Communication thoughts from the International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC7)
In mid-October 2024, South Africa welcomed the International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC7). There were over 600 speakers from around the world discussing all things marine. Here’s a round-up of a few of my favourite communication talks.
Communicating for marine conservation. Lessons from South Africa
Dr Judy Mann-Lang, from the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, gave an excellent plenary talk where she shared lessons from her 30 years of trying to inspire people to care for the ocean. Here are some highlights (in bullet point format because it was a big talk with a lot of information).
On strategy and language
Start with the end in mind. Ask yourself why you are communicating and what you want to achieve.
Preach love, not loss. Loss doesn't inspire action. Show what can be done.
People care about people first. We need to show the value of the ocean to people, not just to nature.
Use everyday language and choose your language carefully.
When scientists say "theory," non-scientists hear "speculation."
When scientists say "uncertainty," non-scientists hear "not sure."
Support thinking and reflection. Don’t just tell someone something about the ocean. Pose questions. Give them time to reflect.
We all have a connection to nature. Our challenge is to inspire and reconnect people with nature.
On knowledge
Realise that knowledge is not enough. Sharing knowledge isn't going to change behaviour by itself.
We need to inform people - and crucially empower them to take action. We’re good at telling people the bad news without giving them any idea of what they can do about it. The action we suggest might not make a direct impact or result in significant change, but creating the opportunity for action helps drive connection and build support. This is important.
Don't assume people know what you’re talking about. Most people don't know what's in the ocean. We can't expect people to care about something they don't even know exists. Make sure you build on what they know.
On outreach and engagement
Understand your audience. Talk to the people you want to reach. What are their attitudes, and what are their needs and perspectives? Taking these aspects into account can help guide impactful communications.
Communication is about relationships. Who communicates is as important as what is communicated. It is so important to build trust and respect (and yes, it takes time).
We all have different belief systems and cultural references. Don’t be afraid to include cultural references, stories, uses of the ocean, practices… we don’t have to approach everything solely through a Western scientific lens.
Work with communities and build local leadership.
Be aware of power dynamics, especially when working with controversial topics. There are often groups of people with an interest in a topic but no power to speak. How can you reach them and include them in discussions?
Involve the youth and give children a chance to experience the ocean. Give them a chance to love the ocean, to let them play, before you give them the bad news and before you ask them to save it.
On staying the course
Be patient. You won’t see changes as fast as you like. Communication is a marathon, not a sprint.
You are not alone! Communicating about the ocean is a team sport.
FathomVerse: Gaming for ocean conservation
Can gaming help connect people with the ocean while simultaneously supporting marine science? The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) certainly think so. Liz MacDonald told us all about it.
FathomVerse is a mobile game that combines immersive imagery and gameplay. Through a series of missions and tasks, gamers interact with underwater images collected by MBARI. Missions might involve collecting X number of squid, for example. When a gamer comes across an animal, they must decide if this is the marine life they’re looking for and “collect” it. Along the way, they also learn about marine life and the ocean.
Now, here’s the really neat part. As gamers progress with their missions, they get better at identifying the animals they’re looking for. These identifications are used to train machine learning algorithms, which eventually will be able to trawl through the mountains of photos and videos collected by marine researchers and ID what is in them.
Released in May this year, the game has already attracted over 13,000 gamers. They’ve helped identify marine life from thousands of images. Want to give it a try yourself? FathomVerse is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
➡️ Visit the FathomVerse website
Youth4MPAs- Inspiring a new generation of Marine Conservation Advocates
Want to see some of the younger generation in action? Samkelisiwe Danisa, Youth Policy and Strategic Coordinator at WILDTRUST shared details about the Youth4MPAs initiative - an African youth-led initiative focusing on advocating for the proclamation and expansion of Marine Protected Areas, educating, and empowering youth to protect the ocean and its inhabitants.
To foster connections with the ocean, build knowledge, and empower young people to be advocates for the ocean, they host events like workshops, public talks, and activities like snorkelling.
One neat workshop they ran took place at the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in South Africa. The goal? Help young people understand the benefits of Marine Protected Areas, engage them in the Marine Protected Areas and the ocean, and learn about their experiences living near them.
The snorkelling activities are pretty neat, too. For many participants, this is the very first time participants have gone into the sea.
