The Cultural Heritage Framework Programme: Highlighting the Contribution of Marine Cultural Heritage to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030)

Abstract

This paper considers the importance of including Marine Cultural Heritage (MCH) in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) in order to fully address the challenges facing the health of our oceans. It outlines the aims and objectives of the Cultural Heritage Framework Programme (CHFP), an official action of the UN Decade of Ocean Science and the only one that specifically deals with cultural heritage. The role of MCH in the Decade is discussed, and its under-appreciation in the UNESCO Cultural Conventions is outlined. The paper then presents the activities of the CHFP, discussing the main themes identified to date, and finishes by outlining the initiative’s next steps.

1. Introduction

The Cultural Heritage Framework Programme (CHFP) was designated in June 2021 as an official, endorsed action of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021–2030 (hereafter, ‘Ocean Decade’). It aims to highlight the role of ‘Marine Cultural Heritage’ in helping to achieve the key aim of the Ocean Decade–the realisation of a sustainable ocean. CHFP is part of the Ocean Decade Heritage Network (ODHN) [1] and is the first UN-level, global platform that brings together marine heritage practitioners with ocean science and policy stakeholders. At the core of the CHFP is the view that cultural heritage, both past and present, is an essential component of a sustainable and inclusive ocean system, and has so far been under-represented in ocean management, policy, and research. By providing a platform for the consideration of heritage within ocean science, the CHFP contextualises data of past human interactions with the ocean, and fills knowledge gaps through elevating previously unrecorded voices. By inserting heritage data from the past and present into the sustainable development goals for the ocean, we provide vital insights—currently missing from the present literature—that can inform local solutions to global challenges. This has the particular aim of providing inclusive, informed, and adaptable coastal community resilience to the intersectional impacts of climate change on culture, heritage, and ocean sustainability. This paper presents the background and activities of the CHFP to date and outlines the initiative’s next steps.

2. Background

The primary aim of the Ocean Decade is to apply scientific approaches to foster the well-being, health, and sustainable development of the ocean [2]. Following the 2030 Agenda, this entails meeting the economic, social, and environmental needs of current and future generations whilst protecting and conserving the health and diversity of ocean ecosystems [3]. Although tangible and intangible cultural heritage, both under water and along the coasts, are essential elements of ocean ecosystems and knowledge transfer, the role of culture and heritage in sustainable management approaches has been largely under-estimated or, worse, completely overlooked [1,4,5,6]. This is surprising, given the Ocean Decade, when it was first proposed in 2017, set out to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge sharing to achieve ’the science we need for the ocean we want’ [7].

With this in mind, ODHN was established in 2019 by an international group of cultural heritage practitioners with a two-fold agenda: to promote understanding in the cultural heritage sector about the Ocean Decade and to integrate cultural heritage resources and their management into ocean sciences during both the Preparatory Phase (2018–2020) and the Implementation Phase (2021–2030) of the Ocean Decade [1]. As a recognised partner of the Ocean Decade, ODHN developed, in 2021, and chairs the CHFP [8], which provides actionable and accountable steps towards the integration of ‘Marine Cultural Heritage’ into the ocean sciences. To do so, CHFP has developed a platform to coordinate a diverse network of local and regional projects which align with CHFP’s goals, from engaging with traditional knowledge holders to understanding the complex dynamics between reefs and shipwrecks. This is done to drive a coordinated, informed, and inclusive interdisciplinary response to integrating cultural heritage into the sustainable ocean development narrative. In line with the aims of the Ocean Decade, it promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing, improving ocean data and observations, and enhancing the links between ocean science, policy, and society. The CHFP is currently the only recognised Decade Action that addresses cultural heritage.

The CHFP is funded by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation from July 2022 to December 2026 and is co-ordinated at the University of Edinburgh. This funding period represents the development phase of CHFP, whereby the network of associated projects will grow and together develop action points for coordinating and inserting the network’s knowledge base into the final phases of the Ocean Decade and beyond. ODHN is focused on enabling the Ocean Decade’s aim of a ‘paradigm shift’ in how ocean sciences and ocean resources are studied and preserved in legislation and policy at the national and international levels. In contrast, the CHFP is focused on regional and local actions, engagement practices, and resourcing. These actions can also be conceived as ODHN engaging top-down, whilst CHFP engages bottom-up, with a variety of Ocean Decade stakeholders.

