June 2025

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June 2025 | Oceanography

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providing equity models for individuals and institutions to

implement. While these initiatives can help make ocean careers

more accessible, and professional societies have done work to

make these spaces and policies more readily available, accessi­

bility remains a challenge. Responses to the OSM22 survey sug­

gested that gatekeeping was the most significant challenge to

diversifying the ocean sciences (Meyer-Gutbrod et  al., 2023).

Gatekeeping refers to the intentional reduction of access to pro­

fessionally beneficial activities, particularly by limiting mar­

ginalized and minoritized groups. Early engagement, free from

gatekeeping, is critical to increasing access to ocean sciences.

Early engagement should be supported by equitable access to

meaningful professional development experiences through paid

internships (Kreuser et al., 2023) and more flexible introductory

research opportunities.

The survey and group discussions also touched on factors

outside an institution that impact the possibility of successful

BAJEDI programs. In particular, groups discussed how regional

and national political agendas may hamper efforts to improve

equity. Nearly one-third (27%) of the OSM24 survey respon­

dents live in a region with anti-BAJEDI legislation, 43% live in

regions currently unaffected by such legislation, and 30% were

unsure of the local legislative atmosphere. Much of the discus­

sion within this breakout group focused on strategies to make

ocean careers safe for minoritized individuals in light of these

political and legislative landscapes. Participants suggested hav­

ing open conversations with visiting scholars before their arrival

and with applicants during the application process. These may

be facilitated by a brief survey to prospective professional visi­

tors to an institution, which could ask guided questions on what

types of information the visitor would be interested in being

briefed on (example topics include results from previous insti­

tution climate surveys on the experience of minoritized groups

at the institution, and LGBTQ+ topics, including the availabil­

ity of health care). Upfront discussions would allow individuals

to pick environments where they can expect to live safely, even if

that may mean turning down opportunities. Institutions should

also actively advertise resources available to assist individuals,

including appropriate safety policies, reporting measures, and

health resources. This information should be readily available

to current and prospective employees and students. Required

training for principal investigators on the socio-political con­

ditions in geographic regions new to their lab (e.g., visited for

conferences, fieldwork) will aid in preparing for unfamiliar leg­

islative landscapes. Principal investigators are responsible for

educating all trainees on safety in these regions in order to pro­

tect their direct reports and affiliates.

These issues are broader than ocean science and STEM

careers, with significant backlash against DEI progress, increas­

ing legislative attacks aimed at transgender and gender-​

expansive communities, and the elimination of federal DEI

resources by the US government in January 2025, subsequent to

the writing of this article. Ensuring safe working environments

for all individuals, particularly in our current socio-political

climate, was of top concern among our town hall participants.

In addition to addressing barriers to access, the ocean sciences

community must take a leading role in fostering safe and equi­

table access to places and spaces unique to the field, including

shipboard, coastal, and remote environments (for an example,

see McMonigal et al., 2023). Discrimination is still happening

at the institutional level and should be openly acknowledged.

Institutions can and should put resources in place to protect

their workers and students. Furthermore, institutions and col­

leagues can advocate for safe and inclusive legislation as it per­

tains to their working environments.

Just and Fair Culture

As we strive for an increasingly inclusive ocean sciences commu­

nity, the importance of retention cannot be overstated. Standing

in the way of retention is a disconnect between the lived expe­

rience of minoritized individuals and recognition of this lived

experience by individuals who are not marginalized or minori­

tized. Participants in this town hall reflect this divide. As shown

in the OSM24 survey results and previous studies, groups who do

not experience systemic prejudicial bias, in this case, heterosex­

ual white men, appear to be less aware of the lived experiences of

gender and racial minorities (Figure 2b,c; Davis and Robinson,

1991; Major et  al., 2002; Drury and Kaiser, 2014; Liao et  al.,

2016). The survey data demonstrate that minoritized individu­

als and white heterosexual women experience greater marginal­

ization through bias, discrimination, and bullying (Figure 2c).

Increasing awareness of the lived experiences of those on the

receiving end of such behavior may strengthen understanding

in the community, particularly for those who do not personally

experience significant marginalization themselves, and increase

a sense of belonging for marginalized scientists.

To begin addressing this issue, town hall participants sug­

gested policies at the institutional/organizational, government

agency, and professional society levels. Participants discussed

how recent shifts in academic culture have resulted in apprecia­

ble advances in structural equity at the agency and institutional

levels. Institutional policymakers have the power to propel cul­

ture change by examining existing policies and evaluating those

policies from a BAJEDI perspective. Discussion group members

reflected on the need to uplift the voices of minoritized groups

during policy evaluation and reform. Scientists directly impacted

by such policies should feel ownership in improving them. To

this end, it is essential to center the voices of marginalized groups

in reforming inequitable policies, recognize equity work in per­

formance reviews, and ensure measures for accountability.

Promoting BAJEDI in ocean sciences will require a change

in resource allocation, hiring, promotion, tenure evaluation,

and recognition systems. Outdated academic productivity met­

rics center almost exclusively on funding acquisition, paper

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