This article was originally shared by The Ocean Decade

 This article is part of our new ‘Ocean Science in Action’ series, which highlights achievements and success stories from our network of endorsed Decade Actions.

Unlocking ocean potential – from climate change to sustainable food production and resilient economic growth – requires knowledge, people, and institutions with the skills and ability to generate sustainable solutions.

Capacity development is a key pillar of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021–2030 (‘Ocean Decade’). To turn ambition into action, the Ocean Decade Capacity Development Facility was established to coordinate and connect stakeholders  engaged in, or benefiting from, capacity development efforts from the Decade and beyond — focusing on Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries, and Early Career Ocean Professionals.

In this article, we showcase how the Ocean Decade empowers local communities in the Pacific region to contribute to and benefit from ocean research and knowledge and the vital services Earth’s largest ecosystem provides.

Throughout the Pacific, ocean-faring and ocean-dependent local communities hold deep, generational knowledge of the ocean. In the Solomon Islands, the Babanakira people use an Indigenous early warning system based on natural signs like plant cycles or seasonal shifts to predict storms and apply traditional land management to reduce disaster risks. On the Torres Islands, crop diversity and land-use knowledge help communities adapt to seismic events. In Hawaiʻi, Native Hawaiians are restoring loko iʻa – 600-year-old fishponds that produce thousands of pounds of protein without damaging fish populations or threatening the wider ecosystem.

With these place-based practices grounded in traditional knowledge, local communities can effectively support the management and conservation of marine ecosystems across the Pacific. Developing capacity for ocean sustainability in these remote island states means drawing on their experience, expertise, and knowledge.

The Ocean Decade Programme Pacific Solutions to Save Our Ocean, led by the Pacific Community (SPC), responds to this need by including youth and traditional leaders in policymaking across the Pacific, as illustrated by the three examples below.

Empowering traditional leaders to strengthen ocean governance in the Pacific

The Programme provides space for traditional leaders to meet, connect, and exchange best practices. In September 2023, 14 representatives from ten island nations and territories – the Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu – came together at the Pacific Islands Conference on Ocean Science and Ocean Management (PICOSOM) to explore marine management and how traditional knowledge fits into it.

“Traditional knowledge is fundamental to the governance of the Pacific Ocean. It has always been deeply woven into our culture, shaping how we care for the ocean and passing knowledge to future generations. There is an excellent opportunity for knowledge sharing between scientists and traditional leaders in the region, where scientists can offer the latest climate and ocean projections, and traditional leaders can provide valuable insights from their traditional knowledge and practices.” - Aaron English, Knowledge Management and Engagement Officer at SPC.

Participants discussed blending customary and statutory legal systems to implement international agreements such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the regional and national levels. For representatives from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, the focus turned to how both legal traditions can enhance the resilience of critical ecosystems, like mangroves and seagrass beds.

One illustration of traditional governance comes from Vanuatu, where the National Ocean Policy (NOP) is rooted in the Nakamal, a traditional institution central to national decision-making. Developed through consultations with provincial councils and local chiefs, the policy engaged even the most remote islands and districts. It formally recognises traditional marine jurisdictions extending from the high-water mark to 100 metres beyond the reef.

Preserving and applying traditional knowledge in community-led marine management across the Pacific

In the Pacific, knowledge has long been passed down through generations via storytelling, songs, ceremony, and lived experience. This oral tradition is rich, but fragile: one of the main reasons traditional knowledge is being lost is that it is not being documented or recorded.

The Pacific Community Centre for Ocean Science (PCCOS) and the Pacific Data Hub (PDH) at SPC gather, document, and preserve traditional ocean knowledge to keep it alive, shared, and used.

“In recent years, we have worked to map publicly available ocean knowledge by compiling and organising a wide range of documents related to this subject. The information is scattered across various sources, so we used “Obsidian Vault” to help us organise all the knowledge and information gathered so that we can visualise and understand the connectivity of our Pacific cultures and traditional knowledge across the region. This work was carried out under the Pacific Solutions – Integrated Ocean Management (PSIOM) project, with the ultimate goal of understanding where we currently stand and connecting this knowledge on a long-term dashboard.” - Hans Wendt, Integrated Ocean Management Adviser at SPC.

To position traditional knowledge at the heart of community-led marine management, the project has supported the development of a specific guideline. This document was a collaboration between SPC, the University of Edinburgh, The Nippon foundation, and the Ocean Voices programme. It outlines knowledge standards and provides concrete steps on how documented knowledge can inform local governance, moving from dashboards into practice. For instance, it suggests incorporating traditional governance practices like the Sevusevu – a Fijian cultural welcome ceremony of respect and introduction – into community consultations.

This guideline also promotes joint scoping with traditional leaders, environmental assessments, and programmes that strengthen local capacity, while ensuring that women, youth, and other community members are actively involved throughout.

By combining the systematic mapping of traditional knowledge with practical, community-driven guidance – and by emphasizing community ownership through formal project handover – the project advances a more inclusive and sustainable model of ocean governance.

Building youth capacity to shape national policies

Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) are the next generation of ocean leaders – scientists, policymakers, marine conservation activist, communicators, and educators. Investing in their capacity addresses generational imbalances in ocean science and ensures that sustainability efforts continue, evolve, and scale globally. Since 2021, the Ocean Decade ECOP Programme has empowered over 6,800 ECOPs in 166 countries through networking, training, funding, and collaboration opportunities.

SPC implemented the ECOP Node for the Pacific. Between 2021 and 2024, 37 job opportunities were provided by the organisation and 29 young professionals have stepped into government roles to help shape ocean policy. From contributing to National Ocean Policies to participating in UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) events, ECOPs are actively engaged in regional and international ocean governance.

One of them is Denzel Atumurirav from Fiji. He started as an intern at the Climate Change Division in the Office of the Prime Minister, and quickly grew into a full-time role where he significantly contributed to developing Fiji’s National Ocean Policy. His leadership journey continued on the international stage: he went on to represent the Pacific at the in Bonn, and moderated a session for the ​UN Climate Meetings (SB 60) the ECOP Network at the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona.

“The ECOP Programme gave me a way to make a real difference in ocean policies at the national and regional levels. It has helped me grow as a worker and Pacific Islander who cares about the ocean. It has been a great honour to represent my country and region on the world stage. This is an example of how young people can help shape the future of ocean governance.” - Denzel.

By providing Pacific youth with these opportunities, the Pacific Solutions to Save Our Ocean Programme strengthens the region’s ocean governance capabilities and ensures the next generation of leaders is well-prepared to address future challenges.

Through these three key action areas, the Programme demonstrates that integrating cultural and local knowledge into ocean management helps preserve heritage, strengthen institutions, and create responsive, inclusive policies. By 2030, the initiative aims to equip decision-makers, traditional leaders, and local communities to sustainably use, manage, and protect marine ecosystems across the region.

Endorsed Decade Actions still face significant challenges in mobilizing resources and require additional support for targeted capacity development initiatives. To address these gaps, the Ocean Decade will launch a dedicated Matchmaking Platform in September 2025. This platform will connect capacity development needs with tailored services, tools, and resources, reducing disparities across geographies, generations, and genders in ocean science.

For more information, please contact:
Ocean Decade Communications Team ([email protected])

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