3. Cultural Heritage and the Decade of Ocean Science

A deep and holistic appreciation of what ‘Marine Cultural Heritage’ (MCH) entails is key to the CHFP approach. We understand MCH to encompass all human activities on, and interaction with, the ocean, including activities along the coasts. MCH therefore refers to both tangible remains like shipwrecks, submerged settlements, coastal villages, harbours, and ocean biocultural heritage, as well as intangible elements such as cultural customs, artistic expressions, local skills, and historical and traditional knowledge [4,5]. The scope of MCH is far-reaching, encompassing links to economic growth and poverty reduction, environmental conservation, social equity, education, and cultural identity. MCH is an intentionally broader and more holistic concept than ‘Underwater Cultural Heritage’ (UCH), the definition typically used by UNESCO following the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. MCH includes the range of underwater heritage covered in UCH but extends the definition to include all forms of heritage (tangible and intangible) associated with the sea, including the heritage of coastal communities. Furthermore, replacing ‘underwater’ with ‘marine’ brings the discipline in parallel with the nomenclature used by the other marine sciences with which the CHFP actively engages, such as marine biology, marine ecology, marine engineering, etc., as well as with marine stakeholders more widely, including developers and policy makers.

The CHFP responds to capacity and knowledge gaps within the Ocean Decade, including a lack of awareness, utilisation, and protection of MCH within most significant ocean policies and frameworks, and a lack of integration and collaboration between the natural and cultural heritage sciences both within and outside of academia [8]. Explored during the UNESCO Conference Identifying Critical Science Gaps at Marine World Heritage Sites in 2021, cultural heritage was highlighted as a key knowledge gap impeding the sustainable conservation of marine World Heritage Sites [9,10] see also below. The lack of cultural heritage within integrated and place-based marine management such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Integrated Coastal Zone Management, and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) was deemed to be actively impeding the management of the marine zone. Despite this, cultural heritage was not then included in the resulting roadmap for action for marine World Heritage Sites throughout the Ocean Decade [11], with the result that the gap remains.

The insufficient integration of culture (as human society) and heritage (encompassing both tangible and intangible elements) into marine resource management has hindered the effectiveness and inclusivity of frameworks like Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and climate mitigation strategies. While many ‘top-down’ management approaches have had some success, their impact could have been significantly enhanced from deeper engagement with coastal communities and their culture. Expanding the integration of cultural heritage into research and policy development offers a direct path to achieving meaningful engagement and ensuring that these strategies are more sustainable and widely embraced. Notably, many coastal management frameworks worldwide already emphasise the importance of broadening stakeholder engagement, underscoring the critical opportunity for researchers and managers to align with these expectations and further enhance the efficacy of marine resource management.

Aligning cultural heritage with coastal and marine environmental management remains complex and under-researched. This is particularly the case when it comes to the integration of cultural heritage within large-scale resource management policies that deal with marine industry and development, such as in Blue Economy initiatives and MSP designations, which primarily monitor and measure development using economic input. The complexity associated with accurate and representative Culture and Heritage economies within these systems has resulted in a slower uptake of these methodologies within environmental management frameworks [12,13]. This is particularly the case for the intangible values of cultural heritage, which are rarely extrapolated proportionately for the benefit of coastal communities, and as such are often represented solely by tourism—which, although easily measured, does not reflect the vast importance of cultural heritage to local people or to the global ocean challenges [14,15,16].

As we begin to see an increasing recognition of the centrality of culture (including heritage) to inclusive and equitable ocean resource management, it is essential that inclusion goes beyond mere nominal acknowledgment. To this end, the CHFP aims to guide collaboration between cultural and natural heritage bodies to effectively protect, conserve, and manage marine cultural heritage (MCH) as an integral part of the broader marine environment. To do so, the CHFP is building a network of projects that address long-term human behaviour; the relationship between people and the marine environment over time; cultural and heritage economies and management; coastal communities; evolving social views; sea blindness; and ocean literacy. This effort translates into activities such as showcasing the integration of heritage and ocean science; facilitating co-design processes; managing data and knowledge; building capacities within the ocean sciences; enabling greater diversity and representation; supporting public engagement and outreach; and evaluating impact. A core principle of CHFP is bringing together a range of projects to highlight their impact, identify mutual support opportunities, and ensure meaningful collaboration.

