Proclaimed in 2017 by the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) seeks to engage stakeholders in ocean science and knowledge generation to reverse the decline of the state of the Ocean and catalyze new opportunities for sustainable development.
The vision of the Ocean Decade is “the science we need for the ocean we want” and is being coordinated by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). Ocean Literacy is an integral part of the Ocean Decade. UNESCO has established the Ocean Literacy With All (OLWA) Programme as part of the Ocean Decade. In 2022, the IOC established the Group of Experts on Ocean Literacy.
NMEA has been active in the Ocean Decade from the very beginning. NMEA participated in international planning meetings and workshops related to Ocean Literacy, the Ocean Decade, and the UN Ocean Conference in Venice, Italy in 2019 and in New York in 2020. In 2022, NMEA sent a delegation to the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. At the UN Ocean Decade Conference (April 8-12 in Barcelona, Spain), NMEA President Lindsay Patterson made contact with members of the US National committee for the Ocean Decade. Five members of the Ocean Decade working group attended the UN planning meeting (July 2, NYC) for the 3rd UN Ocean Conference to be held in Nice, France in June 2025. NMEA submitted a written statement encouraging the inclusion of Ocean Literacy in the conference agenda. This statement and several other written and oral statements led to the inclusion of Ocean Literacy in the proposed agenda.
In 2021, the NMEA created the Ocean Decade Working Group to better coordinate NMEA’s involvement with the Ocean Decade. This working group includes members from many of NMEA’s committees as well as NMEA board members. Through the UN Ocean Decade, NMEA hopes to revitalize Ocean Literacy in the United States and strengthen our connections with Ocean Literacy groups around the world.
NMEA Ocean Decade Actions
As an endorsed Implementing Partner of the UN Ocean Decade, NMEA advances ocean literacy through a set of interconnected Decade Actions. These initiatives strengthen the global movement to ensure that all people understand the ocean’s influence on them—and their influence on the ocean.
NMEA currently has four endorsed Decade Actions:
NMEA Annual Conferences (2021–2025): Our annual conferences convene educators, scientists, and policymakers to share knowledge, build partnerships, and advance best practices in ocean and climate education.
A Handbook for Increasing Ocean Literacy: This handbook serves as a foundational resource that provides tools for educators and advocates to integrate the Ocean Literacy Framework into classrooms and communities worldwide.
A US Ocean and Great Lakes Literacy Strategy: This strategy will provide a roadmap for embedding ocean sciences into education policy and practice, ensuring that ocean literacy is recognized as a critical component of scientific and environmental literacy.
Ocean Literacy with USA Blue Schools: This growing network connects K–12 schools with ocean and waterway action projects, empowering students—particularly in underserved communities—to engage with marine science and stewardship.
Together, these actions advance the vision of the Ocean Decade: “The science we need for the ocean we want.”
NMEA is also a US Ocean Decade Nexus organization, which assists in contributing and disseminating information about the United States efforts during the UN Ocean Decade.
Get Involved
Join the UN Ocean Decade Movement
Become a USA Blue School
Invite a member of the NMEA Ocean Literacy Committee to speak at your conference or organizational event
Become an Ocean/Great Lakes Literacy Champion within your NMEA Chapter or organization
Help NMEA build relationships with groups interested in Ocean Literacy such as local science and environmental education groups
Present about Ocean Literacy at local science and environmental education conferences
Advocate for the inclusion for Ocean Literacy in education standards and curriculum
Create social media posts that highlight Ocean Literacy in action
Contribute articles on Ocean Literacy to Current: The Journal of Marine Education
Read the Venice Declaration for Ocean Literacy in Action and Challenge 10 White Paper
USA Blue Schools
USA Blue Schools has been endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade for its work engaging K–12 students, teachers, and communities in hands-on stewardship and ocean literacy. With more than 50 schools across the U.S. and growing, Blue Schools empower youth to connect with science, take action for their local waterways, and join a global movement for a sustainable ocean future.
USA Blue Schools is closely aligned with NMEA’s Ocean Decade efforts to revitalize Ocean Literacy. There are a number of ways that NMEA Members can be involved in USA Blue Schools to integrate ocean learning into the curriculum, recognizing the important role formal education plays in fostering an ocean-literate society.
Become a USA Blue School
Serve on NMEA Blue Schools Committee
Promote USA Blue Schools through your chapters
Ocean Decade Links
Current:the Journal of Marine Education article on NMEA’s involvement with the Ocean Decade
Ocean Literacy in the US—The Rise and Fall of the Tide: Ocean Literacy in the United States
UN Decade—The Ocean Decade: The Science We Need for the Ocean We Want