June 2025

Welcome to interactive presentation, created with Publuu. Enjoy the reading!

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.

Made with Publuu - flipbook maker