A critical aspect of this approach is the engagement of Indigenous voices and perspectives—not as an afterthought but as a foundational element of the discussion from the inception of ideas through the co-production of knowledge and the development of management strategies. Indigenous and coastal community voices are integrated into CHFP’s development through ongoing consultation with existing projects and participation in wider network meetings. Through the process of assisting projects toward endorsement by the Ocean Decade Secretariat, and in turn, affiliation with the CHFP, the network brings together and evaluates the overlaps, gaps, and insights of key projects that are actively engaging with the CHFP’s goals from the ground up. The CHFP provides a platform for guiding the collection’s shared goals towards actionable change, through a coordinated approach to informing policy, enhancing ocean literacy through shared approaches to public engagement, and by creating links between researchers and communities with common aims, approaches, and methodologies. Decolonising the processes of ocean research and management is a key goal, and CHFP strives to create a safe and accountable space that upholds shared principles of cooperative and long-term engagement with Indigenous and coastal populations, ensuring their active leadership and representation in shaping the future of ocean resource management.

4. Awareness of Marine Cultural Heritage in the UNESCO Culture Conventions

The lack of consideration of Marine Cultural Heritage (MCH) within existing UNESCO Culture Conventions has acted as a barrier to the awareness and inclusion of it in the Ocean Decade. Instead, UNESCO has focussed on Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH), a much more restricted term that covers only submerged archaeological sites that have been ‘been partially or totally underwater, periodically or continuously, for at least 100 years’ [17]. This is the approach taken in the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001 Convention), which does not account for the value of the intangible heritage of coastal societies and environments and perpetuates a divide in policy and management between terrestrial and underwater heritage. As a result, despite its centrality and importance for the development of protective policies and the establishment of research standards for underwater archaeological work worldwide, the 2001 Convention does not consider, nor protect, the full range of heritage identified in the marine zone currently under threat from infrastructural development and climate change [18,19].

An internal UNESCO evaluation in 2019 highlighted the potential areas for improvement of the 2001 Convention and underlined the importance of the 2001 Convention for other processes at the United Nations level regarding oceans, including the United Nations Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), UN Oceans, and the Ocean Decade [20]. The evaluation recommended the Secretariat and States Parties to ‘Advocate for strengthening the integration of the protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH) into the Roadmap of the UN Decade of Ocean Science. In particular, facilitating the cooperation between the UCH Unit (the Secretariat of the Convention in Paris) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) in the implementation of the Roadmap’ [20]. The audit also identified that one of the main challenges is the need to have specific tools to measure the level of implementation of the 2001 Convention, and its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, to the Ocean Decade and other Internationally Agreed Development Goals (IADGs). The 2001 Convention is the only UNESCO Culture Convention without a reporting mechanism, or a defined strategy outlining its expected results, measuring indicators, and baselines. As a result, there is not an existing tool that can analyse the contribution of the 2001 Convention to the Ocean Decade Outcomes (UNESCO is currently working to develop a Results-based framework for the 2001 Convention that, once approved by the Meeting of States Parties, will be the basis to establish a reporting mechanism).

Within the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the World Heritage Marine Programme was launched in 2005 to guarantee the protection of marine areas of Outstanding Universal Value and to follow up on World Heritage Committee decisions. The Marine Programme focuses mainly on monitoring the state of conservation of sites, boosting a network of site managers, and building resilience and climate adaptation capacity [21,22]. Despite focusing on all ocean places inscribed in the World Heritage list, many combining cultural and natural heritage in the marine context (i.e., St. Kilda in Scotland, or Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture in Spain), the major work of this programme excludes cultural heritage within inscribed properties [21].

The implementation of the UNESCO Culture Conventions alone does not guarantee the preservation of MCH in all its manifestations, nor does it enhance its contribution to achieve the goals of the Ocean Decade. Important scientific and policy gaps have been identified, and the need to provide a cultural perspective to sustainable development has been recognised as one of the main priorities of the Cultural Sector. Addressing this requires collaborative efforts among governments, policy makers, scientists, local communities, and other stakeholders. Integrated and interdisciplinary approaches, informed by peer-reviewed science, local knowledge, and inclusive decision-making processes, are essential to overcome these challenges and achieve sustainable ocean management and conservation. The recent adopted strategies call to establish synergies between the Conventions, advance innovative scientific approaches, and enable infrastructures according to the way we and others understand, study, preserve, and use heritage in the context of sustainable development.

