June 2025 | Oceanography
87
of one’s research is a worthwhile process because it engenders
a deeper understanding of the necessary network of support.
Furthermore, expanding one’s network to include non-human
actors like the ocean can, as Omstedt emphasizes, reorient
research in a direction that more closely aligns with actual change.
Although science provides one set of methodologies for
investigating and understanding the physical world, it does not
always have the best tools for influencing or changing human
behavior in the context of global crises. In chapter 10, for exam
ple, Omstedt interrogates human understanding of intelligence
through an exploration of art and dreams. Omstedt’s analy
sis of unconscious knowledge is reminiscent of cognitive lin
guist George Lakoff’s understanding of framing. Lakoff points
out that “real reason is mostly unconscious (98%) [and] requires
emotion…ideas and language can’t directly fit the world but
rather must go through the body” (Lakoff, 2010, pg. 72). It is
critical for scientists and science writers to consider the felt or
embodied experience, especially when attempting to under
stand or change human behavior. Rethinking how we motivate
change is now more important than ever, given the ever esca
lating effects of climate change (Tollefson, 2025). No single sci
entific discipline holds all the knowledge needed for under
standing the many facets of climate change, nor does Western
science as a whole. There is increasing recognition that the tools
humanity needs for mitigating and adapting to a changing cli
mate will come from diverse sources, including STEM, social
sciences (Dudman and de Wit, 2021; Berg and Lidskog, 2024),
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (Kimmerer, 2012), and the
co-production of knowledge (Jasanoff, 2021).
Knowledge production outside of disciplinary divides is
not new in the field of oceanography, which has embraced
interdisciplinary collaboration since its foundation. The
Intergovernmental Oceanic Commission (IOC) was created in
1960 during the 11th general conference of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
(UNESCO, 1961). The IOC facilitates communication and col
laboration among member states regarding oceanic and coastal
management and research initiatives. Former IOC Executive
Secretary Gunnar Kullenberg writes about the history of ocean
science in his 2020 book, Ocean Science and International
Cooperation: Historical and Personal Reflections. This text
would complement Omstedt’s by providing readers with addi
tional historical context for the expansive and interdisciplin
ary research methods for which he advocates. Today, one way
collaboration can be seen is through the US National Science
Foundation’s Ocean Observatories Initiative, which shares real-
time data from hundreds of instruments. As Levine et al. (2020)
explain, the democratization of these data presents opportuni
ties for oceanographers, especially those early in their careers, by
increasing data access. The equity these initiatives provide allows
more scientists to actively engage with the ocean as a research
partner. Collaborative research, including the Challenger, Vega,
and Albatross expeditions that Omstedt highlights, are essential
parts of oceanographic history. Omstedt advocates not only for
the continuation but the expansion of this legacy.
A Philosophical View of the Ocean and Humanity contains
many short chapters and, due to the brevity of each, the book
is best suited for readers who have some background in science,
oceanography, or communication studies. The book spends less
time interrogating the finer details of ocean science research
and reads more broadly as a rethinking of the field’s underlying
ontology and epistemology. Readers may find the structure of
this book (especially Part I) surprising, but it offers a rich oppor
tunity for thoughtful discussion and reflection. The discussion
questions at the end provide direction for future engagement,
and thus the book would be particularly well suited for use in
an upper-level undergraduate or graduate classroom setting
where its content may be analyzed in the context of other ocean
ographic or science and technology studies literature.
In addition to being a book about science, oceanography,
and dreams, this book is also about science communication as it
explores what kinds of thinking, discussion, and action are nec
essary for changing human behavior. At times, the brief chap
ters limit some nuance, but when read collectively, strong central
themes emerge that make this a book worth reading. Omstedt
interrogates the philosophical relationship between humanity
and the ocean by weaving together different kinds of understand
ing, from scientific expeditions to art and dreams. With half of the
UN Ocean Decade behind us, Omstedt’s book provides encour
agement to slow down and reflect upon our relationship with the
ocean so that we can make the most of what time remains.
REFERENCES
Berg, M., and R. Lidskog. 2024. Global environmental assessments and trans
formative change: The role of epistemic infrastructures and the inclusion of
social sciences. Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research,
https://doi.org/10.1080/13511610.2024.2322642.
Dudman, K., and S. de Wit. 2021. An IPCC that listens: Introducing reciprocity to cli
mate change communication. Climatic Change 168(2), https://doi.org/10.1007/
s10584-021-03186-x.
Jasanoff, S. 2021. Knowledge for a just climate. Climatic Change 169(36),
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-021-03275-x.
Kimmerer, R.W. 2012. Searching for synergy: Integrating traditional and scien
tific ecological knowledge in environmental science education. Journal of
Environmental Studies and Sciences 2(4):317–323, https://doi.org/10.1007/
s13412-012-0091-y.
Lakoff, G. 2010. Why it matters how we frame the environment. Environmental
Communication 4(1):70–81, https://doi.org/10.1080/17524030903529749.
Levine, R.M., K.E. Fogaren, J.E. Rudzin, C.J. Russoniello, D.C. Soule, and
J.M. Whitaker. 2020. Open data, collaborative working platforms, and interdis
ciplinary collaboration: Building an early career scientist community of practice
to leverage Ocean Observatories Initiative data to address critical questions in
marine science. Frontiers in Marine Science 7:593512, https://doi.org/10.3389/
fmars.2020.593512.
UNESCO. 1961. Records of the General Conference, 11th session, Paris, 1960:
Resolutions. 250 pp., https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000114583.
Tollefson, J. 2025. Earth breaches 1.5°C climate limit for the first time: What does it
mean? Nature 637(8047):769–770, https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-00010-9.
REVIEWER
Emma Coleman (ecoleman1@esf.edu), State University of New York College of
Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
ARTICLE DOI
https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2025.312