Research Priorities
OI RESEARCH PRIORITIESClimate crisis, mitigation and adaptation
RESEARCH PRIORITIES
The ocean hosts 95% of the planet's biosphere and plays a pivotal role in climate change discussions. Its ability to absorb excess heat and carbon dioxide, generate oxygen and support biodiversity makes the ocean key to climate adaptation and mitigation.
The OI’s 2024-28 research themes— Coastal and Ecosystem Resilience, Ocean-based Decarbonisation and Nature Positive Oceans— address the connected and equally urgent crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. This means addressing critical climate challenges while exploring fundamental marine biology, including ocean genomics and deep-sea exploration, to bridge essential knowledge gaps.
In an era marked by the accelerating impacts of climate change, unsustainable resource use, and multiple impacts of many forms on the ocean ecosystem, there is urgent need for a more integrated approach to management, including a swift transition to renewable energy.