The adoption of the CHFP as one of the Ocean Decade-endorsed Actions builds on the increasing acknowledgement of the international community for more social and humanities perspectives within the wider marine sciences and policies preserving our oceans. The CHFP has been created to fill the gap identified in the implementation strategies of UNESCO programmes, and to create a space for different ways of knowing in the marine sciences. Essentially, the CHFP is the enabling environment to (re)connect cultural heritage to wider ocean science initiatives and marine policies, with the belief that without engaging with cultural heritage, science-based solutions are unlikely to be sustainable.

5. The Cultural Heritage Framework Programme: Aims and Objectives

The aim of the CHFP is to transform engagement with cultural heritage relating to the ocean, the marine environment, and the people who depend on it. Ultimately, by the end of the Ocean Decade, the historical and cultural dimensions of people’s relationships with the sea should be integrated within ocean science and policy. The ‘Ocean We Want’ will be inspired and informed by the long and diverse histories and living heritage of people and the sea [23]. Considering this, the programme will actively highlight cultural heritage contributions to the sustainable development agenda over the course of the Ocean Decade, for the benefit of both heritage, environment, and coastal communities. Through the integration of cultural heritage, the impacts of Decade Actions are linked by human stories and heritage, thus being more significant together than they would be individually and will fill social and cultural research gaps identified for the functioning of the Ocean Decade.

Operationally, the CHFP has a number of objectives throughout the course of the Ocean Decade, which are categorised as Primary Objectives (Figure 1), which describe the actions that will be undertaken by the CHFP for the purposes of integrating cultural heritage within the ocean sciences, and Supporting Objectives, which describe actions which aim to aid in supporting individual Decade Actions, and other complementary projects (Figure 2).

These aims and objectives are designed broadly, so as to evolve over time in reaction to the needs of target areas, industries, partners, and projects. The objectives will be delivered by the CHFP Secretariat, and associated projects and will contribute to the greater aims and objectives of the Ocean Decade.

6. The Cultural Heritage Framework Programme: Methodologies

As part of the first stage of the programme, a series of key themes have been identified in order to achieve the objectives outlined above (see Figure 1). The second stage detailed in the following section was co-designed with CHFP’s associated projects through an online survey and selected follow-up interviews. This process of co-design will recur annually, with an end-of-year workshop to assess impact and re-design themes for the following year. As such, it is important to note that the highlighted themes and sub-themes in this paper are constantly evolving through a reiterative process of re-evaluation and co-design.

The following themes were identified by the CHFP Secretariat in the first year of its implementation. Regarding the objective outlining the ‘showcasing of the integration of heritage and ocean science’ (Objective 1), the primary limitation identified was ‘interdisciplinary engagement’, with the need for co-ordinated and multi-disciplinary representation of projects that engage with cultural heritage in the ocean sciences. To ‘encourage ocean literacy, public engagement, and outreach’ and ‘develop capacity/early career support’ (Objectives 2, 3), the main limiting factor identified was a lack of an engaged, dedicated platform by which inspirational culture–nature ocean stories could be shared and disseminated by the scientists, community members, and students who run them. Regarding ‘enabling greater diversity and representation’, ‘facilitating co-design’, and ‘encouraging best practice in managing data and knowledge’ (Objectives 4, 5, 6), the theme of ‘advocating and integrating for the voices of coastal communities and their livelihoods’ was identified as the first necessary step for more inclusive co-design, representation, and data management. Finally, to ‘encourage effective and efficient communication between cultural heritage stakeholders, other marine science stakeholders, policy and decision makers, traditional communities and the general public, and Decade institutions’ (Objective 7), the theme of decolonising ocean resource management was deemed the most urgent next step in diversifying multi-stakeholder ocean resource engagement. The final objective, ‘encourage effective evaluation of impact’ is applied throughout the process of co-operative re-design of CHFP’s annual themes. The following section provides further details on the context driving the CHFP Secretariat’s first identified themes.

6.1. Theme 1: Interdisciplinary Engagement: Including Showcasing Integration of Heritage and Ocean Science

It is the main contention of the CHFP that nature and culture should be considered together, acknowledging the mutual impact of cultural traditions on biological diversity and emphasizing the interconnectedness between human communities and their environments. Considering the past and ongoing human impact and interaction with the natural environment is an essential aspect of achieving sustainable ocean practices [24]. This involves considering both tangible elements, like shipwrecks fostering reef ecosystems, and intangible ones, such as traditional ecological knowledge (Figure 3) [25]. Biocultural heritage emphasises the interconnectedness between human communities and their environments, acknowledging the mutual impact of cultural traditions and biological diversity, and as such, is considered a key ocean resource and CHFP theme.

