Abstract
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aspire to a society where ways to improve inclusivity and diversity of equity are actively explored. Here, we examine how equity is considered in a suite of papers that explored possible sustainable futures for the oceans, and mapped out pathways to achieve these futures. Our analysis revealed that a large range of equity issues were recognised and considered, in outcome-based (i.e. distributive), process-based (i.e. procedural) and concept (i.e. contextual) dimensions. However, often, the equity problem was not explicitly stated. Rather it was implied through the action pathway identified to move towards a more sustainable future, highlighting that reducing inequity is interlinked with improving sustainability. Based on these findings, we reflect on the way equity is conceptualised and considered within this work as well as futures science for the oceans more broadly. A key lesson learnt is that science and knowledge production are immediate areas where we can work to improve equity. We can build capacity to understand and include equity issues. We can develop mechanisms to be more inclusive and diverse. We can also critically reflect on our own practices to fundamentally challenge how we work and think in the space of marine science research.
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Acknowledgements
This paper is part of the Future Seas project (futureseas2030.org), hosted by the Centre for Marine Socioecology at the University of Tasmania. This initiative delivers a series of journal articles addressing key challenges for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021–2030. The general concepts and methods applied in many of these papers were developed in large collaborative workshops involving more participants than listed as co-authors here, who we thank for their collective input. We acknowledge and pay respect to the traditional owners and custodians of sea country all around the world and recognise their collective wisdom and knowledge of our oceans and coasts.
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The research leading to these results received funding from a Research Enhancement Program grant from the University of Tasmania.
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Alexander, K.A., Fleming, A., Bax, N. et al. Equity of our future oceans: practices and outcomes in marine science research. Rev Fish Biol Fisheries 32, 297–311 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-021-09661-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-021-09661-z