6 September 2018: A group of marine social scientists launched an international network to increase awareness of the role of social sciences in the world’s oceans. The Marine Social Sciences Network will bring together researchers, practitioners and policymakers to increase public engagement on marine issues and influence marine and ocean policy.

The network’s Chair, Emma McKinley, Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, launched the network at the Greenwich Maritime Centre’s Society and the Sea 2018 conference at the University of Greenwich. She emphasized that the launch represents an opportunity for the coastal and marine science community to capitalize on public interest in marine issues by better understanding society’s interactions with the oceans. The network will also promote collaboration between natural and social scientists to support the communication of complex messages on coastal and marine issues.

The Marine Social Sciences Network has been working with the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), the Royal Geographical Society, Marine Conservation Society, Maritime Charities Group, Seafarers, MARE and The Gulbenkian Foundation. [UNEP Press Release]