Collaborators and Partners

This project brings together a diverse network of international organizations, researchers, and Indigenous leaders to foster interdisciplinary collaboration.

The initiative will be organized in collaboration with FEC, the UN Ocean Decade endorsed ECOP Programme, Ocean KAN and the journal Anthropocene Coasts. The consortium will leverage existing resources and expertise, including efforts to connect and catalyze the next generation of leaders in transdisciplinary science.

Future Earth Coasts

Future Earth Coasts (FEC) is a global research network dedicated to advancing sustainable development in the world’s coastal zones. It includes partnerships with United Nations agencies, intergovernmental bodies, and organizations such as the International Council for Science and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Established as the Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) in 1993 and transitioning into FEC under the Future Earth program in 2015, the network brings together over 1,000 coastal sustainability experts worldwide. FEC is co-led by the International Project Offices in China (East China Normal University) and Australia (Southern Cross University), with additional offices in Ghana, Mexico, and the US.

FEC focuses on three core themes: Dynamic Coasts, Human Development and Coasts, and Pathways to Coastal Sustainability. It identifies critical coastal Hotspots such as small islands, urbanized coasts, Arctic systems, and river mouths that are particularly vulnerable to change. The network facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration through bottom-up initiatives like the Just Transitions, Cyber-Coasts, Lagoons for Life, Circles of Coastal Sustainability and Mega-delta Working Groups. FEC is co-leading FE cross-cutting initiatives Meta-network Project and Empowering Future Leadership Project.

Key FEC contributions include co-designed knowledge production, capacity-building programs, and synthesis of coastal sustainability strategies aligned with societal and policy needs. Through its flagship initiative, Our Coastal Futures, FEC empowers coastal communities by integrating scientific, local, and Indigenous knowledge to foster resilience, equity, and sustainability. FEC’s vision is to institutionalize global coastal assessments, driving innovative solutions for a sustainable, just, and resilient future.

Future Earth Coasts (FEC) leads key workshops on just transitions, hazard mitigation, innovation, and transdisciplinary collaboration. It supports coastal communities in building resilience and sustainable livelihoods through training in policy guidance, entrepreneurship, and stakeholder engagement.

Focal Point Contact: Dr. Xiaoyu Fang, [email protected]

FEC website: https://www.futureearthcoasts.org/

The Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP) Network Programme

Established in 2021, the UN Ocean Decade-endorsed Early Career Ocean Professional (ECOP) Programme is a global initiative with a mission to integrate new ways of thinking into global ocean sustainability and stewardship challenges. It aims to support ECOPs in their capacity development and ocean careers by providing meaningful networking, training, professional development, and funding opportunities, while fostering cross-sectoral and intergenerational collaboration and knowledge exchange.
 
The ECOP network has continuously grown and diversified over the past four years, now engaging more than 6,800 members across 166 countries. Its predominantly bottom-up and decentralized governance structure comprises over 50 national nodes spanning all regions except Antarctica. With six thematic task teams—focusing on Ocean Literacy, the Deep Ocean, DEI, Training & Mentoring, OceanBRIGES, and the Private Industry—alongside its Blue Capacity Development Project and internship opportunities, the ECOP Programme offers multiple avenues for involvement in impactful, inclusive, and action-oriented work in the ocean sustainability space.
 
An ECOP is a person who self-identifies as being early in their career, with 10 years or less of professional experience in any ocean-related field. This definition includes post-secondary students and volunteer roles, and is not limited to employed or paid positions. The term ‘professional’ is intentionally used to be inclusive of individuals from diverse sectors of society.

 

Focal Point Contact:

ECOP website: https://www.ecopdecade.org/

Ocean KAN

The Ocean KAN is a bottom-up, self-organizing network that connects people from around the globe who work to involve scientists and stakeholders in the co-design of ocean science. Our mission is to support a decentralised commnity that lets people share knowledge and support to help each other better co-design ocean science, build and maintain effective networks, and address the many other challenges and opportunities that come from using science and knowledge to inform ocean decision-making.

The Ocean KAN promotes collaboration that connects end users who need ocean science and technology with the people and resources that can help. The goal is to make new connections and to share resources and knowledge across the community.

An important aspect of our work is to create a space where our Indigenous and local community partners have an equal voice in all of our work. This includes day-to-day networking, the governance of our network, and leadership in our regular meetings and learning circles. Early career professionals are active in all levels of governance within the community.

The Ocean KAN is independent and autonomous.

Ocean Knowledge Action Network (Ocean KAN) leads the combination of Indigenous and academic knowledge, supporting culturally informed decision-making. It works to foster collaboration between traditional leaders and researchers for inclusive coastal governance.

Focal Point Contact: Linwood Pendleton, [email protected]

Ocean KAN website: https://sites.google.com/oceankan.org/theoceankan

Anthropocene Coasts

Anthropocene Coasts, a fully sponsored open access journal published on behalf of the East China Normal University (ECNU), publishes multidisciplinary research addressing the interaction of human activities with our estuaries and coasts. It publishes articles, reviews, topical communications, letters and book reviews, with APCs covered by ECNU. The editorial board comprises two Editors-in-Chief, Profs. Shu Gao and Ian Townend, and 35 Associate Editors.

Anthropogenic coastal impacts are complex with differing perspectives on what constitutes appropriate solutions. Research exploring potential solutions is encouraged, covering topics like:
• Resources and their variations/changes;
• Environmental influences associated with natural and human-induced processes;
• Changes in coastal hazard patterns and the implications for safety;
• The role of coastal ecosystem services and how these may change;
• Implications of population growth and urban expansion on the coast;
• Adaptation in response to change and methods to enhance coastal sustainability;
• Interactions with society (including aspects such as economics, planning, policy/legislation and regulation, social mobility, technology, engineering, and risk management);
• Observations, modelling, and theoretical advances to better detect and understand change;
• AI based research/ machine learning (data training or no datasets) on Coastal management.

Anthropocene Coasts, one of FEC’s official journals, supports scientific communication through training sessions and the “ECOP Topical Collection.” It offers mentorship, awards for young scientists, and dialogue opportunities with its editorial members and authors.

Focal Point Contact: Dr. Wenjing Xie, [email protected]

Anthropocene Coasts website: https://link.springer.com/journal/44218