Joint declaration CNR-CNRS/INSU

The CNRS (and its department INSU, National Institute for Earth Sciences and Astronomy)  and the CNR play an active and constructive role in the decisions taken at the UNOC, and to maintain this dynamic over the long term. As internationally recognized research institutions, they are committed to ensuring that scientific knowledge and innovation remain at the heart of global ocean governance. Through their engagement in major interdisciplinary initiatives, long-term observation systems, and science-policy interfaces, the CNRS and the CNR are uniquely positioned to contribute rigorous, evidence-based knowledge to inform decision-making processes. Together, they reaffirm their shared responsibility to support sustainable, inclusive, and science-driven solutions for the future of the ocean.
This document sets out a joint manifesto, structured around 4 key priorities that reflect this shared vision and outline concrete pathways for future actions.

Priority 1 – Observations
Current observational capacities and data collection efforts remain insufficient. This is critical to substantially reduce uncertainties about the trajectories of ocean ecosystems in the context of climate impacts, to rigorously characterize and analyze the key underlying processes, and to effectively inform and constrain modeling approaches. In situ observations need to be consolidated where established, strengthened where emerging, further developed where still at the prototype stage, and innovated where absent.

Priority 2 — Understanding biodiversity to inform protection strategies
A comprehensive understanding of biodiversity is a prerequisite for the development and implementation of effective conservation and management strategies. Yet, biodiversity observations remain critically scarce, particularly into the deep sea, even though understanding the mechanisms, processes, and functional dynamics of marine ecosystems requires significant and sustained research efforts. To meet these challenges, fundamental research on biodiversity must be significantly expanded, particularly to uncover the ecological roles, interactions, and adaptive capacities of species across diverse marine environments.

Priority 3 — Advancing integrated and cross-disciplinary ocean research
Fundamental progress in ocean sciences depends on the adoption of holistic approaches that promote cross-disciplinary collaboration and integrated research frameworks. While promising initiatives have emerged—such as the combined study of geological and biological processes in deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystems, or multi-scale observation systems linking physical oceanography, biogeochemistry, ecology, economics, and social sciences—such efforts remain isolated and experimental. To effectively address the complexity of ocean dynamics and human-ocean interactions, these integrative research approaches must be reinforced, scaled up, and institutionalized, so they become the norm rather than the exception in marine science.

Priority 4 — Strengthening and expanding Research Infrastructures
As the backbone of the European research framework, Research Infrastructures provide a solid, consolidated, and scientifically robust foundation for advancing fundamental research in ocean sciences. Enhancing cooperation among large-scale Research Infrastructures is therefore essential. This involves not only consolidating existing platforms but also expanding their spatial and temporal coverage, integrating new variables, parameters, and processes, and reinforcing their capacity to address socio-economic dimensions of ocean change. Such coordinated investments are key to ensuring that European marine science remains at the forefront of global knowledge production and innovation.

Credit Image: Pléau S., 2025, Gaia Blu RV, Available from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gaia_blu_boat.jpg