Meet the senior fellows that will hone their communication and public engagement skills.

The lag in funding extends far beyond D.E.I. initiatives, affecting almost every area of science: chemistry, computing, engineering, materials and more.

Socio-oceanography is an emerging field which mobilises insights from natural and social sciences to explore the inter-connectedness of societal relationships with the ocean and to adopt a holistic approach to solving key oceanographic and societal challenges. It is within this specific context that we explore and reflect upon diverse communities in relation to engaging with plastic pollution in the ocean, one of the foremost socio-environmental challenges of our time. We establish definitions of ‘community’, arguing that communities are not ‘out there’ waiting to be engaged with but are dynamic and (re)constituted in four key contexts - geographical, practical, virtual, and circumstantial. We outline some ‘rules of engagement’ and draw upon several international case studies in the context of plastic pollution to evidence and emphasise the value of working with members of diverse communities to better address socio-oceanographic challenges. In the context of plastic pollution, communities have a vital role to play in terms of co-creating knowledge, lived experience, diverse expertise, and agency to bring about social change. Given the ubiquity of plastics in our day-to-day lives, and subsequently as an environmental pollutant, no community is unaffected by this issue. Relating to socio-oceanography, we argue that structural power imbalances in terms of how diverse communities and natural scientists are traditionally positioned within academic research mean that ‘formal’ scientific knowledge is frequently privileged, and members of communities risk being positioned as ’empty vessels’. Moving away from this ‘deficit’ model where knowledge is simply transferred or alternatively extracted from communities allows us to progress towards an inclusive ‘socio-oceanography in society’ approach, where members of communities are valued as vital in prioritising and addressing socio-oceanography issues which affect everyday life. Accessibility, openness, ethics and fairness in data are also essential in ensuring that research outcomes can be applied widely outside the academic community. Graphical Abstract

Cutting down on the production of virgin plastics is essential, campaigners say, in the face of such low reuse rates.

White House aims to end NOAA’s research office; NASA also targeted

Though disproportionately affected by plastic pollution, Indigenous Peoples are struggling to shape a global treaty on it

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 20, 2025 CONTACT: EDGI’s experts are available to answer media questions. For media inquiries, please email Shannan Lenke […]

"This is not about defending our paychecks. This is about protecting the health of our communities."

More than 1,000 chemists, biologists and other scientists could be laid off under a plan to dismantle the Office of Research and Development.

Congressman Jared Huffman and a group of House Democrats are pressing the Department of Commerce for details on the Trump administration’s plan to shut down 34 NOAA offices nationwide…

Understanding how ecosystems respond to ubiquitous microplastic (MP) pollution is crucial for ensuring global food security. Here, we conduct a mul...

YouTube video by NBC News

Ingredients that can cause cancer were found in 10 synthetic hair products marketed to Black women, according to Consumer Reports. Nine of the products also contained lead.

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A former climate scientist called layoffs ‘malevolence’ and ‘utter cluelessness’