OceanBridges task team
Photo credit: Nico Marin / Ocean Image Bank
Background
Diversity is the key for addressing the observed changes in the Ocean as it affects everyone via the sharing of global commons. Career stages are one aspect of diversity. The added value of the OceanBRIDGES task team, Bridging (Ocean) Research, Innovation and Diversity across Generations of Experts and Stakeholders, is therefore the two-way expertise-sharing between Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) and Experienced (mid to late career) Ocean Professionals (EOPs) working towards ocean solutions. ECOPs face challenges when working to advance knowledge, develop skills and thrive as future ocean leaders.
Co-founded by Audrey Hasson, Delphine Lobelle, Sigi Gruber
Valuable ECOP traits: “Thinking outside the box”
- Seeking multi- and trans-disciplinarity from the onset
- Ease with global networking and communication tools (e.g. Slack, Twitter, Instagram)
- Innovative/fresh ideas
- Relatable communication to the general public
- Non-institutionalised perspectives
Valuable EOP traits: “Making it work within the box”
- Experience from previous inter- and trans-disciplinary, possibly larger-scale WGs
- Established network of key stakeholders (within and outside academia)
- Access to specific targeted information
- Facilitate opening doors for ECOPs regarding new professional and personal opportunities and funding schemes
- Knowledge of the functioning of institutions and/or science policy interfaces on a European and/or international level
ECOP & EOP Shared Traits
- Global-to-local overview of the landscape
- Motivated by tackling environmental crises and being advocates for planetary causes
Valuable ECOP traits: “Thinking outside the box”
Valuable ECOP traits: “Making it work within the box”
- Seeking multi- and trans-disciplinarity from the onset
- Ease with global networking and communication tools (e.g. Slack, Twitter, Instagram)
- Innovative/fresh ideas
- Relatable communication to the general public
- Non-institutionalised perspectives
- Experience from previous inter- and trans-disciplinary, possibly larger-scale WGs
- Established network of key stakeholders (within and outside academia)
- Access to specific targeted information
- Facilitate opening doors for ECOPs regarding new professional and personal opportunities and funding schemes
- Knowledge of the functioning of institutions and/or science policy interfaces on a European and/or international level
- Global-to-local overview of the landscape
- Motivated by tackling environmental crises and being advocates for planetary causes
Goals and Objectives
Bridging ocean research, innovation and diversity across generations of experts and stakeholders by addressing specific challenges the global ocean is facing today. Thematic Task Teams will lead activities with a defined timeline, that are implementation-oriented, based on stakeholders’ needs.
- Direct collaboration with sister branches: GEO Blue Planet, Ocean Visions
- Collaboration with other established working groups, such as: All Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance, SCOR Working Groups, YESS (Young Earth System Scientists) Community
- Enhance global collaboration through digital platforms, workshops, hackathons
- Bringing together stakeholders that identify themselves as part of the solution (scientists – decision makers – industry – innovators etc)
- Facilitate the promotion of solutions at national, regional and international levels depending on the needs
- Inclusion of diversity not only in terms of age but also under-represented groups
- Knowledge exchange between ECOPs and EOPs: our goals do not include mentorship and training, since we believe ECOPs have just as much to share with EOPs as the other way around
Thematic Task Teams
This Working Group will be structured around thematic Task Teams (being careful to limit them by capacity and expertise of our members). Task teams will be linked to the Ocean Decade Challenges and the European Mission “Restoring our Ocean and Waters by 2030”. Suggestions for thematic Task Teams are:
- Marine litter and zero pollution
- Biodiversity and marine protected areas
- Marine heatwaves
- Sea level rise
- Blue Food
Task Team Activities
The OceanBRIDGES team recently designed, organised and featured in a 3-day virtual event called The Future of Ocean Plastics: Designing Diverse Collaboration Frameworks.
The workshop aimed to facilitate a knowledge exchange and co-creation of science between ECOPs, experienced ocean professionals, and a diverse array of stakeholders within and beyond academia who are working on aspects of ocean plastic pollution. The event assembled participants and speakers from all over the world including Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs), active in plastic pollution research, policy and community engagement. Here’s some stats:
1,434 registrations from 460 people
533 total attendees across all 18 sessions
60% of registrations were ECOP
A further outcome of the workshop will be to publish a paper in a scientific journal which defines frameworks on which future multi-stakeholder collaborations tackling ocean plastics can be based.
For more information head over to the event website.
How to get involved
Do you want to be part of this working group and/or have a proposed project that fits in one of the Task Teams?
Fill out this form: https://forms.office.com/r/KiKQqN3uCc