Science Communication of Coastal and Marine Issues

Abstract

Marine and coastal science communication plays a major role in fostering community resilience and motivating collective actions for ocean sustainability, especially within initiatives such as the Ocean Decade and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Despite growing interest and communication efforts, challenges for scientists remain. This chapter aims to present a portfolio of communication activities and critically reflect on their advantages and disadvantages. It outlines 10 Portuguese communication cases, covering beach/dune and salt marsh dynamics, research methods, aquaculture, environmental sustainability, climate change impacts, and pollution. An integrated analysis evaluates key messages, required resources, and target audiences, including a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis and comparisons of budget, team size, and audience reach. Despite being limited to 10 specific case studies, the chapter offers a broad spectrum of communication activities, providing insights and a catalogue for marine and coastal science communication.