Considering that the primary role of the CHFP is to advocate for the inclusion of heritage within the sustainable development frameworks, the marine sciences, and marine policy and management, a key aspect of the CHFP’s work is sharing and evolving the understanding of how the past may inform the future of the ocean. As such, an interdisciplinary Secretariat with expertise in natural and cultural heritage, policy, and management oversees the programme and works as the primary point of contact to implement the key outcomes and objectives described above.

To do so, CHFP provides infrastructure to encourage, share, and support Decade Actions relating to cultural heritage, as well as partners with international research projects which lead in developing heritage solutions for global challenges, so as to share and expand the CHFP knowledge base practically. Further to providing the infrastructure and guidelines for marine cultural heritage projects, the programme provides advice and assistance to other Decade Actions (programmes, projects, and activities) that engage with, or have the potential to engage with, ocean heritage. Through collaborating with other networks and initiatives relating to the Ocean Decade that share common strands with ODHN and CHFP, the programme aims to extend the reach of MCH outside of the heritage and archaeology discipline.

The precedent for this type of interdisciplinary engagement has been set through early involvement of ODHN with international forums such as the COP27, COP28, UN Oceans, and the CHFP with Ocean Science Networks such as Edinburgh Oceans. Over the course of the CHFP, this work will be extended through the following:

(i)

Stakeholder mapping, audience identification, and engagement with environment and sustainable development conferences and events internationally.

(ii)

Working to expand cultural heritage capacities and understandings within this network, through facilitating interdisciplinary project design, training, and management plans.

(iii)

Directly applying MCH solutions to global ocean challenges by connecting the large-scale, interdisciplinary results identified through the CHFP network of partners and associated projects to the Ocean Decade platform.

Furthermore, by building an interdisciplinary network of endorsed projects that engage with the shared goals of ODHN, CHFP, and the Ocean Decade, CHFP aims to showcase and develop the role of heritage in the ocean sciences. Projects are endorsed through a rigorously assessed application which passes through both the Ocean Decade Secretariat and the CHFP Secretariat before endorsement can proceed. In doing so, each project must answer specific questions regarding the relevance of their project to both the goals of the Ocean Decade, and the goals of CHFP. Further to this, interviews are typically held by CHFP to discuss both the relevance and ethical rigidity of each project, so as to guarantee the highest research and ethics standards within the CHFP network.

6.2. Theme 2: Developing an Engaged, Dedicated Platform by Which Inspirational Culture-Nature Ocean Stories Can Be Disseminated

The CHFP has a dedicated online platform (https://oceandecadechfp.org/, accessed on 18 December 2024), a key part of which is a global online magazine, SeaVoice (https://www.seavoice.online/, accessed on 18 December 2024), representing a public-facing element of the CHFP aimed at sharing engaging stories about culture and the ocean (Figure 4). The magazine showcases the work of a diverse range of voices working in the intersection between culture, climate, and the ocean. It has been designed to be accessible and inspirational, and presents the work of a range of ocean practitioners including researchers, activists, advocates, community members, and artists. To date, five online volumes and one annual printed edition have been released, containing 45 papers by authors from 24 different countries and multiple demographics, from policy makers to Indigenous community members [26].

6.3. Theme 3: Advocating for and Integrating the Voices of Coastal Communities and Their Livelihoods

CHFP’s early partnership with the Rising from the Depths Network (RftD), a project that aimed to enhance the utilisation of MCH for the sustainable development of local communities in East Africa, provided a key knowledge base for advocating for the voices of coastal communities and their livelihoods (Figure 5). From 2018 to 2022, RftD funded 27 projects throughout Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar, which co-produced community-led projects focussing on MCH livelihoods [27]. Various themes within the CHFP were exemplified in this work, including community perception of ocean hazards; integration of scientific and traditional MCH knowledge; climate change mitigation through cultural practices; cultural livelihoods; gender equity; and engagement, capacity building, and education [27]. In collaboration with CHFP, RftD is working towards the production of various best-practice models within these themes. Furthermore, through connecting this project with others within the ocean sciences, CHFP can continue to facilitate the platform by which this research can be shared and expanded upon on a global stage.

