Global experts push for greater ocean literacy in education

Scholars and experts from around the world highlighted the important role of ocean literacy in educating younger generations amid intensifying climate change and growing pressure on marine ecosystems, at a high-level event in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Friday.

According to Yutaka Michida, chair of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, one of the seven societal outcomes of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), known as the Ocean Decade, is an "inspiring and engaging ocean" where society understands, values and cares for the ocean in relation to human well-being and sustainable development.

"This outcome cannot be achieved solely through scientific research or technological innovation. It requires a fundamental shift in how we perceive the ocean, how we teach our children about it, and how we empower every citizen to become a steward of the blue planet for generations to come," Michida said in a video address at the opening ceremony of the UN Ocean Decade International Conference on Ocean Literacy in Laoshan district, Qingdao.