The IAEA Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC) organized a training workshop on communicating ocean acidification, hosted by the University of Costa Rica (UCR). The training provided participants with the foundations to communicate the science and impacts of ocean acidification to diverse audiences.
It is crucial that all stakeholders, including policy makers, industry leaders, and the public, understand the issue of ocean acidification, as well as potential strategies for adaptation and mitigation. However, communicating the science and impacts of this critical environmental issue remains a challenge given the complexities of ocean carbonate chemistry and the varied biological impacts of ocean acidification. Beyond increasing understanding and awareness of ocean acidification and its impacts on marine ecosystems and associated services, effective communication should aim at driving actions toward mitigation and adaptation. This requires novel and goal-oriented communication strategies.
The workshop brought together 10 participants from the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Greece, Malaysia, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, and the UK. Experts from Costa Rica and United States shared science communication theories and strategies. Participants had the opportunity to engage with citizens, journalists, and policy makers to better understand how science communication can be utilized with specialized audiences. Throughout the workshop, participants discussed key aspects to consider when designing and communicating the science of ocean acidification. They were encouraged to apply their scientific thinking when communicating about their work, defining clear goals, identifying key actors needed, key message and method. As part of the workshop, the participants designed an ocean acidification educational activity at an ”Art-in-the-City” event in San José, engaging around 50 local citizens to commit to taking action to protect the ocean. They also designed 8 different communication activities for high school students that were tested at a local school. The diversity of expertise and experience of the participants and trainers was an asset to the development of a new ocean acidification communication framework, considering key aspects such as accountability, regional differences and ethics.