6.4. Theme 4: Developing Capacities and Interactions Between Ocean Leaders, Policy Makers, Scientists, Academics, and the Public, and Enabling Greater Diversity and Representation

Beyond establishing a MCH-based framework for large-scale ocean challenges, it is also imperative that results are communicated and applicable to a broad range of audiences (Figure 6). To do so, CHFP shares access to a global network of maritime heritage initiatives, each with its own potential to inspire public engagement through supporting plans for promoting different ocean ‘voices’ and ocean ‘citizenship’, as a way to improve ocean safety and sustainability. ODHN’s membership has already established an extensive list of members and partners which represent a global network of maritime archaeologists and heritage experts. The work of CHFP is actively expanding this list, with particular focus on increasing diversity and interdisciplinarity within ocean disciplines; higher education and non-higher education institutions; and governments and NGOs. Of particular importance is the establishment through ODHN of regional representatives, through which local gatekeepers may be approached in areas which have been typically excluded, or have proved inaccessible previously. Furthermore, particular focus is placed on organisations which engage and represent local and Indigenous communities, that engage with traditional knowledge, and provide a multivocal platform to have access to ocean stakeholders.

6.5. Theme 5: Decolonising Ocean Resource Management

Scientific research, aid and capacity-building practices between the Global North and South have a significant history in colonial methodologies and practice [27]. As such, CHFP methodologies focus a spotlight on decolonising the methodologies of top-down, Western-developed marine management frameworks, policies, and practices. Through engagement with local stakeholders, representatives, and projects, CHFP prioritises research practices developed with cultural sensitivity, inclusivity, and equity; participatory, bottom-up methodologies; and community-centred objectives (Figure 7). Research projects are prioritised that aim to decolonise living narratives and histories; ocean management practices and implementation; and knowledge representation and diversity. Themes that engage with living heritage in the form of traditional knowledge, culture, stories, and traditions alongside traditional customary practices, taboos, and frameworks are key to this work, and will be a core theme of future activities and endorsed projects.

Once network-building activities have established a strong base, CHFP aims to produce active results in collaboration with associated projects and actions. These actionable results will be focussed on addressing global ocean challenges and will be brought together with partners and projects to enhance the outcomes of the Ocean Decade. Outcomes will be delivered both on a global scale, in relation to the Ocean Decade itself, and a local scale, in relation to the challenges faced by the coastal communities on the frontline of the climate and development crisis.

7. Expected Outcomes

The primary outcome of CHFP is to increase the impact of Decade Actions through engagement with MCH, so Decade Actions relating to cultural heritage will have greater overall coherence over the duration of the Ocean Decade than if this framework were absent. To do so, a number of outcomes must be achieved (Figure 8).

The above outcomes are aimed at a number of stakeholders: marine science researchers; policy and decision makers; traditional communities and the public; and Ocean Decade co-ordination structures (Decade Co-ordination Unit, Co-ordination Offices and Collaborative Centres; National Decade Committees; Stakeholder Platforms; Ocean Decade Alliance). Part of this work will be ensuring that duplication is avoided among networks, programmes, projects, and activities relating to cultural heritage under the umbrella of the Ocean Decade and beyond, and so, expertise will be promptly available for responding to enquiries from stakeholders regarding the Ocean Decade, Decade Actions, Calls for Actions, institutions, and contributions.

Ultimately, the CHFP hopes to begin decreasing the gap between, and increase representation of MCH within, the rest of the ocean sciences in relation to research, policy, legislation, and community. This outcome will develop over the course of the Ocean Decade, but will remain the primary, measurable indicator for CHFP.

8. Endorsement Process

Part of the aforementioned outcomes can already be measured through Ocean Decade endorsed programmes associated with the CHFP (long-term initiatives focussed on a number of global ocean challenges); projects (focussed regimes at regional, national, or local levels, which may appear within a greater programme); and activities (individual, smaller initiatives which address or contribute to a specific challenge). The CHFP, at the time of writing, has 19 endorsed actions, as can be seen in

Table 1. The current Cultural Heritage Framework Programme-affiliated Decade Actions (authors).

