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Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are voluntary, employee-led groups that engage in activities designed to foster a diverse, equitable, inclusive, accessible, and just (DEIAJ) workplace within the organizations they serve. ERGs have become increasingly relevant, helping to promote a sense of belonging among groups who identify along a variety of marginalized identities. Effective ERGs help leadership gain critical insights into the challenges certain groups face, assisting with retention and employee engagement. ERGs create safe spaces for members to speak truths and offer a collective voice around shared interests as well as a place to hone professional skills. Leveraging ERGs can help agencies achieve the DEIAJ goals mandated in several US Presidential Executive Orders (E.O. 13985, 2021; E.O. 14035, 2021). NOAA plays a critical role in influencing scientific communities and provides a unique opportunity to highlight actionable steps to enhance DEIAJ in these important spaces. NOAA is home to over 10 outstanding, award-winning ERGs. This article highlights successful aspects of NOAA’s ERGs and how various features may translate to other institutions and agencies seeking to improve DEIAJ in the workplace. 

Diversity in ocean sciences lags far behind US demographics. A substantial body of research highlights barriers that limit the participation and success of students from underrepresented minoritized (URM) and other marginalized groups in STEM disciplines, and a wealth of studies highlight successful interventions that improve the persistence of these groups in STEM higher education. Despite this knowledge, over the past four decades, ocean sciences has made limited progress in growing diversity within its workforce, suggesting new strategies are needed. Undergraduate research experiences are a pivotal pathway toward graduate education and future careers in ocean sciences, but they are plagued by many issues that limit the participation and success of persons from URM and other marginalized backgrounds. Here we summarize obstacles that limit participation of diverse populations in ocean sciences and highlight successful strategies for overcoming these obstacles. By re-envisioning how we approach undergraduate research experiences and bringing intentionality to the recruitment of students and the training environments that they experience, we can more effectively grow diversity in ocean sciences and unleash the power of diversity to address the pressing local and global problems facing marine ecosystems. 

In his inaugural “The Oceanography Classroom” column for Oceanography in 2000, Dean McManus noted: “A particular challenge for higher education is to include more members of underrepresented groups in the study of the ocean. Fifteen years from now, 40% of the traditional undergraduate-​​age population will consist of these underrepresented groups, but today the ocean sciences have the lowest participation by underrepresented groups of any science” (McManus, 2000). Why should we care about this lack of diversity in the ocean sciences? As a recent US National Science Foundation report puts it, “A diverse workforce provides the potential for innovation by leveraging different backgrounds, experiences, and points of view. Innovation and creativity, along with technical skills relying on expertise in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), contribute to a robust STEM enterprise” (NSF, 2023a). To put it more succinctly, “diversity is not distinct from enhancing overall quality—it is integral to achieving it” (Gibbs, 2014). Having a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce is not only a valuable objective and moral imperative, it is essential for fulfilling future workforce needs. 

Sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH) in STEM is a well-documented problem, particularly in academic and fieldwork settings (NASEM, 2018; Kelly and Yarincik, 2021; Ackerman et al., 2023). Historically marginalized groups in STEM (i.e., white women; Black, Indigenous, and other people of color; LGBTQ+ individuals) are particularly vulnerable to SASH due to underrepresentation and persistent, long-standing cultural norms shaped by dominant male and white identities. For individuals who hold multiple marginalized identities, the risks and impacts are compounded (Cech, 2022). SASH results in negative impacts to individual mental health and physical safety, productivity, and employee retention, and represents a barrier to entry, retention, advancement, and success of a diverse STEM workforce. To address this, culture change within STEM, the process of shifting organizational norms to promote improved employee wellness, inclusion, and productivity, is needed.