6 minute read
One planet, one ocean
United Nations Ocean Decade for Sustainable Development 2021–2030
Over the last few years, the museum has been actively working to build its reputation for delivering high-quality programs in ocean science, technology and sustainability. It is now embarking on a major initiative in support of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, writes Emily Jateff.
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IN RECENT YEARS, the museum’s programs in ocean science, technology and sustainability have included large and small-scale exhibitions, visiting vessels, internal sustainability initiatives, support of citizen science programs, formal and informal learning programs, Ocean Talks, and acquisitions for the National Maritime Collection. Recent highlights include James Cameron: Challenging the Deep and Elysium Arctic, visiting vessels such as Schmidt Ocean Institute’s RV Falkor, and the launch of the first Seabin in Australian waters. We have also acquired objects from CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Sea Shepherd Australia and the September 2019 Schools Climate Protest, and established partnerships, especially around key festivals and events.
01 In the wild, clownfish, or anemonefish, form symbiotic relationships with sea anemones. Image Jean Wimmerlin/Unsplash 02 Stuart Godfrey on HMAS Kimbla’s ‘hero platform’ attaching a Nansen bottle, used for water sampling, to the hydro wire, 1971. Courtesy George Cresswell. The museum recently acquired a progression of water-sampling device types from CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere.
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The museum is now embarking on a major initiative in support of the UNESCO International Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The Ocean Decade is a 10-year global program that aims to deliver against the targets set for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, which is to ‘conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources’. The Ocean Decade provides member states with a mechanism for increased marine scientific infrastructure, capacity, visibility and knowledge by 2030. There are seven identified societal outcomes for the Decade:
1. A clean ocean where sources of pollution are identified and reduced or removed.
2. A healthy and resilient ocean where marine ecosystems are understood, protected, restored and managed. 3. A productive ocean supporting sustainable food supply and a sustainable ocean economy. 4. A predicted ocean where society understands and can respond to changing ocean conditions. 5. A safe ocean where life and livelihoods are protected from ocean-related hazards. 6. An accessible ocean with open and equitable access to data, information and technology and innovation. 7. An inspiring and engaging ocean where society understands and values the ocean in relation to human wellbeing and sustainable development. UNESCO-IOC has identified ocean literacy as a vital component of ensuring that the Ocean Decade, and its aims and outcomes, are globally adopted by a large and diverse range of stakeholders. Ocean literacy is defined as ‘the understanding of human influence on the ocean and the ocean’s influence on people’. In answer to this call for increased ocean literacy, the museum is dedicating time and resources to support an Ocean Decade-aligned program. This supports our expansion of scope into contemporary ocean issues. It has national and international outreach potential and parallels with new and existing exhibitions and programs. Most importantly, the museum is responding to audience-driven demand. Climate change is regarded as a problem by 72 per cent of Australians,1 and 81 per cent are concerned that climate variation will result in more droughts and flooding.2 This is echoed in schools, particularly around curriculum links on climate and sustainability for upper primary and lower secondary students. Recent surveys of museum audiences have shown an increased interest in climate change and ocean science narratives. Seventy-nine per cent of respondents indicated that they were ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ to visit an exhibition on oceans, rivers and climate. More than 90 per cent said that it would be ‘educational’, followed by ‘suitable for families’ (60 per cent). The museum is in a unique position to utilise its position and networks to deliver accurate and informed information nationwide, meeting defined public interest and need.
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01 As part of its commitment to promoting ocean science, the museum hosts events during Science Week each year. ANMM image 02 Museum Director and CEO Kevin Sumption PSM and Dr Sylvia Earle at Elysium Arctic, 2019.
In response to this identified need, the museum has developed a 10-year program in support of the Ocean Decade. This program will feature three major travelling exhibitions, three smaller exhibitions, regional travelling exhibitions and exhibition-linked public programs. It introduces a new Ambassador Bill Lane Ocean Prize, formal learning programs for schools and international learning programs. It includes featured speakers within our successful Ocean Talks series, visiting vessels, and where possible, support for citizen science programs and exposure for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) developing new ocean technologies and sustainability solutions. As a national collecting institution, the museum is responsible for acquiring and archiving objects of high national significance that illuminate the value Australia places on its marine estate, including contemporary Australian ocean science and technology objects. We have commenced and will continue a proactive, systematic acquisition program for the National Maritime Collection. For example, the museum recently acquired a collection from CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere that illustrates the development of technologies used for monitoring and recording changes in ocean temperature. This collection of objects, among others, will be featured in upcoming exhibitions and available for public access and research on our website. Our first major exhibition of the Ocean Decade is Our oceans, our future. We are partnering with Schmidt Ocean Institute, the CSIRO, the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and other marine science organisations to present immersive and interactive technologies, compelling personal stories and real-time science interactions. Our oceans, our future will be presented around three main themes: • Oceans revealed – investigating and revealing the unknown wonders of and the complex connections between the oceans and life on earth.
• Oceans as evidence – collecting and measuring how we affect the oceans by changing the climate, producing pollution and exploitating unsustainably. • Oceans of hope – scientific knowledge, technologies and strategies that address, ameliorate or respond to the changing oceans and sustainable exploitation. Our oceans, our future opens in August 2021, and will include a public program aligned with the concurrent National Science Week. Other events are planned for 2021 and will be announced on our website early next year. The museum is excited about our engagement with the UN-IOC Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and we look forward to presenting a series of engaging and insightful programs over the next 10 years. This will be a great adventure, and we welcome you to join us in ensuring a sustainable future for our ocean.
1 Australia Talks National Survey, 2019. 2 Australia Institute’s Climate of the Nation Survey, 2019.
Emily Jateff is the museum’s Curator of Ocean Science and Technology. The Ambassador Bill Lane Ocean Prizes and Our oceans, our future exhibition are USA Programs supported by the USA Bicentennial Gift Fund.
