From the 3rd until the 6th of June, Nice hosted the One Ocean Science Congress, a UNOC3 special event that was organised by the CNRS and IFREMER to highlight the ocean’s greatest current challenges. The aim of the event was to collect scientific insights and recommendations to present to the heads of state, government officials, and broader society during UNOC3 the following week. 

Thanks to the Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI), I had the incredible opportunity to join the 2,000 researchers in attendance and give a talk on how citizen science can help coastal communities respond to invasive seaweed events. 

My Talk: Citizen Science and Seaweed Management

In my talk, titled “Empowering Communities through Citizen Science in Seaweed Management,” I shared some of the citizen science initiatives developed by the SARTRAC team from the University of Southampton. I had the chance to contribute to these initiatives last summer as part of an SMMI funded internship.

Picture caption: Gloria Notarangelo standing in front of the One Ocean Science Congress entrance in Nice.

SARTRAC community engagement approach involved four main strategies: establishing community-run CoastSnap seaweed monitoring stations, delivering training workshops, co-creating educational resources with local schools, and developing an international support network for the young students involved, called the “Seaweed School and Community Network”.

Since 2022, the project has reached communities in Ghana, Mexico, Jamaica, and the UK. We have received over 900 photo submissions from citizen scientists, which are now being analysed by SARTRAC researchers to better understand seaweed invasions. While contributing valuable data, the citizen science approach has also equipped local communities, specifically young students, with the knowledge and tools needed to understand and play a role in seaweed invasion management.

It was lovely to get to present this work and to share the stage with other inspiring speakers involved in similar projects, all working to highlight the importance of citizen science and inclusivity.

One Ocean Science Congress

Overall, the One Ocean Science Congress was an incredible and insightful week. Topics ranged from biodiversity monitoring to the blue economy. One of the clear highlights was definitely the emphasis on inclusion, communication, and accessibility in marine science. There were several talks and open forums that focused on the need to amplify indigenous and local voices, while creating genuine and long-lasting partnerships with communities, so that they are not merely recipients of knowledge but also drivers of actions. 

These conversations, including my talk, contributed to one of the Congress’ key outcomes and recommendations to present at UNOC3: “Inspiring responsibility and respect for the ocean, integrating across knowledge systems.” While these talks highlighted that there is still much work ahead to integrate these values into marine global conservation and governance, they also reflected a strong collective desire to move toward a more inclusive and participatory form of ocean science.

Picture Caption: On the left a picture from the OOSC opening talk, on the right the call for action board outside the conference room signed by attendants.

A City-Wide Celebration of the Ocean

Beyond the formal programme, the entire city of Nice truly embraced the Congress and the Ocean Decade, with public art exhibitions, open talks, and marine photography displays scattered throughout the town. The city’s approach created what felt like a genuinely inclusive space for everyone to engage with the ocean and its future.

Picture Caption: On the left, a picture taken at la Baleine, an open scientific exhibition with art an informative panel. The picture features some informative panels on Sargassum invasions. On the right, a picture from the photographic exhibition “Mers et Mystères” by Laurent Ballesta.

Being part of the One Ocean Science Congress was a powerful reminder of the importance of connecting science with society, and I was extremely grateful to the SRI for giving me the opportunity to attend this event.

If you’d like to find out more, check out our websites on SARTRAC and our citizen science project, the Seaweed School and Community Network.