocean Literacy Strategy. The strategy will provide a roadmap for cross sector adoption of Ocean Literacy across all of England, with the strategy launch in 2027. Policy areas: communities, resilience, climate change, environment, ecnomic growth, international commitments, education, management.
CALL TO ACTION: A HEALTHY OCEAN NEEDS AN OCEAN LITERATE SOCIETY An Ocean literate society is essential for the long-term recovery of our Ocean. There are opportunities for government to enhance existing initiatives, support the wider adoption of this significant shift in Ocean conservation, and promote positive changes in human behaviour.
1.ENDORSE, ADOPT AND SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN OCEAN LITERACY STRATEGY FOR ENGLAND. OCT is working with partners to co-create an Ocean Literacy Strategy for England, informed by engagement with more than 200 people across diverse sectors. Government can support this work by recognising the strategy as a framework for building Ocean Literacy across society and supporting its implementation across relevant sectors.
2.EMBED THE OCEAN AS A CROSS-CUTTING POLICY ENABLER. Embed consideration of Ocean health and society’s relationship with the Ocean across policy and delivery, particularly when developing new strategies and required reporting. Bring the blue into areas such as: health, education, skills, economic growth, disaster risk reduction, climate, nature recovery and capacity building. This can help connect existing government priorities with the contribution the Ocean can make to achieving them.
3.INVEST IN PEOPLE AS PART OF OCEAN RECOVERY. Recognise knowledge, skills, confidence, connection and agency as part of the capacity needed to deliver long-term government targets. Support opportunities for communities and individuals to connect with, value and participate in Ocean recovery, while investing in evaluation to understand what works and how changes in knowledge, confidence, participation and behaviour can be sustained.
Investing in people's connection with the Ocean is an investment in society's ability to look after, restore, and benefit from a healthy Ocean, with impacts that reach far beyond the marine environment.
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www.oceanconservationtrust.org For more information or to collaborate contact: nicola.bridge@oceanconservationtrust.org grace.clifford@oceanconservationtrust.org
September 2026 © Ocean Conservation Trust. Registered Charity Number 1032491
References: 1. Cooley, S., D. Schoeman, L. Bopp, P. Boyd, S. Donner, D.Y. Ghebrehiwet, S.-I. Ito, W. Kiessling, P. Martinetto, E. Ojea, M.-F. Racault, B. Rost, and M. Skern-Mauritzen, 2022: Oceans and Coastal Ecosystems and Their Services. In: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, pp. 379–550, doi:10.1017/9781009325844.005. 2. Glithero, L. D., Bridge, N., Hart, N., Mann-Lang, J., McPhie, R., Paul, K., Peebler, A., Wiener, C., Yen, C., Kelly, R., McRuer, J., Hodgins, D., & Curtin, F. (2024). Ocean Decade Vision 2030 White Papers - Challenge 10: Restoring Society's Relationship with the Ocean. Paris, UNESCO-IOC. (The Ocean Decade Series, 51.10.). https://doi.org/10.25607/ekwn-wh6 3. O’Hara, C.C. & Halpern, B.S. (2022). Anticipating the Future of the World's Ocean. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 47, 291–315. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-120120-053645 4. Halpern, B.S., Frazier, M., Afflerbach, J. et al. Recent pace of change in human impact on the world’s ocean. Sci Rep 9, 11609 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-47201-9 5. Rau H, Nicolai S, Stoll-Kleemann S. A systematic review to assess the evidence-based effectiveness, content, and success factors of behavior change interventions for enhancing pro-environmental behavior in individuals. Front Psychol. 2022 Sep 5;13:901927. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.901927. PMID: 36148133; PMCID: PMC9486705. 6. Michie S, van Stralen MM, West R. The behaviour change wheel: a new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions. Implement Sci. 2011 Apr 23;6:42. doi: 10.1186/1748-5908-6-42. PMID: 21513547; PMCID: PMC3096582. 7. Buchan, P., 2021, Citizens of the Sea, access: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61c09110336cb02a015e1d50/t/61c0c3ad3fda48569f6f0453/1640022967961/Citizens+of+the+Sea.pdf 8. Ocean and Society Survey United Kingdom. 2025. British data was provided by funding through the Ocean Conservation Trust. Survey administration by FocalData. Methods from McRuer et al. 2025, associated data, and more detail accessible via https://oceanliteracyresearch.com/ocean-and-society-survey/ 9. Thomson-Alberts, F., Blue Mind Impact Report, 2026, available at: https://oceanconservationtrust.org/ocean-experiences/blue-mind-hub/ 10. Bu, F., Hayes, D., Munford, L. et al. The impact of social prescribing on well-being outcomes in a nationwide analysis. Nat. Health 1, 737–744 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44360-026-00099-w 11. Buchan PM, MacDonald-Lofts R, Cunningham EG, Bridge N and Clifford G (2026) The Motion for the Ocean: scaling marine citizenship through local government declarations. Front. Ocean Sustain. 4:1904467. doi: 10.3389/focsu.2026.1904467
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