Name of the Decade Action	Lead Institution	Project’s Website	Country/Region Action Is Implemented
Unpath’d Waters	Historic England	https://unpathdwaters.org.uk/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	UK
Indigenous People, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and Climate Change: the iconic underwater cultural heritage of stone tidal weirs	Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology [UNESCO UNITWIN Network for Underwater Archaeology]	https://oceandecade.org/actions/indigenous-people-traditional-ecological-knowledge-and-climate-change-the-iconic-underwater-cultural-heritage-of-stone-tidal-weirs/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	East Asia
Community Engaged Ocean Science in Canada	Canadian Commission for UNESCO–Canada	https://oceandecade.org/actions/community-engaged-ocean-science-in-canada/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Canada
Rising from the Depths	University of Edinburgh	https://risingfromthedepths.com/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	East Africa
Linking Nature and Culture to Support Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods: Establishing a Marine Protected Area at the Island of Mozambique, East Africa (LiNaCuMoz)	University of Edinburgh	https://edmarinearch.com/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Mozambique
Replicating a Successful Model to Develop a Network of Indigenous Marine Managed Areas in the Philippines	C3 Philippines	https://c-3.org.uk/darwin-initiative/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Philippines
Threats to our Ocean Heritage: A book series	The Ocean Foundation	https://oceandecadechfp.org/activities/threats-to-our-ocean-heritage-a-book-series/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Global
Erasmus Mundus: Marine Spaces Planning/Culture/Climate (MSPCC)	Koç University	https://mspcc.ku.edu.tr/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Europe
Shipwrecks as Artificial Reef Structures	University of Bremen	https://shipwrecksasartificialreefstructures.com/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Sri Lanka
Enhancing Estuary Resilience in Coastal BC	The Nature Trust of British Columbia	Estuaryresilience.ca/Naturetrust.bc.ca (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Canada
SeaVoice	University of Edinburgh	https://www.seavoice.online/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Global
WreckLife	Heritage Malta	https://heritagemalta.mt/departments/underwater-cultural-heritage-unit/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Malta
Women, heritage, & navigation in the Pacific	Universitat Pompeu Fabra	https://oceandecade.org/actions/women-heritage-navigation-in-the-pacific/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Spain/USA
Yagarrajalajalan nagula buru	Murdoch University	https://www.yagarrajalajalan-nagula-buru.org/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Australia
Vaka Oceanstorylab	Okeanos Foundation	https://okeanos-foundation.org/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Cook Islands; France; Nauro
Recovering and reusing ghost nets	Marulho	https://oceandecade.org/actions/recovering-and-reusing-ghost-nets-nets-for-the-ocean/ (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Brazil
Gathering Information via Recreational and Technical (GIRT) Scientific Divers	GIRT Scientific Divers	www.girtsd.org (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Australia
Community Waterscapes	University of Hull	https://storymaps.com/stories/c2a7a2206953451ba59eb2cda428c9f0 (accessed on 18 December 2024)	UK
MARGAIN	University of Stavanger	https://www.uis.no/en/museum-of-archaeology/research/margain-marine-resource-gathering-and-infrastructure-in-the-norse (accessed on 18 December 2024)	Norway

.

As discussed above, these actions are co-creating and formulating the evolving research themes of the programme. While the themes are intersectional across the actions, certain projects exemplify particular themes. For example, Theme 1 is highlighted both by projects which engage with tangible heritage, such as shipwrecks as artificial reef structures, and intangible heritage, such as traditional ecological and heritage knowledge, such as the Community Engaged Ocean Science in Canada Project or Enhancing Estuary Resilience in Coastal BC. As discussed above, the CHFP magazine, SeaVoice, provides a platform for disseminating inspirational culture–nature ocean stories to a wider public (Theme 2).

Themes 3 and 5 are represented by projects which engage with coastal community resilience and decolonising marine resource management, such as Replicating a Successful Model to Develop a Network of Indigenous Marine Managed Areas in the Philippines, and Linking Nature and Culture in Mozambique. Theme 4 is represented by Unpath’d Waters, which seeks to allow the general public to access UK maritime collections, the Indigenous People, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and Climate Change project which showcases the interdisciplinarity of stone tidal weir research to the wider scientific community, and Rising from the Depths, which is a network of arts and humanities researchers, community groups, heritage professionals, NGOs, ocean scientists, UN officials, government policy practitioners, coastal developers, offshore companies, overseas aid specialists, ICT specialists, and artists drawn from the diverse components of MCH.

To continue growing and evolving CHFP-listed outcomes, a primary goal for the future is to engage with further projects, programmes, and activities, such as those listed in Table 1. These projects exemplify a number of representative characteristics which actively complement the overall outcomes and objectives of CHFP and the Ocean Decade, such as interdisciplinarity; creating communication pathways between community, science, industry, and policy; research that engages with traditional knowledge and methods; community engagement; and integrated management techniques.

