Informing ocean solutions with integrated, co-produced science: New ISC policy brief for UNOC-3

In the lead-up to the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3), the International Science Council (ISC) has published a new policy brief advocating for integrated, transdisciplinary science to inform global ocean governance. Developed by the ISC’s expert group on the ocean, the brief highlights the urgency of co-produced, science-driven solutions to address mounting ocean pressures such as overfishing, pollution, warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and emerging industrial activities like deep-sea mining.

The brief provides key considerations for policy-makers ahead of UNOC-3, to be held from 9 to 13 June 2025 in Nice, France. It showcases how collaborative, cross-sectoral approaches can support climate action, biodiversity conservation, public health, and sustainable development. Drawing on global best practices, the brief underscores the role of ocean science in fostering diplomacy, resilience, and international cooperation.

With up to 60 percent of marine ecosystems already degraded or under unsustainable use, the cumulative impacts of multiple stressors are pushing ocean systems toward critical tipping points. The ISC calls for immediate, science-based, and cross-disciplinary efforts to safeguard the ocean’s role in climate regulation, food security, social equity, and global stability.

Read the full policy brief here.