Oceanography | Vol. 38, No. 2
58
MEETING REPORT
COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS ON
BELONGING, ACCESSIBILITY, JUSTICE, EQUITY,
DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES
IN OCEAN SCIENCES A TOWN HALL DISCUSSION
By Julien T. Middleton, Sarah Clem, Katherine L. Gallagher, Erin Meyer-Gutbrod, Amadi Afua Sefah-Twerefour,
Margrethe H. Serres, Mona Behl, and James Pierson
INTRODUCTION
Within ocean sciences, a persistent lack of inclusivity neces
sitates ongoing initiatives to encourage belonging, accessibil
ity, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (BAJEDI; Bernard
and Cooperdock, 2018). Many existing structures and sys
tems inhibit the full inclusion of minoritized groups, allowing
inequity to persist in the field (Johri et al., 2021; Wang et al.,
2024). Addressing these challenges is crucial to ensure a diverse,
fair, and inclusive academic community and allow holistic ocean
science research (Johnson et al., 2016; Johri et al., 2021).
To aid in addressing this issue, The Oceanography Society
(TOS)’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)
Committee began hosting interactive discussions at Ocean
Sciences Meetings (OSM) in 2022. The 2024 event took the form
of a town hall entitled “Scientific Societies’ Roles in Building
Inclusive Communities.” To facilitate discussion, the town hall
focused on three discussion questions:
• What are some successful models of expanding participation
of minoritized and/or historically marginalized individuals in
ocean and coastal sciences?
• What can be done to make ocean and coastal careers more
accessible?
• How can we build a just and fair scientific and workplace
culture?
During the interactive session, the 40 town hall participants
shared ideas, engaged with peers, and provided anonymous
written feedback on these questions and on topics related to the
mission of the TOS JEDI Committee.
To assess the ongoing efforts of TOS and complement the
in-person discussion, a brief survey was sent to TOS member
ship before OSM24, made available through QR codes to all
OSM24 attendees, and is available in the online supplementary
materials. The 13-question survey invited participants to share
their lived experiences surrounding bias, discrimination, and
perception of changes in the BAJEDI landscape in recent years.
Survey participants provided optional demographic informa
tion. Write-in options were available for all demographic ques
tions. Identifying information was not collected during the town
hall, and survey responses were fully anonymized to facilitate
participants expressing themselves freely. Here, we summarize
the responses received from the community and highlight the
use of community feedback to direct scientific societies, like
TOS, toward effective approaches for broadening participation
in ocean sciences.
ABSTRACT. 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, bully
ing 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.