Through the process of endorsement by the Ocean Decade Secretariat, CHFP can provide multiple benefits to associated projects. The CHFP platform can facilitate projects and research on an interdisciplinary scale, the Secretariat can deliver expert advice, and the Ocean Decade can provide accountability for objectives. On receiving endorsement, a project receives official recognition that they are within the global network of the Ocean Decade Vision, and as such, will have access to increased opportunities, partnerships, opportunities, visibility, and support.

The process of endorsement is as follows. The first stage of endorsement involves communication between CHFP and the potential programme, project, or activity (henceforth discussed simply as ‘action’). At this stage, the appropriateness of an action may be discussed, and advice and next steps will be given and adjusted depending on the action itself. Further to this, the action will be asked to submit a proposal (Figure 9), which will go through technical review by the Ocean Decade Unit, in consultation with CHFP, and if successful, will be endorsed and announced. Decade actions can be submitted for endorsement at any time, and can take a period of six weeks to be accepted. For programmes and projects, official calls with various themes are announced every six months, and can take a period of 3–6 months to be accepted. Further information on this process can be found on CHFP website and alongside each new call for Decade Actions.

9. Cultural Heritage Framework Programme: Next Steps

The scope of CHFP will continue to evolve over the course of the Ocean Decade in response to need, and through the re-evaluation of annual themes and co-design with marine stakeholders and communities. The actionable next steps currently in progress are particularly focussed on network generating developments. These include the continued development of the SeaVoice magazine and the launch of a new dedicated digital platform for resources, news, and dissemination; various informative webinars on specific research topics (e.g., potentially polluting wrecks, Indigenous and traditional knowledge) and themes (e.g., capacity building, data management, citizen science, managing Decade Actions, ocean literacy); matchmaking meetings to stimulate future Decade Actions; the provision and sourcing technical advice for stakeholders (e.g., specialist knowledge on archaeological periods, regions, themes, methodologies, etc.); continuous support for associated and future Decade Actions including publication and through digital media; and dissemination of the vision, mission, and outcomes of the Ocean Decade throughout the public. With specific regard to supporting the growing network of ocean scientists associated with the CHFP, and in consultation with current associated projects, the CHFP Secretariat is developing a reporting framework for associated actions, and a framework for a global network of Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs), representatives, and stakeholders.

10. Conclusions

The future of the CHFP lies in the pathways built between MCH and the ocean sciences. Significant work has already been done to engage cultural heritage with the global ocean challenges, particularly regarding work with coastal communities, climate change, sustainable development, MSP, and MPAs [1,4,15,28,29,30,31]. As has been evidenced in the UNESCO Ocean Decade Conference, held in Barcelona, in April 2024, although ‘cultural engagement’ was duly recognised in the final conference statement, much remains to be done to achieve a global recognition for these contributions, and to shape the progress of MCH research towards challenge-led, inclusive, equitable, and solution-driven goals. The CHFP will build upon this work by facilitating the platform by which this type of research can be shared, communicated, applied, and built upon, to provide space for culture, heritage, and coastal communities within the ongoing Ocean Decade.

The overall objective of the CHFP is to ensure that MCH, and most importantly, the communities related to that heritage, have a voice in the Ocean Decade. The growing range of endorsed CHFP projects showcases how MCH contributes to achieving the ‘Ocean We Want’. These projects support conservation, involve communities, promote sustainable tourism, enhance ocean literacy, and help to build resilience (through the use of historic data in mitigation and adaption strategies). They illustrate the value of a truly inter-disciplinary approach that creates communication pathways between local communities, science, industry and policy, to co-create viable initiatives that are supported on the ground and respect traditional knowledge and practices.

Engaging with CHFP enables us to highlight projects and research onto an interdisciplinary platform, offer expert guidance, and ensure accountability for Ocean Decade objectives. It is expected that the achievement of CHFP outcomes can help to transform current policies and implementation strategies concerning cultural heritage and the marine environment. The aim is to provide science-based recommendations aligning international frameworks (such as the UNESCO 2001 Convention) with ocean sustainability, fostering self-sustained ocean heritage practice well beyond the Ocean Decade.

It is widely recognised that science alone cannot bring about change in public policy or transformations in the behaviour of communities and individuals. Humans are the driving force in sustainable development—they sit at the centre of any mitigation strategies or management programmes put in place, and it is clear that if these initiatives do not respect their cultural norms or beliefs, they will not be successful nor sustainable. By recognising and valuing the role of MCH in the ocean, the CHFP is helping to ensure the human dimension of the Ocean Decade and that the benefits of the ocean are shared fairly and sustainably.