One Ocean Science Congress: A UNOC3 special event dedicated to science
The Ocean is under threat from combined pressures such as climate change, overfishing, pollution, and conflicting uses. At the same time, it remains a key source of solutions—particularly for efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Decisive, swift, and unified action is urgently needed to address its critical condition and to maximize the benefits it offers to humanity. These priorities lie at the heart of both the One Ocean Science Congress (OOSC) and the upcoming Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3).
The One Ocean Science Congress was held from June 3 to 6, 2025, in Nice, France, as an official UNOC3 Special Event dedicated to science. Organised by CNRS and IFREMER, the Congress brought together over 2,000 international experts to provide comprehensive scientific insights on the Ocean’s health and its future trajectory. As a key preparatory milestone for UNOC3, held in Nice from June 9 to 13, 2025, the Congress helped lay the scientific foundation for accelerating action on Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life Below Water. Despite its critical role in sustaining life and regulating the climate, SDG 14 remains the least funded of all the Sustainable Development Goals.
MedECC join the Congress
We were very pleased to join the Congress as part of the session “Inclusive science-policy-society interfaces”, under the theme “Vibrant science to inform and support ocean action”. This session aligns closely with MedECC’s mission to connect science, policy, and society in support of long-term resilience in the Mediterranean region. During the poster session, Nathalie Hilmi, Head of the Environmental Economics section at the Centre Scientifique de Monaco, presented the Summary for Policymakers of the MedECC Special Report “Climate and environmental coastal risks in the Mediterranean” for which she contributed as a Coordinating Lead Author. As the international community gathered in Nice, this was a great opportunity to share region-specific scientific knowledge on environmental risks, and to highlight how MedECC’s work and goal on ensure that knowledge drives action—locally, regionally, and globally.
With over 150 million people—one third of the region’s population—living near the Mediterranean coast and depending on its ecosystems, MedECC’s reports have repeatedly highlighted the critical state of the region’s marine and coastal health. Mediterranean countries are currently not on track to meet most SDGs, especially in areas such as biodiversity protection and climate resilience.
How to cite: Lionello, P., Djoundourian, S., Llasat, M. C., Abdrabo, M., Belivermis, M., Burak, Z. S., Camuffo, D., Hilmi, N., Jimenez, J. A., Kholeif, S., Moncado, S., Pirani, A., Sanchez-Arcilla, A., Vafeidis, A. T., Gattacceca, J.C., Marini, K., and Guiot, J.: A new assessment of climate and environmental coastal risks in the Mediterranean, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-710, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-710.
One Ocean Science Congress Media
