UNESCO - Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

From microplastics to ocean acidification, we coordinate global research efforts to understand and address human impacts on the ocean's fragile ecosystems.

We help our Member States and scientific partners to coordinate the shared global systems needed to measure our constantly changing ocean, its physics, chemistry, and biodiversity.

Working across science and policy, we assist our Member States in adopting science-based solutions to strengthen preparedness and improve emergency response to ocean hazards, from tsunamis to harmful algal blooms (HABs).

We monitor and report on the state of the ocean and global ocean science infrastructure to inform strategies for managing and strengthening ocean knowledge worldwide.

We engage with diverse partners to develop science-based tools and approaches for sustainable ocean management, from Marine Spatial Planning to the management of Large Marine Ecosystems.

We support the development of ocean science and ocean literacy capacities across all our Member States through training programmes as well as knowledge and technology exchange.

The GOSR2020 enables policymakers, academics and other stakeholders to assess progress towards the ocean knowledge and research capacities goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.

From pollution to biodiversity, the State of the Ocean Report brings together the most current ocean knowledge to inform decision-making in ocean protection and sustainable planning.