Maximising science-to-policy outcomes from NERC funded ocean acidification research

Ocean acidification (OA) is a relatively newly described process that refers to major changes to the ocean's chemistry, mainly caused by ocean uptake of human produced emissions of CO2 to the atmospheric. OA poses substantial risks to all marine ecosystems through the impacts on the physiology, behaviour, and population dynamics of individual species.

OA research has grown substantially over the last 5 years with investigations across many disciplines. The complexity of experiments and approaches has also grown as scientists have aimed at a better understanding of future impacts for ecosystems and society. Initially experiments were simple and short term and only addressed effects of OA. However, other ocean stressors act at the same time as OA, such as ocean warming and deoxygenation and sea level rise. Now investigations are more complex looking at effects from multiple stressors over longer time scales, some manipulate whole ecosystems, others look at adaptation potential, others investigate similar events in the geological record, others look at the potential socio economic consequences while global and regional modelling project what the ocean chemistry will be like in the future under different CO2 emissions scenarios.

The product of these wide ranging studies published in the scientific literature is an increasing awareness that there is a broad variety of sensitivities and often complex responses amongst organisms but that overall marine ecosystems are highly likely to change in the future. The degree of change will depend on society's actions to reduce CO2 emissions. Such actions are discussed and negotiated at the UNFCCC COPs. It is therefore important that that the effects of CO2 emissions on the ocean, its ecosystems and societies that depend on them are part of the discussion.

The synthesis of all this rapidly growing, often complex multidisciplinary, information can be difficult for non-scientists to assess. It is therefore essential to communicate the latest research in context of the full literature in an understandable form for policy makers and other stakeholders. This is the aim of this proposed fellowship. To do this well, to fill the science-policy gap, one must have the trust of both scientists and policy makers and an understanding of the science as well as the policy need. I am fortunate enough to have developed such trust and understanding over the last 10 years.

I will liaise, through emails and meetings, with scientists on forthcoming research publications and contribute to their analyses of how to gain enhanced impact of their NERC funded science. I will analyse, interpret and synthesise evidence on OA and other ocean stressors and brief UK Government Departments on the latest findings and set these within a global context. I will provide advice on the quality and relevance of evidence as well as give rapid, ad-hoc advice on specific issues when required. I will also brief and advise other non-governmental stakeholders of the latest scientific evidence.
I will also collaborate with other national research programmes and institutions to ensure the knowledge gained by all nations' programmes are effectively and jointly communicated to national and international policy makers. This will be achieved through attendance at their programme meetings and via email communication. I will work with international OA networks and centres (OA-ICC, OAiRUG, GOA-ON), to foster coordination and collaboration of new scientific research, and to enhance understanding and knowledge exchange with policy makers. In collaboration with the OAiRUG, I will organise a UK science-policy workshop, of key research scientists and stakeholders.

In collaboration with other scientists, from the UK and other nations, I will communicate the findings at least annually to UN bodies, including the UNFCCC, and to the delegates during the key annual climate change negotiations so that informed decision making can be made.