“Human Dimensions of Oceans: From a Sociological Perspective” blog series is live on FATHOM.
At Ocean Nexus, our mission is to establish social equity at the center of ocean governance.
Ocean equity is distinct from equality. As Harvard Professor Martha Minow has explained through the words of a civil rights activist: “Equality is giving everyone the same thing; equity is giving people what they need.” Ocean equity, therefore, involves ensuring appropriate support and rights for people who have been marginalized by factors such as race, gender, class, or geography, and addressing the structural inequalities that shape their lives. In this sense, equity is not about treating everyone the same—it is about prioritizing those who have been placed at disadvantage.
Marine conservation has long managed development and resource use by treating all parties “equally,” whether they are communities experiencing environmental burdens or corporations with substantial influence. Although this may appear fair, such frameworks often silence those who are currently harmed or who have been historically marginalized. Their voices and needs are overshadowed in struggles over power, resources, and decision-making.
In practice, this means that the very communities who have long cared for the ocean are expected to endure disasters, resource depletion, and pollution impacts on their own. Yet today, as environmental crises outpace our ability to predict or control them, the most essential knowledge lies in the lived experiences of people on the frontlines—those who have been responding to these changes directly for generations.
Global environmental problems are not distant events. Even if they seem unrelated today, they quickly become realities we must confront tomorrow. The ocean is interconnected across the planet; it is nearly impossible to protect one part while ignoring the rest. The notion that one can safeguard only oneself by shifting burdens onto others is, in fact, the least realistic strategy in the context of the ocean.
Pursuing such a path leads to an empty future: an ocean where the communities who depended on it, the fish that sustained our tables, and the cultures shaped around it have vanished—leaving only “a vast blue expanse devoid of people.”
On December 10–12, Ocean Nexus convened fellows, principal investigators, partners, and collaborators in Tokyo, Japan, for a three-day gathering hosted in partnership with The Nippon Foundation. The event brought together members of the Ocean Nexus community from around the world for workshops, reflection, and engagement centered on advancing ocean equity.
The gathering opened with a full-day Fellows Workshop focused on shared values, collaboration, and equity-centered research and practice. Grounded in the principles of the Ocean Nexus Equity tenets, participants engaged in facilitated dialogue, creative reflection, and open-source idea development to strengthen connections across disciplines and regions. Dr. Marc B. Parlange, President of the University of Rhode Island, joined the workshop throughout the day, contributing to discussions and engaging directly with fellows.
On December 11, the Nippon Foundation–Ocean Nexus International Conference was held at The Nippon Foundation headquarters. The conference featured remarks from Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Honorary Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, Mr. Takeju Ogata, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, and Dr. Parlange. Presentations by Ocean Nexus Director, Dr. Yoshitaka Ota, and principal investigators, highlighted research on ocean equity, governance, and the social dimensions of ocean sustainability.
The event concluded with Society Day, where participants worked collaboratively to imagine and begin shaping the future Society for Ocean Equity. Through structured discussions and strategic exercises, fellows and partners developed early thinking around mission, vision, values, and priorities, laying the groundwork for continued collaboration and action in 2026.
Ocean Nexus extends its sincere gratitude to The Nippon Foundation for its continued partnership and support, to Honorary Chairman Mr. Yohei Sasakawa and Chairman Mr. Takeju Ogata for their leadership and engagement, and to Dr. Marc B. Parlange for his presence and contributions throughout the gathering. We also thank all fellows, partners, and collaborators whose participation and commitment made this convening both meaningful and impactful.
Ocean Nexus Fellows around the world actively engage on international platforms to contribute to global conversations on equity in ocean governance, bridging research and action.
In 2025, we attended the Our Ocean Conference in Busan, South Korea, where fellows from the University of Wollongong co-hosted a side event on the BBNJ Agreement alongside Pew Research Center, High Seas Alliance, and the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition.
FATHOM advances disruptive narratives and promotes voices of people and stories of anti-inequity.
Ocean equity risks dilution when reduced to simplified metrics. The Ocean Equity Index claims to measure equity but instead flattens complex social realities into a single percentage, overlooking critical dimensions such as anti-subordination, decolonization, and systemic inequality. Without stronger conceptual and methodological grounding, such tools may weaken rather than advance struggles for ocean justice.
For decades, killer whales have been commodified in marine parks across the globe. By critically examining their capture, captivity, and release through the decolonial lens of kinship, we can move toward a future of multispecies justice.
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