June 2025

June 2025 | Oceanography

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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.

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Lakoff, G. 2010. Why it matters how we frame the environment. Environmental

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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

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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