EquiSea: The Ocean Science Fund for All is a platform co-designed through consensus-based stakeholder discussion with more than 200 scientists from around the world. EquiSea aims to improve equity in ocean science by establishing a philanthropic fund to provide direct financial support to projects, coordinating capacity development activities, fostering collaboration and co-financing of ocean science between academia, government, NGOs, and private sector actors, and supporting the development of low-cost and easy-to-maintain ocean science technologies. 

Concept Note Submitted to the UN Decade of Ocean Science

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Ocean science capacity is distributed unequally, but a rapidly changing ocean requires widely and equitably distributed human, technical, and physical ocean science infrastructure. The importance of ocean science is well recognized as critical to sustaining resilient economies and communities, particularly in the face of ocean change caused by anthropogenic activities.

EquiSea is a response to the needs outlined by the ocean science community. It has been developed by a collective of researchers, resource managers, and program managers through in-person and remote dialogues, including the Ocean Obs’19 conference. EquiSea is designed to be a permanent structure that will enable ocean science capacity development throughout the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the years beyond. EquiSea will be housed at The Ocean Foundation – an international community foundation that provides philanthropic and administrative services to the ocean community and has received the top scores from GuideStar and Charity Navigator for transparency and accountability. EquiSea will be governed by a representative stakeholder body that ensures equitable decision making and distribution of resources.

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