In deep water: Ocean literacy among young people is worryingly low, new survey finds

Article written by Rebecca Ann Hughes
Originally published by Euro News (Feb 5, 2025)

The survey found little demand amongst young people for significant action or accountability from ocean stakeholders.

There’s a concerning disconnect between young people’s recognition of the ocean’s vital role in climate change and the importance of measures required to protect it, a new global survey has found.

A large majority of young people are concerned about the ocean’s health—yet they place a higher priority on protecting forests, reducing air pollution, and tackling freshwater scarcity.

Young people also have high expectations for governments, NGOs, and local communities but low expectations for businesses, highlighting a misunderstanding about who holds responsibility for ocean pollution, the authors said.

The study by the world-leading ocean health initiative Back to Blue found these worrying gaps in ocean literacy levels among 18–24-year-olds in 35 countries.

Young people ‘do not fully fathom the dire conditions of our oceans'.

Results from the 3,500 respondents of the survey found that 75 percent of young people are concerned about the state of ocean health.

However, few acknowledge the jeopardy the ocean is in, nor the ways in which this can be prevented—almost half (47 percent) of young people think the ocean is still healthy.

The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines are among some of the top countries that believe this, even though they are struggling with plastic pollution, coral reef degradation, and habitat loss.

The authors said it strongly indicates that young people “do not fully fathom the dire conditions of our oceans.”

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