Educating the Ocean Leaders of Today for the Ocean of Tomorrow

The ocean and coastal areas of the world are changing, but we—as societies, economies, and individual decision-makers—for the most part, are not. We are learning that the social-ecological coastal and ocean system of the coming decades will be significantly different from today—physically, energetically, chemically, and biologically. It will also be under rising pressure from social, economic, and technological developments brought about by hundreds of millions more people populating, further developing, and urbanizing these increasingly vulnerable areas. Present governance regimes that frame our laws, policies, and institutions at global and regional levels will have to adapt more quickly and in a more coordinated way than the piecemeal approach to adjusting current regulations taken to date. So it is imperative that the International Ocean Institute (ioi) develop the capacity of ocean leaders on the magnitude and significance of these changes in the coastal and ocean system itself, on the growing pressure being exerted on its living and non-living resources, and on the evolving approach to ocean governance. We must also emphasize that the next generation of ocean leaders will be equipped with a deep sense of appreciation to take proactive planning decisions today; we must prepare them for this emerging reality and offer the theoretical knowledge and the practical skills and tools that can be applied in coastal nations around the world.