São Paulo School of Advanced Science on Ocean Interdisciplinary Research and Governance

Ocean Science and the Environment

Given the complexity of current environmental challenges, such as climate change and biodiversity conservation and governance, the interdisciplinary approach to science has gained increased awareness and use in the global scientific community. In parallel, ocean sustainability is a topic of concern and often voiced in international fora. These discussions stress the need to promote ocean governance coupled with a greater understanding of oceanographic processes. Ocean science, however, is still fragmented and many scientists lack training to understand and apply interdisciplinary and integrated approaches to their research to support decision making. This lack of training has created a strong demand for the promotion of interdisciplinarity in ocean research and more effective collaboration among natural and social sciences, local knowledge, and public policies.