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  • Community Recommendations on Belonging, Accessibility, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiatives in Ocean Sciences: A Town Hall Discussion

This content will become publicly available on January 1, 2026

Title: Community Recommendations on Belonging, Accessibility, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiatives in Ocean Sciences: A Town Hall Discussion
During the 2024 Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM24), The Oceanography Society’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee hosted a town hall on “Scientific Societies’ Roles in Building Inclusive Communities.” The town hall aimed to assess ongoing efforts to improve belonging, accessibility, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (BAJEDI) within ocean sciences, promote community building and discussions surrounding BAJEDI topics, and highlight the role of scientific societies in equity efforts. Here, we summarize the resultant communal discussions, which focused on effective models for increasing participation in ocean sciences, how to make ocean science careers more accessible, and strategies to build a more equitable community culture. Discussions highlighted several professional societies working to increase BAJEDI within the field and offered tangible action items to increase accessibility and equity at all career stages. An optional survey was distributed to OSM24 attendees to assess their lived experiences. Survey results highlighted that although knowledge of BAJEDI issues and training opportunities have increased, bullying and discrimination are still common. We recommend action items, including increased standardization and public accessibility of demographic data, to continue improving BAJEDI within ocean sciences.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2148704
PAR ID:
10578517
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Oceanography
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Oceanography
ISSN:
1042-8275
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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