Registrations now open for the UN Ocean Decade Laboratory ‘Healthy & Resilient Ocean’

The Healthy & Resilient Ocean laboratory is the first in a series of virtual international Ocean Decade laboratories that will take place in 2022.

The lab features a range of presentations and activities from around the globe including New Zealand and Pacific participants which are being hosted by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.

The laboratories have replaced the UN Ocean Decade opening conference which was due to take place in Berlin last year.

Each Laboratory is a self-standing event and encompasses a core event that will be complemented by a diverse range of satellite activities from around the world during a time slot of 48 hours.

The themes are orientated around the Ocean Decade outcomes – a clean, productive, predicted, healthy, inspiring, accessible and safe ocean for generations to come.

The following New Zealand and Pacific activities will run as part of the March programme and anyone is welcome to attend.

Registrations for the satellite activities are separate to the core event. Links included below.

Catch of the Day is a paired activity set across two different virtual labs – the Healthy & Resilient Ocean Lab in March and the Productive Ocean Lab in June. The activities will focus on improving consumer understanding of sustainable fisheries management and provide information and data to inform potential changes to consumption of less recognised fish stock. Participants will be encouraged to gather information about availability of fish stock at their local shops and restaurants and report back at the next ocean lab in June to establish a new data set on fish stocks and gaining a better understanding of consumer and community fish preparation.

Details: 11 March 8am - 9.15am NZ time

MERC (Sir Peter Blake Marine Education & Recreation Centre) will run an activity Fishes for the Future – Marine Management Tools across Aotearoa New Zealand which is based on a webinar from the successful series Ngā Kōrero: Exploring ocean kaitiakitanga in Aotearoa New Zealand. This panel discussion will be moderated by former Radio New Zealand producer Alison Balance.

Details: 10 March 7 - 8.30pm NZ time

Ecosystem-based management in Aotearoa New Zealand will illustrate a line-of-sight towards a healthy and resilient ocean via ecosystem-based management, drawing on lessons from the Sustainable Seas Challenge.

The Sustainable Seas Challenge is an example of an active, co-developed, multi-year project which focuses on ecosystem-based management by, with, and for all acting stakeholders, including natural and social scientists, economists, experts in mātauranga Māori, law and policy.

This two-hour event will include high-level presentations and interviews with leading practitioners from the Challenge (University of Waikato, University of Auckland, University of Canterbury, and NIWA), and will finish with an open panel discussion.

Details: 11 March 2 to 4pm NZ Time

Te Au o Te Moana – The Voice of the Ocean: Explore how Aotearoa New Zealand research is placing the moana/ocean at its heart and working in partnership with and supporting government, Māori, industry and communities to reimagine our relationships, responsibilities and connections to the moana. Holistic, ecosystem-based management and indigenous knowledge are intertwined. This discussion will explore why interdisciplinary research that values all forms of expert knowledge is critical to improve the health of our seas and our future livelihoods.

Details: 10 March 6 - 7.30pm NZ Time

The science we need for healthy and resilient coral reefs in the Pacific will feature coral reef experts and Pacific Island Government representatives introducing the Pacific Coral Reef Action Plan.

Coral reef scientists, young scientists and students, donors, institutions and NGOs will discuss how researchers and scientists can join and contribute to conserving, restoring and managing 25% of the world's corals.

Details: 10 March 11am- 12pm NZ/Samoa Time

Learn more about all the global activities taking part during the Healthy & Resilient Ocean laboratory below.