(Acknowledging the authors)

Before sharing my reflection, I would like to encourage readers to refer to the original white paper by Francis, Kelly, Swanson, Adyel, Arthur, Benkendorff, and their colleagues. This reflection is not intended to replace or summarise their work comprehensively. Instead, it is a personal reflection inspired by their publication. Readers interested in the full discussion, evidence, recommendations, and context are encouraged to read the original paper.

Reflection: Ocean Literacy Begins with People

Inspired by Francis, P., Kelly, R., Swanson, L., Adyel, T. M., Arthur, B., Benkendorff, K., and colleagues (2026). Strengthening Ocean Literacy: Marine Science Education and Training to Ensure Australia’s Blue Future. Australian Journal of Maritime & Ocean Affairs.

One of the privileges of reading academic work is recognising the immense effort behind it. This paper represents more than a literature review or a collection of recommendations—it reflects collaboration among researchers, educators, practitioners, and institutions who share a common aspiration: to strengthen Australia’s relationship with the ocean through knowledge, education, and collaboration. I sincerely acknowledge the authors and everyone who contributed to this vision. Their work provides an important foundation for future conversations about ocean literacy in Australia.

As I read the paper, one idea remained with me throughout: ocean sustainability ultimately depends on people.

The authors describe ocean literacy not simply as learning facts about the sea, but as developing understanding, stewardship, participation, and informed decision-making. They argue that marine science, education, government, industry, Indigenous knowledge holders, and communities all have a role in building a society capable of making better decisions for the future of our oceans. Rather than separating science from society, the paper encourages stronger connections between them through trust, dialogue, and collaboration.

Reading this paper also helped me understand where Oceaninminds sits.

Oceaninminds is not intended to duplicate the important work already being undertaken in ocean literacy, marine science, or environmental education. Instead, it offers a complementary perspective. While this paper focuses on strengthening ocean literacy through education systems, research, communication, and governance, Oceaninminds is interested in another question:

How do human mindsets shape our relationship with the ocean before knowledge becomes action?

Knowledge is essential, but people do not always act according to what they know. Values, identities, beliefs, lived experiences, culture, and social environments influence how knowledge is interpreted and whether it leads to meaningful behavioural change. Oceaninminds is curious about this human dimension—the internal processes that connect understanding with action.

This reflection also reminds me of my own research journey through Maritime Identity Development (MID) and Social Mindset Restructuring (SMR). My research has long explored how identity and mindset evolve through social interaction and collective experience. Reading this white paper suggests that these ideas may contribute another layer to conversations about ocean literacy. Ocean literacy can explain what people need to understand; Maritime Identity Development explores who people become in relation to the ocean; and Social Mindset Restructuring considers how societies gradually transform the ways they think and act over time.

Rather than viewing these perspectives as competing, I see them as complementary. Ocean literacy provides a strong national framework for building informed citizens. Oceaninminds seeks to explore the cognitive, cultural, and social pathways through which that literacy becomes part of people’s identities and everyday decisions.

One aspect of the paper I particularly appreciate is its recognition that meaningful progress depends on collaboration across disciplines and sectors. The authors acknowledge Indigenous knowledge systems, interdisciplinary education, community participation, co-produced research, and dialogue between science and society. This openness creates space for different perspectives to contribute toward the shared goal of healthier relationships between people and the ocean.

For me, this paper does not define the destination for Oceaninminds; rather, it helps clarify its direction.

If ocean literacy asks how society can become more informed about the ocean, Oceaninminds asks how people come to see themselves as part of the ocean’s future.

Perhaps these questions are not separate at all. Perhaps they are different parts of the same journey.

Tonight, I leave this paper with gratitude—for the generosity of its authors, for the collaborative spirit it represents, and for the reminder that sustainable oceans will always depend on the ways people learn, think, connect, and ultimately choose to care.

A note to readers

This reflection represents my personal learning journey after reading the authors’ work. It should not be interpreted as a review or a substitute for the original publication. I warmly encourage readers to explore the original white paper, Strengthening Ocean Literacy: Marine Science Education and Training to Ensure Australia’s Blue Future, by Prue Francis, Rachel Kelly, Louise Swanson, Tanveer M. Adyel, Benjamin Arthur, Kirsten Benkendorff, and colleagues. Their work provides a comprehensive and thoughtful vision for advancing ocean literacy in Australia, and this reflection simply captures how it has informed the evolving perspective of Oceaninminds.